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How to Install Android 13 via ADB Sideload

In this guide, we will show you the steps to install Android 13 onto your device via ADB Sideload. The thirteenth iteration of the OS from the Silicon Valley giant has just made its way. And with that, so has been a slew of new features and some under the hood changes. These include the likes of a new system photo picker with cloud storage integration that allows you directly pick up the images from a cloud service like Google Drive, third-party apps quick settings prompts, per-app language preferences.

Apart from that, there are some developer tools that give more granular controls to the developers. Likewise, apps using the nearby devices feature might no longer need your device’s location permission. With that said, this build is still in the testing phase and hence stability issues might be imminent. However, if you still wish to give it a try and test out all the intriguing features of this new OS build, then this guide shall help you out. In this tutorial, we will show you the steps to install Android 13 onto your device via ADB Sideload.

Benefits and Drawback of Installing Android 13 via ADB Sideload

install android 13 via adb sideload

This method has its fair share of perks and caveats. The biggest advantage of ADB Sideload is that you could easily update your device to Android 13 on a locked bootloader. But on the downside, you wouldn’t be able to downgrade to Android 12 using this method. This is because ADB Sideload doesn’t support downgrading. So if you ever wish to revert to Android 12, you will have to use the Fastboot Method or Android Flash Tool, both of which require an unlocked bootloader.

As far as the supported device list is concerned, you could install the Android 13 either via ADB Sideload on the following devices: Google Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5, Pixel 5a, Pixel 6, and Pixel 6 Pro. In this regard, do keep in mind that the Developer Preview builds are highly unstable, and it isn’t recommended to use it as your daily driver in its current state. Moreover, you should take a backup of all the data on your device beforehand.

Android 13 Screenshots

Here are some of the screenshots that I took of some important device pages, namely- Settings menu, Quick Settings toggle, System page, Notification Area, and the revamped WiFi network selection screen. Do note that these images are from the First Developer Preview, and there could be quite a few changes by the time it reaches the stable build. So please don’t mold your installation decision based on just these screenshots.

How to Install Android 13 via ADB Sideload

The below instructions are listed under separate sections for ease of understanding. Make sure to follow in the exact same sequence as mentioned. Droidwin and its members wouldn’t be held responsible in case of a thermonuclear war, your alarm doesn’t wake you up, or if anything happens to your device and data by performing the below steps.

STEP 1: Install Android SDK

First and foremost, you will have to install the Android SDK Platform Tools on your PC. This is the official ADB and Fastboot binary provided by Google and is the only recommended one. So download it and then extract it to any convenient location on your PC. Doing so will give you the platform-tools folder, which will be used throughout this guide.

install adb platform tools windows

STEP 2: Download Android 13 OTA Image

You may now download the Android 13 firmware corresponding to your device from here. Since we are using the ADB Sideload method, you should download the OTA file (and not the Factory Image). Moreover, once you have downloaded the firmware, transfer it to the platform-tools folder on your PC. Likewise, rename the file to update, so that the complete name becomes update.zip. [We have done this rename as it will be easy to type in the Command Prompt].

install android 13 via adb sideload

STEP 3: Enable USB Debugging

Next up, you will have to enable USB Debugging so that your device is recognizable by the PC in ADB mode. This will then allow you to boot your device to Recovery Mode. So head over to Settings > About Phone > Tap on Build Number 7 times > Go back to Settings > System > Advanced > Developer Options > Enable USB Debugging.

install android 13 via adb sideload

STEP 4: Boot to Stock Recovery

  1. Connect your device to the PC via USB cable. Make sure USB Debugging is enabled.
  2. Then head over to the platform-tools folder, type in CMD in the address bar, and hit Enter. This will launch the Command Prompt.
  3. After that, type in the following command in the CMD window to boot your device to the stock recovery
    adb reboot recovery
  4. On some Pixel devices, you will now be taken to the No Command screen.
    install android 13 via adb sideload
  5. To exit this screen, press and hold the Power Button and while doing, so press and release the Volume Up key and then release the Power key as well. You will now be taken to the stock recovery.
    install android 13 via adb sideload

STEP 5: Install Android 13 Via ADB Sideload

  1. Use the Volume keys to highlight the Apply Update from ADB option and press the Power key to confirm it.
    install android 13 via adb sideload
  2. You should now see a message along the following lines on your device.
    install android 13 via adb sideload
  3. Now head over to the platform-tools folder, type in CMD in the address bar, and hit Enter. This will launch the Command Prompt.
  4. Type in the following command in the CMD window to verify the ADB Sideload connection:
    adb devices

    install android 13 via adb sideload

  5. If you get the sideload keyword in the Command Prompt, then the connection stands successful and you may proceed ahead.
  6. So go to the CMD window (that you have opened inside platform-tools) and type in the below command to install the Android 13 OTA file:
    adb sideload update.zip
  7. The installation process will now begin and could take a few minutes. Once done, use the Volume keys to select the Reboot System Now option and press the Power key to confirm it.

That’s it. These were the steps to install Android 13 onto your device via ADB Sideload. If you have any queries concerning the aforementioned steps, do let us know in the comments. We will get back to you with a solution at the earliest.


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