How To Update Android Nexus Updates Without Waiting

Google rolls out Android updates slowly, even to their own Nexus devices. It may take weeks before an over-the-air update becomes available via the System updates screen, but you can skip the wait.

When Android 50 launched, it took over 3 weeks earlier we saw the update on several Nexus four phones. One 2012 Nexus 7 still can't run across the update 2 months subsequently. That's merely a ridiculous amount of time to wait.

What Won't Work

First, permit's cover what won't work. Google chooses — on their servers — which specific devices will be allowed to receive the update. This means that visiting the System updates screen and tapping "Check for Update" won't actually advance the process. When an update is available, your device volition let you know. (Tapping this button can just aid if Google has decided to give your device an update, and your device hasn't checked back in yet. Information technology won't requite y'all a new chance at an update every fourth dimension you lot tap information technology.)

In the past, nosotros used a trick that allowed us to reset this procedure, skipping to the forepart of the line and getting the update immediately past immigration the Google Play Services app's data. This no longer works at all, and it tin can cause other bug on your device. Don't follow this tip if y'all see information technology online!

Choice ane: Download and Flash an Official Factory Epitome

Google provides official factory images for their Nexus devices. We've already covered the process for downloading a manufacturing plant paradigm from Google and flashing it. It involves unlocking your device's bootloader, downloading the latest mill paradigm for your device from Google'southward website, getting the adb control, putting your device into programmer fashion, ensuring the appropriate drivers are configured, and running a script that flashes the new version of Android over the former version. This process can be performed on Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux.

By default, this process erases your entire device and restores information technology to factory settings. You accept to modify the flash script to perform an update without wiping your personal data from your device.

Overall, this is the near complicated method. Nevertheless, it's the only officially supported way to upgrade to a new version of Android as soon as it's available. Google posts the factory images to their website many weeks before you may receive them equally an available over-the-air update. We've used this method in the by, most recently to upgrade a 2013 Nexus 7 to Android L later on weeks of waiting for the update. It worked, although the procedure of fighting with adb and drivers — particularly on Windows — tin can be frustrating. We've had less issues doing this on a Unix-similar platform similar Linux or Mac Os Ten.

Option 2: Load the OTA Update File Manually

When an Android update is available, Google eventually lets your device know and it downloads an over-the-air (OTA) update file. Your device then reboots and installs the OTA update file. The OTA update is smaller and more meaty than the larger mill paradigm above. OTA updates are meant for upgrading from one version to some other, while the manufactory image contains a complete image of the operating system for your device and can exist used to restore it if you e'er wipe it or install a custom ROM.

There'due south actually a way to skip the await for the OTA update file, too. If you go your hands on the appropriate OTA update file, y'all can reboot into the recovery environment and tell it to install the OTA update manually. This will perform the same upgrade you'd get if you lot waited for the official update to go available, and it won't wipe your data.

First, you lot'll demand to become your hands on the OTA update files. Different the full factory images, Google doesn't post these officially. You'll need a list put together by a 3rd party. For example, Android Police has a consummate list of Android 4.four.four -> 5.0 and 5.0 -> 5.0.1 OTA update files with links to their locations on Google's official servers. If yous're looking for a newer version of Android, search around to find an upward-to-appointment list. Yous'll as well need the adb command, which you can acquire from Google's Android SDK.

Reboot your device and concord the Volume Down push while it'due south booting up. You'll see the "fastboot" menu and the word Start on the screen. Printing Book Upwards until you lot see "Recovery style," and then press the Power button.

You'll come across an Android with a cherry exclamation indicate. Concord down the Ability button and press the Book Upward button — you'll come across the system recovery menu. Select "utilize update from adb" with the volume buttons then press Power.

Connect your Nexus device to your computer with a USB cable. Identify the adb command and the OTA update file you downloaded in the same directory. Open up a Command Prompt window in that directory by belongings Shift, right-clicking and selecting Open up Command Prompt Here. Run the post-obit command, replacing "OTA_UPDATE_FILENAME.zilch" with the name of the OTA update file y'all downloaded. (Tab completion tin can help hither!)

adb sideload OTA_UPDATE_FILENAME.nada

Press Enter and adb will send the OTA update file to your device. It will count up to 100 percent while it sends the file, and your device volition and so begin installing the OTA update as if it was downloaded from Google.

If you accept a custom recovery installed on your Nexus device, this procedure will exist different. You should be able to load the OTA update .zip file into your custom recovery app and so have it automatically reboot and install the update.

---

The slow trickle of official Nexus updates from Google can be annoying. Sure, this helps avoid critical bugs being rolled out to all Nexus users, but it could be much faster!

Apple allows all iPhone and iPad users to go updates as before long every bit they're out. This did come dorsum to seize with teeth them when they released iOS 8.0.1. This update disabled cellular connectivity and Touch ID on all new iPhones that installed information technology, and they had to frantically pull the update. That'southward what Google is trying to preclude, in theory.

Image Credit: Sylvain Naudin on Flickr

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