Android Nougat 7.1.2 is now available as public beta version and the first who will get to try it out are Google Pixel and Nexus users.

This release is unlikely for Google who has announced previous Android versions in May during its I/O developer conference. Last year, Google has released beta versions of Android 7 at this time as well so that many users will be able to try it out before its debut.

Android 7.1.2 Nougat is indeed something to try out, but how does a Pixel or Nexus user get the public beta upgrade? Pocket-lint reports that there are actually two ways to upgrade a Pixel, Pixel XL, Nexus 5X, Nexus Player and a Pixel C device. The first one is through the Android Beta Program wherein Android devices are enrolled to receive previews and over-the-air updates. The Android Beta Program is quite similar to Windows Insider for Microsoft.

The Android Beta program requires the user to visit android.com/bet to sign up using their Google account. After a successful sign up, a list of the user's eligible devices will be listed on his account and each one may be updated. The updates will be done over-the-air. Users may opt to un-enroll their device by clicking a button.

The second way to get the Android 7.1.2 public beta update is to use a traditional system image or the manual flashing technique. Users will be asked to download images and flash them in their device creating a freshly installed operating system. They need to go to Google APIs for Android page to get binary image files to restore a Nexus or Pixel to its original factory settings to prepare it for he public update. Backing up data is important since in a traditional system image technique, all information will be removed from the device.

Meanwhile, BGR reported that the final Android Nougat 7.1.2 build will soon be available in a few months. This is a stable build and will be available for a variety of Android devices. Public beta versions are similar to an early release or a consumer rollout of the final build. This is done so that developers will be able to get accurate and important user feedback.

Because of public beta versions, stable builds are ready and are problem-free. With early beta versions, app developers may also get a chance to create new programs that will support new Android version features.

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