Click to Skip Ad
Closing in...

How to get the Android Nougat upgrade, if your phone is worthy

Published Aug 22nd, 2016 1:43PM EDT
Android 7.0 Nougat Download
Image: YouTube

If you buy through a BGR link, we may earn an affiliate commission, helping support our expert product labs.

Android Nougat is available today! Well, sorta. Unlike rollouts of things like iOS or even Windows 10, Android updates happen over the course of months and years, not days. But starting today, a small number of lucky users can finally get their hands on the latest and greatest from Google.

Nexus devices should be seeing the upgrade as an over-the-air download today. Devices like the Nexus 6, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus 9, and Pixel C are all eligible for the upgrade. Google says that updates are delayed by carrier and region, so if you don’t see the update today, keep trying, as it should appear soon.

DON’T MISS: Samsung’s hot new Galaxy Note 7 still isn’t as fast as last year’s iPhone 6s

Android 7.0 Nougat brings much-needed updates like split-screen multitasking and better notifications, but a lot of the improvements we saw to Android and Google services at Google I/O don’t require the latest version of Android. The improved Google Assistant, for example, will run on any device that uses Google’s smart AI, and on-demand apps should be compatible with previous versions of Android.

To get the update is reasonable simple as a Nexus owner. Just ensure your device is backed up (because you always keep backups, right?), and head to Settings, scroll to the bottom, hit About phone, and check for downloads. If the download is available for your device, make sure you’re plugged in to a power source, and settle in for a download.

Chris Mills
Chris Mills News Editor

Chris Mills has been a news editor and writer for over 15 years, starting at Future Publishing, Gawker Media, and then BGR. He studied at McGill University in Quebec, Canada.