Get the Verizon Galaxy Nexus Android 4.2 Update Right Now

Earlier today, Verizon announced that the Samsung Galaxy Nexus Android 4.2 Jelly Bean update would be rolling out in phases starting today. That means that the update will become available over the next few days through an Over-the-Air update. However, for those not willing to wait, the update can be downloaded and installed right now ahead of the OTA’s arrival.

Read: Verizon Galaxy Nexus Android 4.2 Update Starts Rolling Out.

After a lengthy wait, Verizon finally announced that the Samsung Galaxy Nexus Android 4.2 Jelly Bean update would be rolling out in phases starting today. What this means is that many owners are going to have to wait several days for the update to arrive. It’s possible that it could take longer than that, but nothing is clear at this point.

Thus far, we haven’t received widespread reports of the update becoming available and we ourselves have not yet seen the update roll out Over-the-Air. Fortunately though, there appears to be a way to get the update right now, ahead of the Over-the-Air update. In fact, there are a few methods that Galaxy Nexus owners can try right now to get the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean update.

The first is rather simple. It’s the old Google Framework Services trick that has often worked for owners of Nexus devices when trying to force an update to download and install. Here is how to do that.

1. Go to Settings -> Apps -> All

2. Find Google Services Framework.

3. Tap on Force Stop.

4. Select Clear Data.

5. Head back to the Galaxy Nexus’ Settings, go to About, and check for a System Update.

After owners head back, the year should be in the 60′s. Check for an update and it could be that the software is there and waiting for a download and an install. For those most part, this trick is unreliable though.

For those that can’t get this to work, there is another method to try. The Verizon Galaxy Nexus leaked out a few weeks ago but it was unclear whether or not it would be the official build. Turns out, the build that leaked, JDQ39, is the same build that Verizon is rolling out to owners. This has been confirmed by its software update information that it recently posted.

This is fortunate for owners of the Galaxy Nexus as it means that the update is available to manually install. We warn those who are not adept at installing software to wait for the OTA update, it’s a much safer, more reliable method.

First things first. Owners will want to be sure that they are on stock Android 4.1.1, build JRO03O. If not, this process will not work properly.

There are a number of ways to install this update. For rooted users, the first step is to download the file to the phone and reboot into Recovery. To get there, turn the phone off and hold down both Volume Down and Volume Up buttons plus the Power button. Once in the menu, select Recovery. Once an exclamation point appears, hold down the Volume Up and Down buttons.

Once in Recovery, users will need to select the “Install zip from sdcard” and choose the file. The update will then install and the Verizon Galaxy Nexus should be up and running with the appropriate version of Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

For non-rooted users, the update will need to be installed through a sideloading method.

First, download the appropriate zip file from Google’s servers to a computer. Next, Galaxy Nexus owners will want to reboot the device into recovery (instructions above) and choose the “Apply update from adb” option. This can be found by pressing Volume Up and the Power Button when in Recovery. At this point, Galaxy Nexus owners will want to plug their device into their PC using a USB cable.

Using a command prompt on the PC, type in adb sideload [Insert Full Zip File Name Here] and the software should start loading up. Once it hits 100%, reboot the Galaxy Nexus and it will be running Android 4.2.2.

If none of this makes sense or seems difficult, it’s best to ignore it and wait for the OTA. For those that might be taking the plunge, this is certainly worth giving a try as it should bring Android 4.2 early.