How to start testing the Android 12 beta right now

Today, Google formally announced Android 12, which is packing some major UI changes in the form of Material You, in addition to some privacy enhancements, and other new features. Of course, along with that, the company also announced the Android 12 beta program, as it usually does at its I/O developer event.

This time around, Google is saying the beta program is available on devices from 11 different brands, which you can find here. We're going to be focusing on Google's Pixel devices, which are the easiest to setup for the beta program because beta builds are simply served as OTA updates instead of requiring you to flash a new build.

The Android 12 beta is supported on every Pixel phone from the Pixel 3 onward. Here's the full list of supported devices:

• Pixel 3
• Pixel 3 XL
• Pixel 3a
• Pixel 3a XL
• Pixel 4
• Pixel 4 XL
• Pixel 4a
• Pixel 4a (5G)
• Pixel 5

If you have one of these phones, you can simply follow these steps:

1. Go to the Android Beta Program website.
2. Scroll down to see your list of compatible devices and click Opt in. This will enable you to get OTA updates from the beta program.
3. Check for updates on your Pixel phone.

Should you choose to opt out of the beta program, you can head back into the page linked on point 1, and choose Opt out. You'll receive an update that reverts you back to a stable release, but keep in mind that this will delete all your data on the device, so you may want to think twice before joining the program.

If you don't have a Pixel phone, there are a handful of other brands that are part of the Android 12 beta program. Here's the full list of brands listed and the compatible phones from each one, along with links to the instructions for each one:

• ASUS - Zenfone 8
• OnePlus - OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro
• OPPO - Find X3 Pro
• Realme - Realme GT 5G
• Sharp - Coming soon
• Tecno - Camon 17
• TCL - TCL 20 Pro 5G
• Vivo - iQoo 7Legend
• Xiaomi - Mi 11, Mi 11 Ultra, Mi 11i, and Mi 11X Pro
• ZTE - ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G

Unlike Google's Pixel phones, most of these require a manual download and installation, and only after that will you be able to receive OTA updates from the program. Regardless, if you've got a curious mind, you can follow the instructions on each website to get started.

Update: Realme's website is now available, and the only phone compatible with the program at this time is the Chinese variant of the realme GT.