How To Download And Install Android N Now

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Here's how you can get the Android 7.0 "N" beta up and running on certain devices today.


By Adrian Kingsley-Hughes for Hardware 2.0 | May 20, 2016 -- 10:19 GMT (03:19 PDT)

Like to live dangerously? Want to get the beta code for Android 7.0 "N" up and running ahead of the full release? Here's how to do that.

First, you'll need to one of the following devices:

• Nexus 6
• Nexus 9
• Nexus 5X
• Nexus 6P
• Nexus Player
• Pixel C
• General Mobile 4G (Android One)
• Sony Xperia Z3

If you own one of the above, then you're ready to rock with Android N. However, before you go hog-wild, it's wise to make a backup. To do this tap on Settings > Backup and reset and make sure both Back up my data and Automatic restore are enabled. Also, if you have photos to back up, either connect your device to a PC to do this, or set up some cloud backup service (remember that every Google account comes with 15GB of Google Drive storage).

With your data safe, you're ready to proceed.

For every device except the Sony Xperia Z3 (we'll get to that in a moment) you need to head over to Google's Android Beta portal to enroll your device.

Once your device in enrolled, you'll be sent new updates OTA - Over The Air - every few weeks until the Android N is released. If you stay in the preview program, your device will also get previews maintenance releases after the final release.

If you decide that running a beta isn't for you then you can roll back to the latest public release by unenrolling your device. This is when having a backup of your data is handy, because rolling back to an earlier release wipes your data.

For all you Sony Xperia Z3 owners who want to take Android N for a spin, you need to sign up to Sony's N Developer Preview program