How to install Android Oreo on your phone right now

Android 8.0 Oreo is officially released! But it is currently only available for Google's own devices, such as Google Pixel phones and some Nexus phones and tablets. Highlights of Oreo include improved notification systems, picture-in-picture support for any application, and better battery life management. If you can’t wait to experience Oreo, the following methods may help you, but the specific method depends on the type of your phone: This guide is mainly aimed at Pixel and Nexus users, but also includes solutions for other phones.

Why is Oreo updated so slowly? New versions of Android system updates often take a long time to reach most users. For example, as of the time of writing, the global installation rate of Android 7.0 Nougat system released last year was only about 13.5%, while its predecessor, the 6.0 Marshmallow system, had an installation rate of 32%.

This is because manufacturers such as Samsung, LG, Sony, Huawei, HTC will add their own tweaks and extra features before preinstalling the Android system to their phones. They hope to brand themselves before updating to the latest version of Android. By the way, this is one of the reasons why Google strips many apps and features from Android. You can update apps such as Gmail, Google Play Store, etc. independently of the Android system. Even if the operating system update is lagging, Google can push the latest version of its apps.

Join the Beta Test Program

If you have a Pixel, Pixel XL, Nexus 5X, or Nexus 6P smartphone, your update may be coming: carrier testing is obviously in progress, so Oreo may have arrived on your device; if not, the update should be very good Will be available soon. Go to the Settings app, click About Phone, and then click System Update to see if your Android Oreo update has arrived.

If the update is not available yet and you want to speed up the process, you can sign up for the Android Beta test plan run by Google. This will give you access to the new version of the operating system earlier than others – although the version you tested may be slightly flawed. After signing up for the Beta Test Program, the program will also provide you with an official version of Oreo before others.

On the smartphone you want to upgrade, visit the registration page of the Android Beta test plan. If you are using a compatible device, just click the "Register Device" button. After a brief delay, you should be prompted to download and install Android 8.0 Oreo on that phone. Then you can start to enjoy the full functionality of the new operating system.

A point to note before you start: As Google further develops Oreo, you will continue to get Beta updates. While most beta versions released by Google work properly, they are more prone to crashes and errors than the stable final version of the software.

If there are too many errors, you can use the same page you registered to remove your phone from your Beta test plan. However, this requires you to completely erase your device before reinstalling a more stable version of Android. Therefore, you need to safely back up all your important data before unregistering.

Perform manual update

For Pixel and Nexus devices, you have another option: update manually. This involves downloading the full Android 8.0 Oreo code, which Google has posted online (the public appearance on the internet is the reason why the new Android version is "officially released"). Unfortunately, this code is optimized for specific devices (especially Pixel, Pixel XL, Nexus 5X, and Nexus 6P phones), so you can't simply install it on a Samsung Galaxy S8 or LG V30.

Manual updates require some technical knowledge because you need to use tools designed for application developers. If you make a mistake in operation, it may cause the phone to become bricked. Additionally, this type of update will wipe your device completely during the process, so you will also need to back up all the data you want to keep. In short, we recommend selecting this option only if you are able to operate the device proficiently and have a backup phone just in case . Otherwise, just wait for the automatic update.

You can download the public code of the operating system (called its factory image) from the Android developer website. Find your phone brand and model in the list, find the entry for Android 8.0, and click the link to start the download. Then unzip the file into the folder of your choice.

After saving the factory image file to a location on the hard drive, the next step is to set up the developer tools. First, you need to unlock the device to install the new software. Essentially, you want to disable settings that make your phone wait for a verified update from the carrier. Next, download the SDK Platform Tools zip file and unzip it into the folder of your choice on the hard drive. You may want to create a new folder for this specific purpose.

You also need to prepare your phone. Go to "About Phone" in "Settings", click "Build Number" seven times, and you should see a dialog box confirming that your phone is now ready for some developer tweaks. Return to Settings, find the new Developer Options menu, and make sure USB debugging and OEM unlocking are enabled.

When the phone is ready, connect it to the computer using the manufacturer's USB cable. Then open the command line or terminal window in the folder you have unzipped the Platform Tools folder to:

• On Windows, in File Explorer, navigate to the Platform Tools folder, then hold Shift and right-click the folder thumbnail, and select "Open PowerShell Window Here" (PowerShell is the Command Prompt modern alternatives).
• On macOS, start the terminal by typing its name in Spotlight, and drag the Platform Tools folder from Finder into the terminal window.

After finding the correct location in the command line, type "fastboot flashing unlock" to unlock the phone and prepare it for Android Oreo factory image.

If you have difficulties or get stuck, Google provides a more comprehensive guide on how to perform manual Android updates.

Finally, after you are completely sure that the data has been backed up, you can flash Oreo to your phone—in other words, copy the new operating system on top of the old version. As mentioned above, open a new command prompt window in a new window, in the folder where you unzipped the Oreo file, or navigate to it in an existing window. Then type "flash-all" to install the software on your phone. Installation may take several minutes, please be patient.

After the installation is complete, it is best to re-lock the boot loader of the phone (the program that loads the operating system when the phone starts), because the boot loader is also the part of the mobile phone software that prevents malicious applications from taking over Android. Return to the Platform Tools folder in the command prompt window and lock it in place with the command "fastboot flashing lock".

It may sound like it takes a lot of time and effort to get Oreo, especially if your phone is about to undergo a normal upgrade in the next few days. However, you will eventually learn more about how Android works and how to modify it. Modders use the same program to install custom Android operating systems on their devices, such as the popular LineageOS. You can find many guides online to learn more about flashing into your Android operating system or ROM.

For other devices: Install the starter

To be honest, if your smartphone is not a Nexus or Pixel, you can’t wave your wand and have Samsung, HTC, or any other manufacturer release updates specifically for your device. We have mentioned the delays that occur when third-party manufacturers participate in Android updates, and unfortunately we cannot provide you with any secret shortcuts to bypass these delays.

That is, you can make your phone look and work more like Oreo by installing an Oreo style launcher made by Android developers. The launcher is a program that takes over the appearance and feel of the entire Android device without touching the underlying application.

Before downloading the launcher, go to the Security page in Settings and set the Unknown Source toggle to On. This allows you to install apps from outside the Play Store. Next, visit the Rootless Pixel Launcher page on your phone and download the latest APK file listed there. When you open it, the installer will run.

The next time you click the Home button on your Android device, you will have the option to use the Launcher3 app as the default app. If you agree, your phone will behave like it is running Oreo. To return to the default appearance of your phone, you can uninstall the app again. In Settings, go to Apps, find Launcher3, and then click the Uninstall button. It's not as good as having Android Oreo itself, but it might keep you stuck until your device reaches version 8.0.

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