Welcome to Android 11 Developer Preview! Here's how to get started:
- Review the program and timeline - read the Overview for key dates and details
- Set up a runtime environment - see below to use a Google Pixel device or set up an emulator
- Set up Android Studio with the preview SDK and tools - for details, see Setup the SDK
Flash-to-OTA on Google Pixel
Android 11 Developer Preview is available on Google Pixel 4 / 4 XL, Pixel 3a / 3a XL, Pixel 3 / 3 XL, and Pixel 2 / 2 XL.
Developer Preview releases are early baseline builds for developers only. Because they're not suitable for daily use by early adopters or consumers, we're making them available by manual download and flash only. To flash these builds, note that you'll need to do a full reset, so make sure to back up your data first.
At each milestone, we'll offer system image downloads that you can download and flash yourself. To make manual download and flash easier, we're also offering preview system images through the Android Flash Tool, just connect your device by USB and go.
Once you've flashed a Developer Preview build to your Pixel device, you'll automatically be offered over-the-air updates for later Developer Preview and Beta builds.
Go to the Downloads page for Flash Tool, system image downloads, and complete flashing instructions.
You can choose to revert to a production build at any time - to do that, you'll need to flash the appropriate system image from the Pixel factory images page. Note that you'll need to do a full reset in this case as well.
Android Emulator
Even if you don't have access to a hardware device that can run Android 11, you can still participate in the Developer Preview by setting up an Android emulator for development and testing.
Configuring the Android emulator to run Android 11 Developer Preview is a great solution for exploring new features and APIs and testing with Android 11 behavior changes. Setting up the emulator is fast and convenient and allows you to emulate various screen sizes and device characteristics.
You can set up an emulator with Android 11 Developer Preview from inside Android Studio. Just install the latest system image and create a new virtual device as follows:
- In Android Studio, click Tools > SDK Manager.
- In the SDK Platforms tab, select Show Package Details at the bottom of the window.
- Below Android 11 Developer Preview, select a system image, such as Google APIs Intel x86 Atom System Image.
- In the SDK Tools tab, select the latest version of Android Emulator.
- Click OK to begin installation.
After the installation has finished, select Tools > AVD Manager, and follow the instructions to create a new AVD.
Be sure to select a Pixel device, and select R for the system image.
When you return to the AVD Manager's list of virtual devices, double-click your new virtual device to launch it.
Android GSI
Android Generic System Image (GSI) binaries are available to developers for app testing and validation purposes on supported Treble-compliant devices. You can use these images to address any compatibility issues with Android 11 as well as discover and report OS and framework issues before Android 11 is officially released.
See the GSI documentation for device requirements, flashing instructions, and information on choosing the right image type for your device. Once you're ready to download a GSI binary, see the Downloads section on the Android 11 GSI page.