How to uninstall the Android 13 Developer Preview
With Google’s recent release of theAndroid 13 Developer Preview, it’s that time again for the adventurous users to try out an early build. As its name states, this preview release is mainly for developers, but anyone can install it on their Pixel device. Of course, as an unfinished product with potential user-facing bugs, many users will be looking for a way to go back to Android 12 soon enough. When you’re ready to return to a stable public build, this guide has everything you need to know about the installation process.
This guide involves unlocking your bootloader, which will result in a mandatory factory reset when. Before moving on, make sure to back up your Pixel device and keep any important files in a safe location.
Prepare your Pixel device in advance
Before you can uninstall the Android 13 Developer Preview, there are a few steps you need to take to prepare your Pixel. Rather than doing these at separate times, this section will have you do all the prep work at once to avoid any unnecessary steps later. To get started with the process, you can do the following:
EnablingDeveloper options,OEM unlocking, andUSB debuggingtakes care of all the prep work you need to do before moving on with this guide. We recommend using the Android Flash Tool to reinstall Android 12 since it takes care of everything for you. you could, however, choose to manually install it as well, but it requires a bit more effort to get up and running.
Reinstall Android 12 using the Android Flash Tool
This route is the easiest for most users because it’s all done on the web with a single tool. It walks you through the instructions for each step, is easy to use, and automates the installation process for you. If you’re looking for a no-fuss method to get back to a public build of Android without jumping through hoops, this is the option for you. To install Android 12 on your Pixel using the Android Flash Tool, you can do the following:
After your phone has connected successfully, it’s possible to search for the specific build you want to install through the Android Flash Tool. You’ll find the latest version for your device under thePublic releasessection. ClickBack to Public, and it’ll automatically select the newest one for you.
Since you’re reinstalling Android 12 from a higher system version, your device will need to go through a factory reset. TheWipe,Lock, andForce Flashoptions are all enabled by default, so you’ll want to leave these as they are. They tell the Flash Tool to factory reset your device, lock the bootloader, and overwrite all system files with Android 12. Once you’re ready to go, click theInstall buildbutton to continue.
Review your settings on the overview screen, then pressConfirmwhen you’re ready.
Accept the license agreement message that pops up by clickingI Accept.
Your phone will start preparing for the installation and reboot intoFastboot Modeas a part of that process. Click theReselect deviceoption in the Flash Tool, select your Pixel again, then hitConnect.
This is where theOEM unlockingfeature you enabled earlier comes into play — the bootloader needs to be unlocked before installing a factory image. When theUnlock Bootloaderscreen pops up, tap theStartbutton to begin the process.
Press one of the volume buttons on your Pixel to highlightUnlock the bootloader, then tap the power button to select it. This will unlock the bootloader and perform a factory reset simultaneously. You’ll reboot back toFastboot Modewith yourDevice statenow showing anunlockedstatus.
With the bootloader now unlocked, the installation process will automatically begin. It might take some time to download and install, so be patient while it overwrites Android 13 with the Android 12 system files.
Once the Flash Tool has finished, your device should automatically reboot to the Pixel welcome screen. You now have the latest version of Android 12! You can go through the initial setup process and restore your device to how it was before you installed the preview build.
How to reinstall Android 12 using a factory system image
Manually reinstalling Android 12 is not quite as simple as using the Android Flash Tool; however, the option is there for anyone who wants to go this route. The bootloader needs to be unlocked before installing a factory image, which results in a data wipe. Because of that, you’ll have to repeat a few steps later on, but it’s really not too bad. To reinstall Android 12 on your Pixel with a factory image, you may do the following:
On your computer, drag and drop all the contents from the Pixel system image folder to theplatform-toolsfolder. Theplatform-toolsfolder has the required ADB and Fastboot executables, allowing you to send the proper commands over to your phone.
Once the required files are in theplatform-toolsfolder, you can run theflash-allscript (.bat for Windows). It’ll start installing the entire system image for you, perform a factory reset, and then reboot automatically when it’s finished. You now have the latest version of Android 12! You can go through the initial setup process and restore your device to how it was before you installed the preview build.
If you had root access while testing Android 13, now is the time to grab theboot.imgfile and patch it through Magisk.
Now that you know how to reinstall Android 12 after testing the Android 13 preview build, you might be more interested in its future releases. Google will be launching a proper public beta for Android 13 soon, with more versions to follow in the coming months, so keep an eye on the news coverage. In the meantime, this early preview will have to do until we get our hands on the first official public beta of Android 13.
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