Android 15 Developer Preview is out now: Everything you need to know about the first release

With a focus on increasing privacy and security, Google’s first developer preview of Android 15 is now available for download. The latest major OS update, a follow-up to Android 14, also lets creators take better advantage of the camera hardware and gives developers more ways to manage heat and processing power for more efficient app performance.

This early build of Android 15 is mainly aimed at developers, to help them build apps tuned for the next release of the Android OS and so that Google can get valuable feedback as it rolls out updates throughout 2024.

Read more: The best Android phone of 2024

But just because it’s a developer preview doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t download Android 15 right now. As long as you understand the limitations of the developer preview (which can include bugs, missing features, and app incompatibilities) and how to manually flash it (adding the OS to your phone’s flash storage), you can check out Android 15 right now.

If you don’t want to deal with software or installation issues, wait until April and May for Google to open enrollment for its Android beta program, or you can even wait until June and July for a more stable version. The release of the final version of Android 15, intended for all Android users, is expected during the fall.

Not sure what to do next? So here’s everything you need to know about Android 15. For more, here’s how Google built its Immersive View for Maps and how to clear browser cache on Android.

What’s new in the first Android 15 developer preview?

With this first development preview, Google said the focus is on improving user privacy and file security. It’s also focused on giving developers more access to tools and hardware — including in-app camera controls — and thermal and power management for improved app and game performance. The latest release uses the dessert-themed codename of vanilla ice cream.

For privacy and security, Android 15 uses the latest version of Privacy Sandbox, a multi-year initiative to improve user privacy on Android. Privacy Sandbox improves privacy around mobile advertising by limiting what data third parties can access. Android 15 also allows users to share a portion of the screen, instead of the entire screen.

Google will give developers and creators more precise control over camera hardware to help them take advantage of cutting-edge hardware features, including the Pixel camera, GPUs and AI processing. These expanded controls can increase the brightness of the camera preview, adjust flash volume, connect MIDI 2.0 devices via USB, and more.

This first development preview of Android 15 also includes thermal and processing power management tools through the improved Android Dynamic Performance Framework to help developers optimize applications and games that require high performance and intensive graphics.

As more developer previews and betas roll out, Google will continue to add and refine features based on feedback from everyone using Android 15.

Which phones support Android 15 developer preview?

Google usually releases early developer previews only on its own devices, and it’s the same with Android 15. You can currently download Android 15 on the following Google Pixel phones and tablets:

If your device isn’t listed, don’t fret just yet. As the year progresses, Android 15 will be available on other phones and tablets. You also have the option of using 64-bit system images with the Android emulator in Android Studio.

Before installing Android 15, make a backup of your phone

Note that running a previous software release on your phone may make it unstable and you may lose data. We recommend downloading and installing the pre-release software on something other than your primary Pixel device, just in case Google’s new software causes problems.

The first thing you should do before downloading the first developer preview for Android 15 is to back up your supported device. Why? Developer previews are software in its early days, so you can expect bugs, app crashes, and other issues that can make everyday use of your phone or tablet difficult.

By default, your Pixel should automatically back up whenever you’re connected to Wi-Fi and your phone has been idle and charging for 2 hours, but you can do it manually. Depending on the size of your phone backup and how much free space you have on Google Drive, you may need a Google One subscription for this to work.

To back up your Pixel phone, go to settings > Google > Backup and tap Make a backup now. Depending on the last backup and the number of apps and files that need to be backed up, this process can be instantaneous or take several minutes. Once you’ve backed up, you’re ready to start the process of downloading and installing Android 15.

Then enable USB debugging and OEM unlocking

To install Android 15 on your Pixel, connect your phone to your computer via USB. This requires your Pixel to be unlocked and have USB debugging enabled. While unlocking your phone is easy enough, to enable USB debugging, you’ll need to unlock developer options first.

Note: If you’ve had the developer preview before, you might be able to easily update OTA to Android 15. If not, skip to the next section.

1. Unlock developer options. in settings application, go to About the phone and then tap Build a number seven times. Enter your password when prompted and a new developer options menu will appear in your settings.
2. Next, you’ll need to enable USB debugging so that your phone and your computer can transfer data to each other. To go settings > System > Developer options and turn on USB Debugging. In the notification that appears, which briefly describes what USB debugging is for, tap Alright.
3. And finally, while you’re still in developer options, turn it on OEM unlocking. This unlocks your device’s bootloader, which is what loads the operating system. Once you’ve unlocked it, you’ll be able to choose a different operating system to run on your Pixel — in this case, Android 15.

Finally, flash Android 15 on your device using Android Flash Tool in Chrome

You have two ways to flash the Android 15 developer preview on your Pixel, but for simplicity, we’ll use the Android Flash Tool, which you can use directly from your web browser. Works best on Chrome or Edge. Also, your computer must have 10GB of available storage for this to work.

If everything is fine, connect your Pixel to your computer via USB, unlock your device, go to https://flash.android.com/ in Chrome and do the following:

1. First, strike Allow ADB access in the pop-up window that appears (if there are ad blockers, turn them off).
2. Now click Add a new deviceselect your device from the list and press Connect.
3. On your Pixel, check the box next to Always allow from this computer and then tap Allow to allow the Android Flash Tool to access your phone.
4. Go back to your computer, click Developer overview pod, below Popular buildings.
5. Click Install middleware and then hit Confirm.

Android 15 Developer Preview should now be installed on your phone. You can safely disconnect your Pixel from your computer.

You can now run Android 15 on your Pixel

After your Pixel boots up, you’ll see a notification that says you’re now running the Android 15 Developer Preview. Hit Alright and then set up your phone just like you would a brand new phone. This means connecting to a Wi-Fi network, copying apps and data from the latest Google backup, accepting terms and conditions, setting a password, and so on.

You’ll automatically receive future updates over the air for all developer previews and betas, so you don’t have to manually flash Android 15 every time.

What is the release schedule for Android 15?

Google said it expects to release several developer previews — this one in February and another in March — to shake up new features and check compatibility.

The planned beta releases for early adopters in April and May should be more stable and will focus on quality and compatibility improvements. Finally, the platform stability releases scheduled for June, July, and August will focus on final testing of Android 15 before the first public release in the fall.

Have an older Android? Check out five tips to make your Android phone feel like new again.