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How to Install Android 14 on your Pixel [4 Methods] [Video]

In this guide, we will show you four different methods to install the latest Android 14 onto your device. It’s that time of the year again when we get to taste a new dessert from the Silicon Valley giant! This time around the offering on the plate is the Upside Down Cake and the recipe is definitely something worth looking forward to.

Some of the noteworthy features include the likes of new photo pickers, lock screen customizations, App Pair, App Cloning, Notification Flash, and Auto-Confirm Lock Screen [finally!], among others. So with such a long list of features, there are no brownie points in guessing the fact that you would be eagerly awaiting to welcome abode and install the latest Android 14 on your Pixel device. So let’s cut to the chase and jump onto the bandwagon right away.

How to Install Android 14 on any Android Device [4 Methods]

install android 14

We have listed four different methods through which you could install the Android 14 build onto your device, along with the perks and risks of each approach. So go through them carefully and decide accordingly. Moroever, irrespective of the method you end up choosing, please take a backup of all the data beforehand.

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.

Install Android 14 via Opt-In [New]

If you want to install one of the Android 14 beta builds, then you can easily do so from the Android Beta Program website. This is by far the easiest and shortest method to get this job done. With that said, here’s what you need to do:

  1. Head over to the Android Beta Program website.
  2. Then sign in via the same account through which you are currently logged in on your Pixel device.
  3. Now click on Opt-in next to your device and wait for a few minutes.install android 14
  4. You will subsequently get the Android 14 OTA on your device.
  5. Just go to Settings > System > System Update and hit Download and Install.install android 14

Install Android 14 via ADB Sideload

The benefit of this method is that it doesn't require an unlocked bootloader. 
However, this method requries OTA package which usually has a delayed release.

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 14 OTA Image

You may now download the Android 14 OTA 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. [so that it becomes easier to type in the Command Prompt].

install android 14

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 14

STEP 4: Boot to Stock Recovery

  1. Connect your device to the PC via a 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 14
  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 14

STEP 5: Install Android 14 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 14
  2. You should now see a message along the following lines on your device.
    install android 14
  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 14 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 14 onto your device via ADB Sideload. Let’s now check out the rest of the three methods.

Install Android 14 via Android Flash Tool

This is an automated method and the tool will do the flashing for you.
On the flip side, this tool requires an unlocked bootloader

STEP 1: Install Android SDK

install adb platform tools windows

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.

STEP 2: Enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking

Next up, you will also have to enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking on your device. The former will make your device recognizable by the PC in ADB mode. This will then allow you to boot your device to Fastboot Mode. On the other hand, OEM Unlocking is required to carry out the bootloader unlocking process.

install android 14

So head over to Settings > About Phone > Tap on Build Number 7 times > Go back to Settings > System > Advanced > Developer Options > Enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking.install android 14

STEP 3: Unlock Bootloader

In order to flash the Android 13 firmware on your Pixel device via Android Flash Tool, you will have to unlock the device’s bootloader as well. If you haven’t done so, then you may refer to our guide on How to Unlock Bootloader on Google Pixel Devices.

install android 14

STEP 4: Install Android 14 via Android Flash Tool

  1. To begin with, connect your device to the PC via a USB cable.
  2. Then head over to the Android Flash Tool Android 14 website [link] and click on Allow ADB Access.
    install android 14
  3. Now click on Add new device, select your device from the pop-up, and hit Connect
    install android 14
  4. You will get a Debugging prompt on your device, click Allow.
    install android 14
  5. Now select the desired Android 14 build from the list, which at the time of writing is Android 14 Preview 1
    install android 14
  6. Now click on the pencil (edit) icon next to Selected build and you should see Wipe Device, Lock Bootloader, and Force Flash All Partitions being enabled by default.install android 14
  7. In this regard, Wipe Device is highly recommended and Force Flash All Partitions is a must, so leave those boxes checked.
    install android 14
  8. On the other hand, the bootloader option depends on your personal preference. I wish to have it unlocked even after the flashing is complete, so I have unchecked the Lock Bootloader option.
  9. Moving on, once you have made the selection, click on Install Build.install android 14
  10. The tool will now show you the selected build and your device name if it’s all well and good, then click on Confirm.
    install android 14
  11. The tool will now start downloading and subsequently flashing the Android 14 build onto your device.
  12. During the flashing process, your device will automatically boot to Fastboot and FastbootD Modes.
    install android 14
  13. Once the flashing is done, you will be notified of the same. You may now unplug your device and boot it to the newly installed OS [if it doesn’t happen automatically].

