How to install Android P beta on the Essential Phone

At Google I/O 2018, Google released the first beta version of Android P for its Pixel smartphones, along with seven other OEM devices. Those devices include the Sony Xperia XZ2, Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S, Nokia 7 Plus, OPPO R15 Pro, vivo X21, OnePlus 6, and Essential Phone.

If you’re looking for how to install Android P on the Essential Phone, you’ve come to the right place!

Unfortunately it’s not as easy as enrolling in the Android Beta Program, though. Essential has the Android P download files on its website, which we’ve linked to below. We’ve also included all the instructions you’ll need to sideload Android P on your Essential Phone.

Don’t miss: Android P beta hands-on: Gestures galore

Download the Android P preview

To install Android P on your Essential Phone, first visit Essential’s Developer Overview website here and download the necessary files. You can download the Android P OTA or fastboot file after you input your information and device serial number. In this tutorial, we are going to sideload the OTA file.

Install ADB and fastboot on your computer

Next, you’ll need to install ADB and fastboot on your computer. Here’s a handy guide from XDA Developers that will walk you through the process for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Unlock the Essential Phone’s bootloader

If you’re sideloading the OTA on your Essential Phone, you don’t need to have an unlocked bootloader. Feel free to skip down to the next section if you just want to sideload Android P on your phone.

However, installing custom ROMs requires you to have an unlocked bootloader, so we’ll keep these instructions here just in case you want to know how. Note that unlocking your phone’s bootloader will wipe all the device’s data, so be sure to make a backup of your data before following these next steps. To unlock the Essential Phone’s bootloader, follow the steps below:

1. Go to Settings > System > About phone, then tap Build number seven times, or until you receive conformation that you’re a developer.
2. Go back to System settings, then select Developer options.
3. Enable OEM unlocking by tapping on the toggle.
4. Scroll down to USB debugging and turn the toggle on.
5. Plug your Essential Phone into your computer using a USB cable.

Next, open a terminal window in the folder where you have ADB and fastboot installed. On Windows, you can right-click and click open command window here. On macOS, open a terminal window and drag and drop the folder where your ADB and fastboot files are located.

1. In your command window, type adb devices and press enter. Your device’s serial number should appear in the command window.

Next, reboot your phone into fastboot mode. In your command window, type adb reboot bootloader and press enter.

1. Alternatively, you can put your phone into fastboot mode by rebooting your phone while holding the volume-down button.

Your phone will boot into fastboot mode. You should see that your Essential Phone’s device state is locked. To ensure your device is still being recognized by your computer, type fastboot devices in your command window and press enter. Your phone’s serial number should show up.

Warning: Unlocking your phone’s bootloader will erase all data on the device. If you don’t want to lose your data, do not continue. Be sure to back up all your data before unlocking the phone’s bootloader. If you don’t mind losing all your data, feel free to proceed.

Still here? Good.

In your command window, type fastboot flashing unlock. Press enter.

On your phone, you will see a prompt asking if you would like to unlock your phone’s bootloader. Use the volume down key to highlight Yes, then click the power button to confirm. Your phone will reboot.

Sideload Android P to the Essential Phone

Once ADB and fastboot are installed on your computer and your bootloader is unlocked, you can begin sideloading the update to the Essential Phone. Remember that OTA .zip file we had you download earlier? Move the file to the same folder where your ADB and fastboot files are located.

Consider renaming your file to update.zip, otherwise you’ll have to type that confusing file name into your command line.

1. Ensure USB debugging is enabled on your Essential Phone. To do so, follow step four above.
2. Plug your Essential Phone into your computer with a USB cable.
3. Open a command window in the folder where you have ADB and fastboot installed.
4. In your command window, type adb devices and press enter. Your device’s serial number should appear in the command window.
   1. If you see a notice on your phone asking if you’d like to allow USB debugging on this computer, check the box and select OK.
5. Reboot your phone into recovery mode. To do so, type adb reboot recovery into your command window. Your phone will reboot into recovery mode. You should see a little green bugdroid with a caution symbol. Despite your gut reaction, this is good.
6. Open the recovery menu on your Essential Phone. To do so, hold the power button and press the volume-up button once.
7. Scroll down to Apply update from ADB with your volume-down button, then press the power button to confirm.
8. Ensure that your phone is still being recognized by your computer. To do so, type adb devices in your command window and press enter. Your device’s serial number should appear in the window.
9. In your command window, type adb sideload update.zip (or whatever you named your file).

If all went well, Android P should begin installing on your Essential Phone. This will take a few minutes. Once it’s done, reboot your phone.

That’s it! Easy, right? If you run into any problems along the way, you’ll want to go back a few steps and make sure you followed the instructions to a T. Will you install Android P on your Essential Phone? Let us know in the comments.

Next: How to use split screen on Android P