Each year Google releases a new DP (developer preview) for the upcoming version of Android, this year being Android 12, but you always need a Pixel device to install them. At least initially.
This hasn’t changed at all, as you’ll still need one of a handful of Pixel devices to install the Android 12 DP. Today Google officially announced the Developer Preview for Android 12. Which means those who like to live on the bleeding edge will get to test out the latest changes that Google has in store for the Android operating system.
As noted not all Pixel devices (or Android devices for that matter) are supported.
Android 12 DP can be installed on recent Pixel phones
As many people may have guessed, all of the more recent Pixel phones will be supported by the new developer preview.
This includes every Pixel phone from the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3XL all the way up to the Pixel 5. Unfortunately that means if you have a Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL, or the Pixel or Pixel XL, you won’t be able to install the new software. And for good reason since those devices don’t officially get support for new Android versions any longer.
Keeping this in mind, the Pixel 3 series of devices is likely to be in this situation next year with Android 13. But for now any users who have those devices are still able to check out Google’s latest efforts to improve Android.
Google will also let you check out the developer preview using the Android Emulator and a 64-bit system image. Though this won’t be the same as seeing everything on your device.
You will need to flash a system image to get started
As with past developer previews, Google will not be pushing the software updates out to users. Not from the start anyway.
To load up the first developer preview release, you will need to flash a system image to your compatible device. Google does this because the first developer preview is really only intended for developers. However Google will not prohibit regular users from installing the software.
If you know your way around this type of stuff, you can easily flash the system image and get going. Options will be available to install the Android 12 DP in two ways. Either through downloaded factory images, or through downloaded OTA images that you sideload.
But either way you will have to manually install it. Down the line, Google will send out updates via the beta program like it has every year. But the beta is not currently available and won’t be until later this year.