Android 15 Is Almost Here. What You Need to Know About Google’s Latest OS [CNET]

Google today announced that it’s releasing Android 15 in the coming weeks. It also pushed the Android 15 source code to the Android Open Source Project today, which means that anyone can build on and contribute to the Android OS.

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Android 15 will be available on supported Pixel devices, like the Pixel 8 and Pixel 9, in the coming weeks. It will also be available to download on select devices from Samsung, Lenovo, Motorola, Nothing, OnePlus and more in the coming months.

Android 15 doesn’t represent a big change from Android 14, it does bring several new useful features, including partial screen recording, satellite connectivity to send and receive messages without cell service, predictive back gestures, more in-app camera controls, low-light boost and sensitive notifications for 2FA codes.

If you want to download Android 15 on your device, here’s what you need to know.

Will my phone support Android 15?

Google always releases the latest Android OS to its own Pixel devices first. Here’s the full list of supported devices:

• Pixel 6
• Pixel 6 Pro
• Pixel 6a
• Pixel 7
• Pixel 7 Pro
• Pixel 7a
• Pixel 8
• Pixel 8 Pro
• Pixel 8a
• Pixel Fold
• Pixel Tablet
• Pixel 9
• Pixel 9 Pro
• Pixel 9 Pro XL

As mentioned above, versions of Android 15 will be released to select devices from other companies, including Samsung, Honor, iQOO, Lenovo, Motorola, Nothing, OnePlus, Oppo, Realme, Sharp, Sony, Tecno, Vivo and Xiaomi.

Before you download Android 15…

Like with any new major release, it’s best that you back up your phone with the previous version in case you ever want to downgrade from Android 15 to Android 14. If you have automatic backups, you should have a pretty recent backup, but you can also do it manually. In your Settings, go to System > Backup and hit Back up now. You can also back up your device to your computer.

How to download Android 15 to your Pixel device

On your supported Android device, go to Settings > System > Software updates > System Updates. If Android 15 is available on your device, you’ll see an update status appear. If not, tap the Check for update button on the bottom right. Next, tap Download and install and wait for your phone to download Android 15. Once your phone is finished, it will restart and boot back up. You should see Android 15 running on your device.

Note: If you see a “not enough space available” notification, you must free up storage before you can update to Android 14, or use your computer to update.

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