Android

3 Reasons Not to Install Nexus Android 8.1 Beta & 4 Reasons You Should

Published

6 years ago

11/28/2017

Trying the Nexus Android 8.1 Oreo update ahead of its official release might be tempting, but many Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P users should avoid the Android 8.1 Developer Preview.

Google recently detailed its Android 8.1 Oreo plans and the first milestone Android Oreo upgrade will be heading out to the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P in December if everything goes according to plan.

If you don’t want to wait until December to try Android 8.1, you don’t have to. The company’s released a Developer Preview, a beta, and it allows anyone with a Nexus 5X or Nexus 6P to try the software right now.

There are plenty of reasons to consider installing the Android 8.1 preview on your Nexus 5X or Nexus 6P. The update comes with some new features and your testing will help Google squash problems ahead of the worldwide release later this year.

That said, there are also some good reasons to avoid the early version of Android 8.1 Oreo. For one, the Android 8.1 Developer Preview is plagued with an assortment of bugs and issues.

Some of you might want to wait a few more days before installing the Android 8.1 Developer Preview on your phone. Others are probably better off waiting for the official version of Android 8.1 Oreo to arrive. Again, Google is still targeting an official release in December and we’d expect it to be pushed ahead of the holidays.

We’ve been using the Android 8.1 Developer Preview 1 and today we want to walk you through some reasons why you should, and shouldn’t, install the Android 8.1 Developer Preview on your Nexus 5X or Nexus 6P.

Install If You Want to Help Improve Android 8.1

1 / 7

If you want to help Google improve the Android 8.1 update ahead of its public release, give the Nexus 5X or Nexus 6P Android 8.1 beta a try.

Google's Android 8.1 Developer Preview gives you a chance to try out new features and it also allows you to report bugs.

On its Android Beta signup page Google tells prospective Android beta users that their feedback will help it identify and fix issues, and make the Oreo platform even better.

If you've run into a problem with a previous version of Android, consider helping Google test the Android 8.1 update ahead of its official release date in December. Your efforts could prevent a major problem from appearing in the official version.

You can report Android 8.1 bugs straight from your device or on the Android Beta Program Google+ community.