The beta testing of Android 12L has also begun by Google. Google Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL, Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5, Pixel 5a, Pixel 6, or Pixel 6 Pro users will be among the first to see the latest OS upgrade. Google has been rolling out the stable version of Android 12 via OTA for most of its smartphones. Consequently, other Android smartphones can also use it. Some of the late Android 12 and Android 12L OTAs and Factory Images have been shared with you.
For an instruction on how to install Android 12 or 12L on any of the aforementioned Pixel devices running an earlier stable release, please scroll down. To transition from the beta to the stable version, current beta customers will get an incremental OTA from Google. However, they may also choose to flash their device manually. After downloading the necessary Android 12 release files, you will need a PC or Mac with ADB and Fastboot installed in order to complete the installation procedure.
Download Android 12 and Android 12L for Google Pixel
Download Android 12 and 12L for Pixel Devices
How to Install Android 12 and 12L on Google Pixel and other Android devices
In this Guide, we discuss three method of How to Install Android 12 and Android 12 Google pixel and Android Devices.
- Sideload Android 12/12L via Recovery and ADB
- Flashing the full factory image via Fastboot
- Install Android 12/12L GSI
Sideload Android 12/12L via Recovery and ADB
You must sideload the appropriate OTA package from Recovery through ADB in order to install the stable build. Google Pixel devices with locked bootloaders can also be unlocked using this method.
- This file can be renamed to a simpler name and placed in the directory where ADB is located on your computer.
- Verify the SHA-256 checksum of the file you have downloaded to ensure that it was downloaded correctly and completely.
- You can enable USB Debugging on your phone by going to Settings > About Phone > Tap “Build Number” 7 times, and then enter a password (optionally) to enable Developer Options, and then go to Settings > Developer Options > Enable “USB Debugging”.
- Your computer should be connected to your phone. If this is your first time connecting to this ADB computer, authorize it on your phone when prompted.
- Run the following command on your computer:
adb reboot recovery - Your phone should display “No command.”. Press and hold the Power button. Hold the Power button, press the Volume Up button, and let go of both buttons quickly. The Android recovery menu should appear.
- From the recovery menu, choose Apply Update from ADB.
- Select “Apply Update from ADB” on your phone.
- Run the following command on your computer:
The serial number of your device should have the word “sideload” next to it, indicating that it is connected to the computer in sideload mode.adb devices - Run the following command on your computer:
Replace “filename” with the name of the file downloaded in Step 1adb sideload “filename”.zip - Your phone should be updated. Reboot your phone into Android 12 once the installation is complete by choosing “Reboot system now” on your phone.
Flashing the full factory image via Fastboot
The full factory image of Android 12 or 12L must be flashed via Fastboot on Google Pixel devices with unlocked bootloaders. The flash-all.sh or flash-all.bat script file included in the downloaded file usually performs this task, but its default configuration wipes the device completely. The “-w” wipe attribute can, however, be removed from the script command in order to retain your data.
- Verify the SHA-256 checksum of the downloaded file to ensure that it has been downloaded correctly and completely.
- For convenience, extract the .zip file and copy and paste the resultant files into your ADB and fastboot folders on your computer.
- It is optional to create a script file called flash-all.sh or flash-all.bat in the resultant files. The flash-all.sh script for macOS/Linux or the flash-all.bat script for Windows should be opened with a text editor. In the fastboot update command, find and remove the -w flag. You will not have to wipe your phone’s data. However, a data wipe is recommended to avoid compatibility issues.
- If you want to enable USB Debugging on your phone, go to Settings > About Phone > Tap “Build Number” 7 times, and then enter your pattern, PIN or password to enable Developer Options, then navigate to Settings > Developer Options > Enable “USB Debugging”.
- You will need to connect your phone to your computer. When the prompt comes up on your phone, authorize your computer connection if this is your first time connecting to this ADB computer.
- Run the following programs on your computer:
Your phone will be rebooted into Fastboot mode after this.adb reboot bootloader - Run the following commands on your Mac/Linux PC:
Installs the necessary bootloader, baseband firmware, and operating system by executing flash-all. The flash-all.bat file can be double-clicked if you are using Windows.flash-all - Upon completion of the script, your device will reboot into the new operating system.
Install Android 12/12L GSI
If your device is compatible with Project Treble, you can still install Google’s official GSI binaries to test Android 12 or 12L. A bootloader that has been unlocked is also required. You will need to factory reset your device after flashing a GSI, so be prepared to lose app data before proceeding! In case anything goes wrong, we recommend making an off-device backup (on your PC or SD card).
- The stable release of Google’s software has not yet been published as GSIs. Your device’s architecture should determine which version you should download. Run the following command to find out what architecture your device has:To verify that the file you have downloaded has been downloaded completely and correctly, verify its SHA-256 checksum.
adb shell getprop ro.product.cpu.abi - For convenience, extract the .zip file and copy and paste the resultant files (system.img and vbmeta.img) into your ADB and fastboot folders.
- The USB Debugging feature is enabled by going to Settings > About Phone > Tap “Build Number” 7 times, enabling Developer Options by entering your pattern, PIN or password, and then leading to Settings > Developer Options > Enabling “USB Debugging”.
- Your computer needs to be connected to your phone. On your phone, if this is your first time connecting with this ADB computer, authorize your connection when prompted.
- On your computer, run:
After rebooting into Fastboot mode, you will be taken back to the main menu.adb reboot bootloader - Prior to unlocking the bootloader of the target device, the bootloader must be unlocked.
- The next step is to disable Android Verified Boot (AVB). You can do this by running the following command:
fastboot flash vbmeta vbmeta.img - Wiping the system partition is optional, but recommended: Enter the following commands:
fastboot erase system - To flash the Android 12/12L GSI, follow these steps:
fastboot flash system system.img - It may take a few minutes for the image to flash. After that, wipe the userdata partition:
fastboot -w - Reboot your device to complete the process:
fastboot reboot - You should now be able to boot into the new Android version on your device.
