Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Phones
  3. Android
  4. Mobile
  5. Evergreens

Here’s how to download and install Android 9.0 Pie

Android 9.0 Pie is fresh out of the oven: Here's how to get a slice

By
Add as a preferred source on Google
 

Google’s Android 9.0 Pie has landed. If you’re curious about trying out a slice, you’ll need to make sure you have the right smartphone (until all the major manufacturers push the update out within the next six months to a year).

Recommended Videos

You can learn about all the new features in our Android 9.0 Pie guide, but if you are eager to try it out now, follow our step-by-step directions to jump into the new version.

Note: Downloading the Android 9.0 Pie beta is pretty easy for the average user. But if you encounter a lot of bugs or decide you don’t like it, going back to an earlier version is costly. You’ll have to flash your device back to Android Oreo, which means you’ll lose any phone data that isn’t backed up. Please keep this in mind.

Make sure you have the right device

Google Pixel 2 XL
Julian Chokkattu / Digital Trends

First, the bad news: Android 9.0 Pie is only available right now for certain devices — the Google Pixel and Pixel 2 series. The good news is Google expanded its list of beta partner devices, which means there are quite a few phones that are likely to get the final version quickly. If you have one of these phones, you’re set:

  • Pixel 2/Pixel 2 XL
  • Pixel/Pixel XL
  • Essential Phone
  • Sony Xperia XZ2
  • Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
  • Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S
  • Nokia 7 Plus
  • Oppo R15 Pro
  • Vivo X21
  • OnePlus 6

If you don’t have one of these phones, well, you’ll have to wait until the final version of Android 9.0 Pie is available on your phone. Android One devices will receive the update towards the end of the year.

Back up your data

For the beta, the usual caveats apply: Not everything may work correctly, bugs may crop up, and so on. Even if you plan on keeping Android 9.0 Pie up through the official release, you should still take the time to back up all your important phone data. Make sure your photos, contacts, and documents are available on the cloud or uploaded to another storage device before you begin.

Sign your phone up

Google has made signing up for the public beta very easy. Visit this Android developer page, where you will find a list of all the compatible phones. Locate your phone model, and choose Get the beta at the bottom of the phone description.

Every Get the beta option will take you to a separate page for that phone brand with instructions on how to sign up.

The Pixel version is particularly simple, since Google will automatically detect any compatible phones on your account (you will need to be signed in to your Google account to complete this process). Once you’ve signed up for your Pixel, you should receive an over-the-air notification that says System update available from the Android Beta Program. Agree to download the update and you’ll be playing around with Android 9.0 Pie in no time. You do not need to sign up for the beta to receive the final version — if you have a Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, or an Android One device, you should automatically get an update notification.

For other phone brands you’ll need to download the new software and flash your phone with the Android 9.0 Pie beta yourself. They’re all a little different. Sony, for example, wants you to use its Xperia Companion software, whereas Xiaomi suggests the fastboot method and offers the Android 9.0 Pie ROM, as well as the Oreo ROM you need to revert, as a download.

The process shouldn’t be difficult if you follow the instructions carefully, but if you run into problems you’ll also have to flash back to Oreo yourself, so keep that in mind. The manufacturers aren’t making any guarantees about it working perfectly, so always back up everything that matters to you before you start.

Here are the direct links to each manufacturer’s instructions:

These phones should receive the final version of Android 9.0 Pie quickly, and we’ll update this post when they do.

Mark Jansen
Mark Jansen
Former Mobile Evergreen Editor
Mark Jansen is an avid follower of everything that beeps, bloops, or makes pretty lights. He has a degree in Ancient &…
Topics
Could the Galaxy Z Flip 8 be Samsung’s last compact foldable? A new leak says yes
Credit card on cover screen of Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7.

Samsung will unveil the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, and Galaxy Z Flip 8 at its July 22 event in London. But ahead of the launch, tipster Ice Universe has made a surprising claim: the Galaxy Z Flip 8 could be Samsung’s last compact foldable. That rumor feels hard to believe at first. While Samsung’s Fold models get plenty of attention for their tablet-like screens, the Flip series has always felt like the more mainstream option. It’s smaller, easier to carry, and usually costs less than the Fold. More importantly, it’s a phone that usually catches people’s attention in everyday life.

The compact design, the cover display, and even the “cute factor” have helped Samsung attract buyers who would never consider a bulky foldable. In my experience, I’ve seen far more Flip phones in the wild than Fold models. That doesn’t mean the Fold isn’t popular, but the Flip seems to appeal to a broader audience.

Read more
Halide 3.1 update brings straighter photos, a warmer look, and smarter focus taps
A few weeks after launch, Halide is already leveling up with new tools and a warmer look.
Halide 3.1

Smartphone photography has become an over-processed mess, prioritizing algorithms over authenticity. I recently saw an Instagram post comparing iPhone 6 Photos to iPhone 17 Pro photos, and honestly, in some shots I preferred the results from the decade-old camera. It’s one of the reasons why apps like Halide have become so popular. 

People prefer authenticity now, and Halide’s Process Zero mode, which strips away all the extra processing Apple piles onto your photos, is a breath of fresh air. A few weeks back, Halide released its Mark III update that introduced features like Looks, a set of film-inspired color profiles, along with a full Photo Lab for editing RAW files, complete with a histogram, a Film tab for grain and vignetting, and support for importing RAW files from external cameras.

Read more
Your child isn’t the only one addicted to a phone, says new study
Researchers say parents' screen habits could have long-lasting effects on their children's emotional development.
Father and son bonding over smartphones while relaxing on a comfortable couch at home

For years, conversations around screen time have focused almost entirely on children. How much YouTube is too much? Should teenagers be on social media? When should a child get their first smartphone? A new study suggests we may have been asking the wrong question.

According to research published last month in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Psychology (via Bloomberg), it's not just children's screen habits that matter. Parents who are constantly distracted by their phones may unintentionally weaken their emotional bond with their children, potentially leaving lasting developmental and psychological effects. The study surveyed 600 U.S. adolescents aged 12 to 17, many of whom reported feeling ignored or sidelined when their parents were absorbed in their devices.

Read more