You’ve been waiting for it, and Google finally delivered it: Android 7.0 Nougat is here, which means you can install the first stable release version on your Nexus device, provided it’s still supported. We already told you how to do it, but what if the update isn’t available for you yet as an OTA download? There are things you can do to grab the download right away, rather than waiting for Google to push it out to your device.
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First things first: you need to have a Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus 6, Nexus 9, Pixel C Tablet, General Mobile 4G, or Nexus Player at hand to get the job done. Older Nexus hardware, such as the Nexus 5 and aging Nexus 7, won’t do.
If you’re already on the Android N developer preview, then you’re going to find that update waiting for you – and we already told you how to get it. However, if you’ve stayed about from betas before, now’s the time to join the program. And since you waited, you get access to Android 7.0 right away rather than having to take your place in line for future Android 7.x beta releases.
As The Verge points out, registering for beta access should get you almost instant access to Nougat – Google does say it’ll take up to 24 hours, but you’ll really only have to wait a few minutes.
This certainly appears to be the fastest way to push the update to your device. If for some reason you don’t want to go through the beta signup, you can install the update manually. Android Police says the full disk images for most supported devices (Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Pixel C, Nexus 9 Wi-Fi) are already up and can be downloaded for manual installs right away. This method applies to Android veterans, so proceed with care by following the links available here. The best route is still signing up for the beta.
Google did say that it might take up to two weeks for the Nougat release to reach all compatible devices over-the-air (OTA), but there’s no point waiting, is there?
Regardless of which path you take, make sure you backup your device first before proceeding with the installation. Also, you’ll want to keep the device plugged in and perform the download over a Wi-Fi stable connection if you decide to go with an OTA updates.
