Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission.Learn more.
How to install Android 10 — a step by step guide
July 22, 2025
In August we learnedGoogle was rebranding its Android effort, and that included plans to ditch dessert names going forward. Today the latest version of Android finally moved out of beta, and as promised is now officially called simply Android 10. As you can imagine, Android 10 will take months to reach most devices but for lucky Pixel owners you can get in on the fun starting today. Below is a quick guide on how to install Android 10 on your Pixel.
Method 1: Download the OTA update
This is the easiest and generally preferred way to upgrade to Android 10, as you don’t have to reinstall anything.
To upgrade to Android 10 on your Pixel, head over to your phone’s settings menu, selectSystem,System update, thenCheck for update. If the over-the-air update is available for your Pixel, it should automatically download. Reboot your phone after the update has installed, and you’ll be running Android 10 in no time!
If you don’t want to wait for the OTA update or want a clean slate, we’ve got instructions for you on how to install Android 10 via factory images and OTA files.
Method 2: Flashing Android 10 on your device
Flashing Android 10 on your device takes more time and work than the OTA method. If you don’t want to install the over-the-air update for some reason, you can sideload the factory image or OTA file manually. Here’s how to do it:
Download the proper files
Google has already posted Android 10 factory images and OTA files for all four Pixel phones. You’ll need to download the proper file for your device before you get started.
Here’s what you need to get started:
Unlocking your phone’s bootloader
Now let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. The first thing you have to do is unlock your phone’s bootloader by following the step-by-step instructions below. It’s easy to do and does not require lots of technical knowledge. Unlocking the bootloader will wipe all the data off your device, so make sure you back it up first.
Step-by-step instructions:
Flash Android 10 on your Pixel device
Flashing Android 10 on your smartphone is pretty straightforward, but you can still run into problems if you don’t carefully follow the instructions listed below.
What if the Flash-all method didn’t work?
For whatever reason, not everyone has luck with the Flash-all scripts. If they fail for you, there’s another way. It’s actually pretty simple. First, verify you are still in the proper bootloader state and connected to your PC. On your PC you’ll want to type the following:
Returning to Android Pie is easy as… pie
Something went wrong installing Android 10 or ran into an unexpected issue? While it’s better to have the latest version of Android possible, if you do run into an issue the good news is going back to Android Pie is simple. Essentially follow the same flashing steps above, but this time you don’t need to unlock the bootloader and you’ll simply use aPie factory image.
Thank you for being part of our community. Read ourComment Policybefore posting.
