The Pixel 6 phones are now a part of the Android beta
It might surprise a lot of people, but Google’s latest and greatest phones have been left out of the Android beta program. That seems odd as, what better phones to test out Android 12 than the ones that launched with it installed? Regardless, people with older Pixels have been on the front line to receive updates. Now, however, things are different. If you own any of the Pixel 6 phones, you can easily sign up for the Android beta program. The process won’t take much time, but it will involve giving your phone a system update. What you need to do is go to the official Android beta site and scroll down. You should see your Pixel 6 along with your other eligible devices with the blue “Opt In” button on the bottom. Clicking on the button will bring up some useful information about the beta program which I STRONGLY recommend reading. After reading, you can choose whether you want to receive emails regarding the beta program or not. At the very bottom, you will need to agree with the terms of using the beta program. Once you do so, you’ll officially be in the program. After enrolling, you should get a new system update within a few minutes. It will read “beta version of Android 12L (S2B3.220205.007.A1).” The system will download the 2GB file while you go about your business.
The risks of joining the beta program
Before you sign up for the beta program, you NEED to read all of the important information regarding it. While it’s neat getting features and updates early, there are risks associated with joining the beta program. Being on the beta means that you’re using an unstable version of the software. You’ll most likely be victim to a bunch of bugs and hiccups throughout the software; even more than the stable version of Android 12. It’s best to either use this on a device that’s not your daily driver or be sure that you have your data backed up. There are features that could be disabled in the software or ones that just won’t work. That could also go for certain apps. Last, but not least, Google will get a lot of data from your device; well, more than usual. If you’re concerned about privacy, you may want to sleep on the beta. Google will collect data about the software and even do experiments on your phone to test stuff out. Once you click “Enroll” you’re opting in at your own risk.
