Google released the fourth and final Android 15 beta today, three months after releasing the first beta release. You can enroll in the Android Beta for Pixel program and download and install the Android 15 beta over the air, or update your software if you're already running the Android 15 beta.
Android 15 brings new services and improvements to the Android OS, with a focus on productivity, user privacy and security, better supporting developers and content creators, communication and performance and quality.
Read more: Best Android Phone for 2024
Among the new features and settings, the Android 15 beta has support for app archiving and unarchiving, so users can more easily free up space on their phones. There's also end-to-end encryption support for contact keys, allowing users to verify other people's contact information. There's a low light boost and a new auto-exposure mode for photos and videos in low light. You can do partial screen sharing to record only an app window instead of your entire screen.
The upcoming major release for Android has also been available as a developer preview, initially released in February.
This final Android 15 beta release is also the second platform stability release, which means that this is the final beta before the general public release of Android 15, expected in the fall. Several fixes and optimizations have been made since Android 15 beta 3.
If you want to learn more about how to download and install Android 15 right now, here's everything you need to know.
Watch this: Android 15: See New Features in Action
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Which phones are compatible with the Android 15 beta?
As always, Google offers developer previews and beta releases only for its own devices early on, so you need to have a supported Pixel phone or tablet to run the Android 15 beta right now. Here's the full list of supported devices:
- Pixel 6
- Pixel 6 Pro
- Pixel 6a
- Pixel 7
- Pixel 7 Pro
- Pixel 7a
- Pixel 8
- Pixel 8 Pro
- Pixel 8a
- Pixel Fold
- Pixel Tablet
If you don't have any of these devices, you can use the Android Emulator in Android Studio to test out Android 15 on other phones, tablets and large-screen gadgets. There are other phones that are compatible with the Android 15 beta, including phones from Honor, iQOO, Lenovo, Nothing, OnePlus, OPPO, Realme, Sharp, Tecno, Vivo and Xiaomi.
Before you download Android 15...
Make sure to back up your phone on Android 14 before updating to Android 15. If you ever want to downgrade from Android 15 to Android 14, all your data will be wiped, so it's best if you have an Android 14 backup to install in this case. If you have automatic backups, you're good, but you can also do it manually. Go to Settings > System > Backup and hit Back up now.
Unlike the Android 15 developer preview, which requires you to unlock your bootloader and flash Android 15 manually, to get the Android 15 beta, all you have to do is go to this Android Beta for Pixel page, sign in with your Google account and check if your phone is compatible.
Note: Make sure that you use the same email as the one that's connected to your Pixel device.
If your phone is supported, you should see it under Your eligible devices.
Make sure your phone is charged over 10% or else it may not appear.
Nelson Aguilar/CNETNote: If you've already signed up for the Android 14 beta or Android 15 developer preview, you don't need to do anything to get the Android 15 beta. You'll automatically receive an over-the-air update on your phone.
To sign up for the Android 15 beta program, click Opt in, read through the terms and conditions, and then hit Confirm and enroll. A pop-up will then appear, notifying you that your phone is now enrolled in the Android 15 beta program, and giving you instructions on how to download and install Android 15 on your device.
Next on your device, head to Settings > System > System update and download the Android 15 OTA update. Be patient; it may take up to 24 hours for you to get the over-the-air update. Your enrolled device will receive continuous Android 15 beta updates.
The general release of Android 15 is expected sometime in the fall.
How do I opt out of the Android 15 beta?
If you no longer want to be part of the Android 15 beta program, go back to the Android Beta for Pixel page, but this time click Opt-out and then hit Leave beta. You'll no longer receive over-the-air beta updates but instead, be sent an OTA update for the latest stable version of Android 14. Be warned, if you install the Android 14 update, all the data on your device will be wiped. You should back up your device on Android 14 before doing this.
Looking to upgrade your phone? Check out the best Android phone of 2024 and the best Pixel phone you can buy this year.