9 Things to Do Before Installing Android 8.1 Oreo

Prepping your Pixel or Nexus device for a new Android 8.1 Oreo build could go a long way toward preventing problems and serious headaches.

Google’s released a brand new Android 8.1 build for Nexus and Pixel devices including the Pixel 2, Pixel, Nexus 5X, and the Nexus 6P.

The May Android 8.1 Oreo update is mostly focused on patching up potential security exploits, but it could have a significant impact on your device’s performance.

While some of you might see a boost, others might run into issues. Nexus and Pixel users are complaining about a variety of problems with the software and we expect the list to grow as time goes on.

Google’s new Android Oreo update will improve your device’s security and most of you will want to install the May Android 8.1 Oreo build on your device. Just make sure you do some prep work first.

The unpredictable nature of Android upgrades is why we recommend preparing yourself, and your device, for the move. There’s no telling what will happen once you begin the download and installation process.

We’ve put together a game plan that takes you through everything we usually do before we install new Android software on our devices.

We took these steps before we downloaded Android 8.1 Oreo and the software is running fine (so far) on the Pixel, Pixel 2, and the Nexus 5X.

Get Familiar with Android 8.1

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If you've skipped security updates or Android 8.1 itself, make sure you get familiar with the changes before you install the latest build on your phone or tablet. This way, you won't be caught off guard.  The May Android 8.1 build delivers a short list of security patches and fixes for issues plaguing Nexus and Pixel phones. Google's posted the contents of the update on its Android Security Bulletin and it's worth a look before you install the software on your device.  If you're moving your Pixel or Nexus from an older version of Android 8.1 you'll want to get familiar with Google's other security patches. You can find all of them listed over on the company's website.  If for some odd reason you're still lingering around on Android 8.0 you might not have a firm grasp on the differences between Android 8.0 and Android 8.1. We encourage you to get comfortable with those changes before you make your move.  To help, we've put together a guide that will take you through the Android 8.1 update and its features. Google's also put together its own guide that will help you track down the most notable features and enhancements.

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