Android Q Has Landed: Here’s How To Get It On Your Phone


Android Pie is still being rolled out to various smartphones – but that hasn’t stopped Google from releasing its next big OS update. The Android Q Beta is now available to download on select handsets. Here’s how to get it right now.

Today, Google made the Android Q mobile operating system available to users worldwide.

This is a very significant update for Android, as it happens to coincide with the launch of 5G networks around the globe. It also has a bunch of new software tools specifically designed for folding phones such as the Huawei Mate X and Samsung Galaxy Fold.

Other changes include an enhanced standard messaging experience, better privacy controls, a renewed emphasis on Digital Wellbeing applications, improved augmented reality tools and additional Google Assistant capabilities. (You can read up on all the improvements here.)

[referenced url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2019/03/android-q-promises-to-make-your-smartphone-safer-and-smarter/” thumb=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2019/03/android-q-.jpg” title=”Android Q Promises To Make Your Smartphone Safer And Smarter” excerpt=”With 5G, foldable devices, the rise of AI and other changes to the mobile device landscape the operating systems we depend need to evolve. The next generation of Google’s mobile operating system, Android Q, has reached beta status and is available for download if you’re game.”]

“Today we’re releasing Beta 1 of Android Q for early adopters and a preview SDK for developers,” Google explained on its developer blog. “In 2019, mobile innovation is stronger than ever, with new technologies from 5G to edge to edge displays and even foldable screens.

“Android is right at the center of this innovation cycle, and thanks to the broad ecosystem of partners across billions of devices, Android’s helping push the boundaries of hardware and software bringing new experiences and capabilities to users.”

How to download Android Q on your phone

Android Q is currently in early beta stage and is chiefly aimed at developers and other tech-heads in the testing community. But if you’re desperate to give it a try, there’s not much to stop you.

The Android Q beta is currently only open to owners of the Pixel, Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 range. You can grab download links for each phone from Google’s website. If you don’t own one of the aforementioned phones, you can still check it out via an Android emulator – you can find step-by-step instructions here.

As always, be sure to backup your data before installing the system image or you’ll end up losing everything. Also, we’d refrain from embarking on this adventure if you only own a single phone – make sure you have a backup on hand for day-to-day phone use.

[referenced url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2019/03/which-smartphones-have-android-9-pie/” thumb=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2018/03/Android-P.jpg” title=”All The Phones Getting Android 9 Pie Updates” excerpt=”Android 9 Pie was released late last year, first appearing on Google’s Pixel smartphone before other phone makers began the task of testing their hardware and adding their own customisation. So, which phone makers have released Android 9 Pie to their customers?”]

[Via Android Developers Blog]