There are a number of ways to get your Google Pixel smartphone updated to the latest available patch or OS. If you’re happy to take matters into your own hands, you can skip the wait by sideloading OTA update on your Google Pixel, and we’re going to show you how.
Luckily, the entire process is fairly simple and while many hardcore Android fans will know exactly what to do, not everyone is as adept at getting their phone updated. Firstly, there are a few differences in the kind of updates you can install on your Android phone.
The difference between Android updates
Monthly or regular updates are incremental with full updates reserved for major releases. In this instance, an OTA or “over-the-air” update can be flashed with relative ease and will not restore any of your app or system settings when applied. To go back to a previous Android version, you will want a “factory” image. We have a dedicated guide on how to downgrade your Pixel which explains this process.
To recap, there are a few ways to get your Pixel updated to the latest official Google OTA update – you can wait until your phone gets a notification which will prompt you to download any waiting updates to your phone. This is normally the slowest method.
You can also force your smartphone to “pull” any waiting updates by heading to Settings > System > System update > Check for updates. This process is marginally faster and can be done as soon as an announcement confirms that an update is available. However, like the OTA notification method, it can be a while before files are available.
The quickest method to get the very latest update on your Google Pixel is to sideload the official OTA file. Google offers a number of ways to do this, but both rely on access to a PC or laptop.
It’s also worth noting that this method will work for almost all Android devices, but you will need to obtain the official OTA files for your specific device manufacturer prior to attempting to… Source 9to5google.com
