It feels strange to say that the first Android 16 Developer Preview is here already because Android 15 landed on Pixel phones only a month back. While Android 16 Developer Preview 1 doesn’t bring any notable features besides Notification Cooldown, you can get on the bandwagon early to test out all of the new features Google will add in its next OS update. If you cannot wait to try out the new flavor of Android, here’s how to install Android 16 DP1 on your Pixel phone right now.
Prerequisites to Installing Android 16 Developer Preview
- A supported Pixel smartphone (see list towards the end)
- USB drivers (get them from our ADB installation guide)
- Enable USB Debugging on your Pixel smartphone
- A Chromium-based browser, preferably Chrome
- A stable internet connection
How to Install Android 16 DP on Pixel Phones
- Connect your Pixel smartphone to your computer.
- Head over to the Android Flash Tool website using Chrome.
- Click on ‘Get started’ on the website to grant ADB access.
- In the pop-up window that opens, click Allow ADB access.
- Next, click Add new device.
- Select your Pixel phone and click Connect.
- On your Pixel phone, tap Allow to allow USB debugging.
- Once connected, select Android 16 Developer Preview 1 from the builds section on the Android Flash Tool website.
- Then, click the blue Install build button.
- Click Confirm to start the installation process.
- The webpage will then ask you to press the volume down and power buttons to unlock the bootloader.
- Once done, the Android Flash Tool should download and install Android 16 DP1 on your Pixel.
- Your phone should then boot into Android 16 automatically once you lock the bootloader by following the on-screen instructions.
If the above method doesn’t work, you can manually unlock the bootloader, download the Android 16 DP1 ZIP file for your Pixel, and manually flash it. Refer to the last section of our Android 15 DP1 installation guide.
Android 16 DP1 Supported Devices
Android developer previews are only available on Pixels at the moment, and here are the supported devices:
- Pixel 6 / 6 Pro
- Pixel 6a
- Pixel 7 / 7 Pro
- Pixel 7a
- Pixel Fold
- Pixel 8 / 8 Pro
- Pixel 8a
- Pixel 9 / 9 Pro / 9 Pro XL
- Pixel 9 Pro Fold
It is surprising to see Pixel 6 phones make the list considering it already received Android 15 and the support for major updates for the phone already ended in October. It’s worth noting that Android 16 DP1 isn’t available as an OTA update rather you will need to do a manual flash, which will factory reset your phone.
So, remember to back up your data before proceeding. Also, we recommend you do not install these DP builds on your daily driver as they may be unstable and sometimes break your phone.
That’s how you can install Android 16 Developer Preview on your Pixel. If you are wondering about all-new Android 16 features you should check out after installing the build, we have you covered.