That’s it. These were the steps to install Android 14 on your device using the Android Flash Tool. Let’s now have a look at the remaining two methods.

Install Android 14 via Fastboot Command

It gives you complete granular control over the flashing process.
However, the process requires an unlocked bootloader.

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 14 Factory Image

You may now download the Android 14 factory image corresponding to your device. Since we are using the Fastboot method, you should download the Factory Image (and not the OTA file). Moreover, once you have downloaded the firmware, extract it to the platform tools folder.

install android 14

STEP 3: Enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking

Next up, you will have to enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking on your device. The former will make your device recognizable by the PC in ADB mode. This will then allow you to boot your device to Fastboot Mode. On the other hand, OEM Unlocking is required to carry out the bootloader unlocking process.

install android 14

So head over to Settings > About Phone > Tap on Build Number 7 times > Go back to Settings > System > Advanced > Developer Options > Enable USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking.install android 14

STEP 4: Unlock Bootloader

Next up, you will also have to unlock the device’s bootloader. Do keep in mind that doing so will wipe off all the data from your device and could nullify its warranty as well. So if that’s all well and good, then please refer to our detailed guide on How to Unlock the Bootloader on any Android Device.install android 14

STEP 5: Boot to Fastboot Mode

  1. Now connect your device to the PC via a 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. Type in the following command in the CMD window to boot your device to Fastboot Mode
    adb reboot bootloader

    install android 14

  4. To verify the Fastboot connection, type in the below command and you should get back the device ID.
    fastboot devices

STEP 6: Preserve Data [Optional]

If you want, you may tweak the flash file and instruct it not to delete the data while installing Android 14. However, that isn’t usually the recommended thing and should be avoided, more so if you are doing OS upgrades. Still, if you wish to try it out, then here’s what you need to do:

  1. First off, install an advanced text editor like Notepadd++.
  2. Then head over to the extracted firmware folder, and right-click on the flash-all.exe file.
  3. After that, select Show More Options > Edit with Notepad++.
    install android 14
  4. Now remove the -w keyword from the fastboot update command. So if the command is:
    fastboot -w update image-filename.zip

    install android 14

  5. It should transform to:
    fastboot update image-filename.zip
  6. Once done, hit Ctrl+S to save the changes.

STEP 7: Install Android 14 via Flash-All

  1. Make sure that your device is booted to Fastboot and connected to a PC via USB.
  2. If that’s well and good, then head over to the extracted firmware folder and double-click on the flash-all.exe. file.
    install android 13 via fastboot
  3. The flashing process will now begin.
    install android 14
  4. During the process, it will automatically reboot to Fastboot as well as FastbootD Modes.
  5. Once the process is done, you will be notified of the same and the device will then boot to the OS.
    install android 14

That’s it. These were the steps to install the latest Android 14 onto your device via Fastboot. Let’s now check out the fourth and final method to get this job done.

Install Android 14 via GSI Image

if you own a non-Pixel device, then as of now your only course of action is to flash an Android 14 GSI build. However, do note that this process requires an unlocked bootloader. So if that’s well and good, then do check out our guide on How to Install Android 14 GSI on any Device.

Download and Install Android 14 GSI ROM

So these were the four different methods through which you could install Android 14 on your device. This is a developing story and will be continuously updated as and when there are any changes made, new features introduced, or a new build is released. Moreover, 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.

What’s New in Android 14?

install android 14

Without digging deep into the technical aspects and scattering tech jargon everywhere, here are all the new [and some enhanced] features in the fourteenth iteration of the OS. Follow along.

Give App Access to Individual Files!

One of my favorites! You no longer have to grant the entire gallery access to an app, rather you could just give it access to the individual image or video that you need to upload. A big plus from the security and privacy point of view.

install android 14

Native App Cloning

The ability to clone apps has now been directly built-in into the OS, thereby allowing you to create separate instances of an app. For example, if you are using dual SIM, then you could install two instances of WhatsApp and have one phone number attached to it. Up until this point, a few OEMs [such as OnePlus and Xiaomi] did provide this functionality, but the rest of the users had to be dependent on third-party apps. Well, you could now bid adieu to all those third-party apps.

install android 14
Credits: Mishaal Rahman

Auto-Confirm Lock Screen

Another one of those basic features that every OEM had for ages but for some reason, Pixel refused to acknowledge. Well, not anymore. Beginning with Android 14, you no longer need to hit the Enter key after typing in the correct password/PIN. However, for this feature to work, you should have 6-digit PIN/Password [duh!].

install android 14

Battery menu UI changes

There is quite a lot going on in the Battery domain. For starters, the Extreme Battery Saver and Adaptive Battery options have now been moved to this section. Likewise, the minimum battery % threshold has been increased from 10% to 20%. Moreover, the “app usage” & “system usage” sections are now shown separately. There’s also an addition of a new member in the form of Battery Saver Reminders.

