The official Android beta program is live now. With this, developers and users can try out the beta version of the upcoming Android 11 by downloading to their supported devices. Google was expected to talk about the new version earlier this month but owing to unforeseen reasons, they had to postpone the virtual event. But now, people across the globe can get a taste of Android and here’s everything you need to know about how it works.
Beta program
While the Android 11 preview version was made availble few months back, the beta program allows users to download the new version without flashing it on the device. For this, they have to sign up for the program which can be done using the following devices.
Pixel 2
Pixel 2 XL
Pixel 3
Pixel 3 XL
Pixel 3a
Pixel 3a XL
Pixel 4
Pixel 4 XL
As you can see, Google Pixel users are the first to get to experience the new version. After all, they will be the first in line to get the public release later this year as well. So how does one sign up for the beta program? Follow these steps if you have any of the aforementioned devices.
Step 1: Go to the Android Beta website and sign in with your Google ID.
Step 2: Click on ‘View your eligible devices’ to see which phones are compatible for the beta version.
Step 3: Select the device and accept the terms and conditions given out by Google.
(Note: Before you sign up for the beta program, make sure the phone isn’t your primary device. Because running beta version on the phone could hamper performance and bugs that can make things awkward for the user.)
Google is clear about a few things as well. “You will not be able to unenroll and revert back to a lower public release version of Android without first wiping all locally saved data on your device. You may also encounter issues restoring a backup. You will not receive separate monthly security updates while on a beta build.”