In this guide, we will make you aware of the steps to install the latest Android 12L Beta 1 onto your device. The twelfth iteration of the OS has already been released as a stable build for various devices. The likes of Pixel, OnePlus (ColorOS 12), Samsung (OneUI 4.0), Xiaomi (MIUI 12) have greatly benefited from the new OS build. The new Material You UI, Wallpaper based theming engine, privacy tracker, Game Dashboard, and changes to the widgets are just some of the noteworthy features.
However, when it came to a large screen or foldable devices, the OS still felt that it is lacking that polished finishing. Well, Silicon Valley giants have finally addressed this concern with the launch of the Android 12L. Focusing on tablets, foldable, and Chromebooks, this new OS build has been specifically designed and crafted for large-screen devices.
But that doesn’t mean that smartphones are left behind. You could still install the Android 12L Beta 1 onto your smartphone and welcome ‘some’ of those goodies. And in this guide, we will show you how to do just that. But first, let’s check out all the new features that this new Android version has to offer. Follow along.
Table of Contents
What is Android 12L?
One of the most glaring features that have grabbed everyone’s attention is the introduction of the Two-Column Layout. Most of the OS components such as the notification panel, lock screen, and settings menu have adopted this new UI style. Apart from that, there’s also a new taskbar at the bottom of the screen. Similar to your PC, you could pin your favorite apps over to this taskbar and access them with just a single tap.
Then there’s a new “quick wallpaper picker” option in the stock launcher. Likewise, the Nearby Calling feature has also been added for Google Pixel and Nest devices. Then the popular dynamic theme support that was present in the Android 12 has also made its way over to the L variant, but with an additional bonus- you get the Material You theme in the Boot Animations as well. All in all, there are a few UI tweaks that would be greatly beneficial for the late screen display.
Android 12L Release Schedule
As per the timeline released by Google, the first developer preview build will be released somewhere around October 2021. Then by the end of the year, we might get a taste of the first beta build as well. Next year January will be the time for the release of the second beta build followed by February 2022 for the third and final beta. After that, the stable Android 12L build will be rolled out for eligible devices.
Can I Install Android 12L on my Device?
So could you install the Android 12L onto your smartphone (that isn’t a tablet, Chromebook, or have a large screen display!)? Well, if you own a Pixel device 3A or later variants, then the answer is in the affirmative. On the other hand, if you own a non-Pixel device then also you could try out this build, albeit via the GSI build.
Download Android 12L
You could now download the Android 12L for your Pixel device from below or download the GSI package for non-Pixel devices.
Android 12L Beta 1 for Pixel Devices
| Device | OTA | Factory Image |
|---|---|---|
| Google Pixel 3a | Link | Link |
| Google Pixel 3a XL | Link | Link |
| Google Pixel 4 | Link | Link |
| Google Pixel 4 XL | Link | Link |
| Google Pixel 4a | Link | Link |
| Google Pixel 4a 5G | Link | Link |
| Google Pixel 5 | Link | Link |
| Google Pixel 5a | Link | Link |
| Google Pixel 6 | Awaited | Awaited |
| Google Pixel 6 Pro | Awaited | Awaited |
Android 12L Beta 1 for Non-Pixel Devices (GSI Builds)
| Architecture | GSI Package |
|---|---|
| x86+GMS | Link |
| ARM64+GMS | Link |
| x86_64 | Link |
| ARM64 | Link |
GMS packages contain all the Google apps, services, and frameworks, whereas the non-GMS packages will give you a de-Googled experience. If you are unsure about the device’s architecture, then you could take the help of a third-party app like CPUZ.
How to Install Android 12L Beta 1
Given hereby are the steps to install the Android 12L onto your Pixel device via Fastboot. You could also use the Android Flash Tool to automate the installation process, but we would be focusing on the manual approach in this guide. Moreover, the below process will wipe off all the data from your device (via the fastboot -w command). So please take a complete device backup beforehand.
Though you could skip the factory reset, that might prove to be risky. But we have still listed the steps to do, if you are interested in trying it out, then you are more than welcome, but at your own risk]. 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.
STEP 2: 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 Fastboot 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.
STEP 3: Boot to Fastboot Mode
- Now connect your device to the PC via USB cable. Make sure USB Debugging is enabled.
- Then head over to the platform-tools folder, type in CMD in the address bar, and hit Enter. This will launch the Command Prompt.
- Type in the following command in the CMD window to boot your device to Fastboot Mode
adb reboot bootloader
- To verify the Fastboot connection, type in the below command and you should get back the device ID.
fastboot devices
STEP 4: Extract the Android 12L Firmware
- To begin with, extract the downloaded Android 12L firmware to the platform-tools folder on your PC.
If you want to skip the factory reset (not recommended), then open the flash_all.bat file via a Text editor like Notepad++ and delete the -w keyword from the fastboot -w update image-name.zip command (see below image)
- Now with your device booted to Fastboot and connected to PC, launch the flash-all.bat file.
- The flashing process will now begin and could take a couple of minutes.
- Once done, your device should boot to the newly installed OS.
That’s it. These were the steps to install the latest Android 12L onto your Pixel device. While you wouldn’t be able to enjoy all the goodies on your smartphone that this L variant has in store (because your device would be having a DPI of less than 600), but still there will be a few minor changes. So do let us know your views about the same in the comments section. Likewise, all your queries are welcomed in the comments below.