Notification Flashes

Hey, fellow iPhone users! We too can now light up the flashlight when a notification arrives.

install android 14

New Back Gesture

Till Android 13, once you perform a back gesture by swiping from either side of the screen, then the app will straightaway close. However, with Android 14, you now get a Predictive Back Gesture, meaning it will give you a sneak peek of what’s behind that app, or in other words, the screen that you will be taken to once you close the app. So you could now decide accordingly whether or not is the right time and place to go back to that screen [sshhhh]!

Forced Theme Icons

This one’s for you, Instagram and Facebook! Google introduced the Monet theme engine alongside Android 12 but even til the beta builds of Android 14, apps like Instagram and Facebook refused to respect this feature. Fortunately, that might soon change as Android 14 could give you the option to force enable Themed ICons for all apps, compatible or otherwise!

install android 14

Fast Pair

Fast Pair is the successor to Android Beam which will allow you to seamlessly transfer files between various devices. You can access it from Settings > Connected devices > Connection preferences. [It was also present in Android 13 testing builds, but was subsequently removed from the fourth beta, let’s hope it doesn’t meet a similar fate this time around!].

App Pair

As is evident by its name, you can now pair and use two apps together in the Recents App section. While this might not be of much use for smartphones, but will definitely come in handy for foldable and tablets.

install android 14
Credits: Mishaal Rahman

Partial Screen Recording

Don’t get confused by its name! By partial recording, we, or rather Google don’t mean recording a section of the screen, instead, it will allow you to record just an individual app. As soon as you switch over to a different app, the screen will go black until you come back to that app.

install android 14
Credits: Mishaal Rahman

Preinstalled Health App

It gets challenging to use numerous health apps and manage data between them, but due to the non-compatibility between various platforms, we didn’t have much choice either. All that is about to change with Android 14, thanks to the introduction of the Health Connect App [by Google and Samsung]. The app now comes preinstalled so you could use it straight out of the box.

Some Other Changes

Allow us to exercise just a small degree of freedom and use a few technical jargons, shall we? There have been a couple of additions to the Developer Menu [such as the NFC verbose vendor debug log][ and the additional as well as the removal of a few root certificates. Moroever, EID, and IMEI are now hidden under the About Phone and you will have to tap on them to view.

Moreover, You will no longer be able to sideload apps that target API level 22 (Android 5.1 Lollipop) or earlier versions. On the other hand, if you try to sideload apps that target API level 27 or lower (ie. Android 8.1 or older), then you will just get a warning prompt, which you could easily bypass and install the app.

So these were all the noteworthy features in the latest OS build. Let’s now make you aware of its release schedule before moving over to the four different methods to install Android 14 onto your device.

Android 14 Release Timeline

The first Developer Preview was released in February, and the second is slated for next month, i.e. March. After this, is the turn of beta releases, which will start in April and go until July. From Beta 3 onwards in the month of June, Android 14 will reach the stage of performance stability, so even though it will be in a beta stage, it would be slightly more stable than its predecessors.

install android 14

Moroever, we might see at least 5 Beta builds, with the possibility of the addition of a couple of others before we ultimately reach the stable stage [whose timeline has not yet been finalized, but it will definitely be after July]. So if that’s quite a long waiting time, then you could skip this queue and welcome the latest OS build onto your device right away. Follow along.

All Android 14 Bugs, Issues, and their Fixes

You could refer to our detailed guide regarding all the bugs/issues [and their fixes] that you are likely to come across in numerous Android 14 builds [betas and stable].

Android 14: All the Bugs, Issues, and their Fixes

How to Downgrade from Android 14 to Android 13

If there are way too many bugs, you are facing performance issues, or apps are not working along the expected in this latest OS build, then your best course of action is to downgrade to the earlier stable build, i.e. Android 13. You could carry out this process via the Android Flash Tool or Fastboot Commands, both of which require an unlocked bootloader. So if that’s well and good, then do check out our guide on How to Downgrade Pixel from Android 14 to Android 13 [2 Methods].

Downgrade Pixel from Android 14 to Android 13 [2 Methods] [Video]

 

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