9 Things to Do Before Installing the Galaxy Note 9 Pie Beta

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Pie beta is starting to roll out in several regions. If you want to participate, there are some things you should do before downloading the Android Pie beta on your phone.

Samsung’s changed things up this year. The Galaxy Beta Program, which is typically limited to flagship Galaxy S models, has opened up to the Galaxy Note series.

The company is rolling out a Galaxy Note 9 Android Pie beta alongside the Galaxy S9 Android Pie beta giving Note 9 users a chance to try Pie’s new features and Samsung’s new One UI ahead of the official release in January.

The Galaxy Note 9 Pie beta is currently limited to a few devices in a few regions (India, Germany, the United States), but we expect it to expand to other countries in the near future.

If you live in India, Germany, or the United States, and you want to try the Galaxy Note 9 beta, you should prepare. A little prep work will go a long way toward preventing problems. And you can expect the beta to have a lot of problems. Remember, this is pre-release software.

In this guide we’ll take you through some steps to take before you install the Android Pie beta on your Galaxy Note 9. At the very least you’ll want to backup your data before making the move. We’ll start with that.

Backup Your Data

If you decide to try the Android Pie/One UI beta on your Galaxy Note 9, make sure you backup all of your files before you make the move. Data loss issues can occur so you’ll want to make sure all of your data is safe before you transition to Samsung’s beta software.

There are a few ways to do this. The easiest way is to download Samsung’s Smart Switch onto your PC and use it to backup your phone’s data. The process could take quite a bit of time if you have a ton of data stored on your device, but it’ll be worth it.

Smart Switch backs up all of your device’s SMS messages, videos, photos, home screen settings, Settings, call logs, and applications.

You can also use Samsung Cloud to backup your data. To access Samsung Cloud, head into your device’s Settings > Cloud and Accounts. If you don’t have a Samsung account you’ll need to create one in order to take advantage of the service.

There are also a bunch of third-party apps out there. Super Backup & Restore is one of our favorites, but you’ll want to check the Google Play Store for others.

Free Up Space

The Galaxy Note 9 Android Pie beta is a fairly big download and checks in at 1.7GB for users in the United States. It’s a little smaller for Galaxy Note 9 users in India and Germany.

If you don’t have that kind of space available on your internal storage you’ll need to clear out some space for the download and installation to proceed.

Head into your storage and find files you no longer need and get rid of them. Think of it as early spring cleaning.

Charge Your Galaxy Note 9

Before you start the download, Make sure your Galaxy Note 9 has at least a 20% charge. We recommend having at least a 50% charge.

Update Your Apps

If you want your apps to work properly you’ll want to update them before you download and install the Android Pie beta on your Galaxy Note 9.

At the very least you’ll want to update all the first-party apps you use on your device. That includes apps like Samsung Pay, Samsung Internet, Samsung Notes, and Email. This should ensure they work properly once you get Android Pie on board your phone.

We also recommend updating your third party apps with the latest bug fixes.

If you use your phone to get through a day of work or school, you might want to avoid the Galaxy Note 9 Android Pie beta. App performance will be up and down throughout the beta. If you can’t handle that, you should stay put on Android Oreo.

Have Your Login Info Handy

If you plan to try the Galaxy Note 9 beta you’ll need a Samsung account. If you don’t have a Samsung account, you can create one on Samsung’s website.

Creating a Samsung account only takes a few minutes and you’ll need it when you go to sign up for the beta via Samsung+ or the Samsung Members app.

There’s also a chance the Android Pie beta logs you out of some of your apps and services. If you don’t want to spend time tracking down all of your login info, make sure you have all your logins saved/handy before you install. This way you’ll be able to jump right back in.

Find Fixes for Problems

This is a beta and there will be problems. Some of the issues will require a fix from Samsung, others you should be able to fix on your own.

You can’t predict how the software will impact your phone’s performance so it’s important to find a go-to place for fixes before you install.

We’ve put together a list of fixes for the most common Galaxy Note 9 problems. It covers battery life issues, Bluetooth problems, and others. Bookmark it if you need to.

The Galaxy Note 9 page at XDA-Developers is another great resource. You can also find potential fixes inside the Samsung+/Samsung Members apps.

Learn How to Downgrade from Pie to Oreo

If you decide to download the Android Pie beta and you run into a series of frustrating problems, you can always drop back down to Android Oreo.

Before you download the beta make sure you’re comfortable with the downgrade process. If you don’t understand it or don’t want to deal with it, you’ll probably want to skip the beta.

You’ll cancel the beta through the Samsung+/Samsung Members app. Once you do that you’ll need to reinstall official software on your device using Smart Switch.

You’ll be able to recover the data you backed up before you installed the beta, but there might be limitations in recovering data that was created after installing the Pie beta on your phone. Keep that in mind.

Get Familiar with One UI & Android 9.0

Make sure you get familiar with Android Pie and the One UI before you install the beta. It’s important to know what you’re getting into it.

We’ve put together a guide that will take you through the known changes in the beta which include a brand new Night Mode and various UI tweaks. Take a look at it if you haven’t been following along.

Find Feedback from Beta Users

If you’re feeling leery, make sure you dig into feedback from Galaxy Note 9 beta testers before moving your device to the software. This feedback will alert you to potential bugs and problems.

You can find feedback on social media sites like Twitter, on YouTube, at XDA-Developers, and inside the Samsung Members/Samsung+ apps.

Install the Galaxy S9 Pie Beta to Help Samsung

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Trying new features before they're officially released is fun, but your testing will help Samsung improve Android Pie's performance for many others.  If you're sick and tired of dealing with Android problems on your device, think about trying the Android 9.0/One UI beta on your phone. Your testing could help Samsung's engineers squash bugs and major performance issues before the official version is released to millions of Galaxy users in January.  Reporting bugs is extremely easy and your feedback, no matter how small, could help the company provide a much better experience for all Galaxy S9 users come January.  To send feedback about the Android Pie beta, you need to launch the Samsung+/Samsung Members and post your bug report(s) under the appropriate menu. It only takes a few minutes and it could have a huge impact on the quality of Samsung's new operating system.

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