Android 14 Developer Preview 2 available for Google Pixel phones

Last month, Google announced the first developer preview of Android 14, bringing more app customization, new swipe gestures, multi-account app cloning, support for the latest PS5 DualSense Edge controller, and more. If you’re interested in testing the latest Android software, download and install the second Android 14 Developer Preview now.

Google plans to release these preview versions of Android 14 throughout much of 2023, with several developer previews over the winter, beta releases in the spring and summer, and the final release sometime in the fall. While these pre-release versions of Android 14 are mainly for developers to try out upcoming features in the works, you can still get your hands on this version of Android 14 now even if you’re not a developer.

As long as you have a compatible phone, which currently means it has to be one of many GooglePixel phones – you can connect your device to your computer and use Google’s Android Flash Tool to download and install the Android 14 Developer Preview quite easily.

It’s important to note that like all prerelease software, the Android 14 Developer Preview can be unstable at times, so if you do want to install it, it’s better to do so on a backup phone if you have one available , and not on your primary device. There may be bugs and other issues interfering with functionality so don’t try this on a phone you depend on.

If you want to take that risk, here’s how to download and install the Android 14 Developer Preview on your phone.

In the market for a new Android phone? look at the best deals on the Google Pixel and the Android phones you should buy in 2023.

Remark: If you already have Android 14 Developer Preview 1, go to Institutions > System > System update and updating over the air. If you don’t have Android 14, follow the steps below.

Which phones is the Android 14 Developer Preview available for?

Google is expected to release Android 14 this fall. At that point it will be available on a wide variety of Android phones, but for now you can only install the Android 14 Developer Preview on compatible Pixel devices:

If your device isn’t on this list, you’ll have to wait for later releases of Android 14, be it public beta or public release. It’s also possible that other phones will get access to the developer’s preview or beta at a later date.

Back up your Android device first

If you have a compatible Android device, back up your phone now. By default, your Pixel should back up automatically when you’re connected to Wi-Fi and your phone has been idle and charging for 2 hours, but you can also do this manually. Depending on the size of your phone backup, you may need a paid version of google one for this method, but if not, Google Drive should be good.

Visit to back up your Pixel Institutions > Google > Backup and tap Back up now. Depending on the last backup and the number of apps and files to back up, this process may take a few minutes. Once you’ve made a backup, you’re ready to start downloading and installing Android 14.

Now you need to enable USB debugging and OEM unlocking

To install Android 14 on your Pixel, you’ll need to connect the phone to a computer via USB, which requires your Pixel to be unlocked and have USB debugging enabled. While unlocking your phone is easy enough, you’ll need to unlock the developer options first to enable USB debugging.

1. Go to to unlock developer options Institutions > About phone and then tap Build number seven times. Enter your password when prompted and a new developer options menu will appear in your system settings.

2. Now enable USB debugging. Go to Institutions > System > Developer options and switch on USB debugging. In the message that appears, which briefly describes what USB debugging is for, tap OK.

3. While still in developer options, enable OEM unlock. This unlocks your device’s bootloader, which loads the operating system. Once unlocked, you can choose another operating system to boot, in this case Android 14.

Flash your device with Android Flash Tool in Chrome

You have two ways to flash the Android 14 Developer Preview system image on your Pixel using your computer, but for simplicity’s sake, we’ll use the Android Flash Tool, which only works with certain web browsers, including Chrome. Also, your computer must have 10 GB of available storage for this to work.

If everything is fine, connect your Pixel to your computer via USB, unlock your device and go to the Android Flash Tool website in Chrome and do the following:

1. Click first Get started at the bottom of the website.

2. Then click Allow ADB access in the popup that appears (if there are any ad blockers, disable them).

3. Click now Add new devicechoose your device from the list and press Connect.

4. On your Pixel, check the box next to Always allow from this computer and then tap Allow to allow Android Flash Tool to access your phone.

5. Click back on your computer Developer preview 2 below Popular buildings.

6. Click to install to build and then click To confirm.

The pop-up will warn you that installing Android 14 will reset your phone to factory settings, but that’s okay if you’ve backed up your Pixel. If you haven’t already, back up now. Also, make sure not to touch or disconnect your phone from the computer during this process, otherwise the phone may become locked (making it unresponsive and unusable). If you receive another popup on your computer telling you to accept the Android 14 build, do so to continue with the process.

Now do the following:

1. Hit Get started in the pop-up that appears on your computer.

2. Back on your Pixel, use the volume keys to choose Unlock the bootloader and then press the side key, which will restart your phone.

3. The software will begin to download, which may take a few minutes depending on your internet connection.

4. Once the installation process is complete, click Get started in the pop-up that appears on your computer.

5. Again, back on your Pixel, use the volume keys to switch to Lock the bootloader and then press the side key.

6. And finally, on your computer, click Finished and your phone will reboot like normal.

The Android 14 Developer Preview should now be installed on your phone. You can safely disconnect your Pixel from your computer.

You can now use Android 14 on your Pixel

As soon as your Pixel boots back up, you’ll see a notification that you’re now using the Android 14 Developer Preview. Hit OK and then set up your phone as you would a brand new phone, which means connecting to Wi-Fi, copying apps and data from your latest backup via Google, agreeing to the terms and conditions, setting a password and so on.

Do you have an older Android? Checking out 5 tips to make your Android phone feel like new again.