Android 13 landed a bit early for Pixel devices and brought some important updates to the platform, especially by polishing some of the new bits found in Android 12. This is one of the big benefits of Android 12. Using your Pixel smartphone as your daily driver – – you get the latest and greatest Android release before everyone else. In fact, for Samsung devices, the upgrade may not be until next year. So for those who like to always have the latest release of their mobile operating system, the Pixel is the right choice.
To find out what new features will be added with the new release, be sure to check out “Android 13 is officially here, if you have the right phone. “
One thing to note is that Android 13 is only supported by the following Pixel devices:
- Pixel 4 / XL
- Pixel 4a
- Pixel 4a 5G
- Pixel 5
- Pixel 5a
- Pixel 6 / Pro
- Pixel 6a
Another thing to consider is that the update will have a staggered release, so not everyone will get it at the same time. There’s also a way to install it for those who can’t wait for an over-the-air (OTA) update, but more in a minute.
Also: 4 best Google phones
So, how do you install Android 13 on your Pixel device? I will show you.
OTA update
This is the upgrade route I recommend everyone take. I make it a lot easier and it’s simply more reliable. In fact, the only reason not to go this route is if you can’t wait a few days for the update to appear on your phone.
Installing Android 13 via the OTA method is actually quite simple:
1. Open Settings
Open the Settings app from the Notification shade (using the gear icon) or the App Drawer.
2. Open system update
Scroll to the bottom of the Settings window and tap System. From that window (Figure 1), tap “System Update”.
Figure 1: System Updates item in the Android 12 Settings app. Image: Jack Wallen
If you don’t see an update, tap “Check for updates” (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Checking for an update on my Pixel 6 Pro running Android 12. Image: Jack Wallen
If, after choosing to check for updates, you still don’t see an update for Android 13 ready, you’ll have to check back later until an OTA update is available for your phone. Or, you can switch to the more difficult option.
Update Sideload
Just to be clear, I don’t recommend trying this update, as it’s more risky and you might even damage your device. For this you will need to download the OTA file from Google Developer Server (make sure to select the file for your specific device) and install the adb tool, which is included in Tools-Android SDK Platform.
Once you have downloaded the OTA file and installed the SDK Platform Tools, you are ready to download. Here’s how to do it.
1. Boot into recovery mode
Restart your phone. As soon as it turns off, press the Power button and the Volume Down button at the same time until you see the Bootloader page. Using the volume buttons, scroll down to the Recovery Mode entry and select it by pressing the Power button.
2. Locate ADB Sideload
From within Recovery Mode, navigate to Apply update from ADB.
3. Connect your device to the computer
Connect your Android device to a computer running the SDK Platform-Tools. Open a command line window so you can run the necessary commands.
4. Run the necessary commands
From within that folder issue the command “adb devices” and if prompted accept the permissions on your phone and make sure to click on the option to remember the computer. You will not see any errors at this point and your device will be listed.
Next, issue the sideload command:
If you are using Windows, you must first change into the ADB Tools folder to run the command. On Linux or MacOS do the same thing (change in the ADB Tools folder), just to run the command on those operating systems the command would be:
When prompted, type the filename of the downloaded OTA file and press Enter.
5. Restart your device
Once the OTA file installation is complete, you will find yourself back in recovery mode where you need to press the Power button and then select the Reboot Now option. When the reboot is complete, you’ll find yourself on Android 13.
Congratulations, your Pixel device is currently running the latest version of Android. However, again, instead of doing this, I strongly recommend using the OTA route, as the sideload method is not only complicated, but also prone to problems that you don’t want to deal with (eg. such as inserting your device).
Jack Wallen: Here’s how…
