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Android Nougat: Here's where to get the upgrade for your Nexus

Google has released files that some Nexus owners can use to flash their devices with Android Nougat 7.0.
Written by Liam Tung, Contributing Writer
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Google has released the Android Nougat factory images for handsets including the Nexus 5X. (Image: Josh Miller/CNET)

If you want to upgrade your Nexus handset to Android Nougat, you may be in luck.

Google has posted the files needed to upgrade various Nexus handsets to the latest release of the mobile OS.

While most Nexus owners should receive an over-the-air update to Nougat in the coming weeks, anyone keen to try out Nougat's new multitasking and other features sooner can shortcut the process by downloading the files from Google's developer site and manually installing them.

Nexus owners can choose between two types of files to install Nougat: the full factory images, which restore the Nexus to its original factory firmware and require a device wipe, or the OTA update binary image files, which don't require a wipe.

The first Nexus handset that the Nougat files are available for is the Nexus 5X (Image/OTA), while the equivalent files for the Nexus 6P and Nexus 6 are coming soon. Also available are the files for Pixel C (Image/OTA), the Nexus 9 Wi-Fi model (Image/OTA), and the Nexus Player (Image/OTA).

If you own a Nexus 5 or Nexus 7 2013 model, this Android version update will not be available.

For supported Nexus devices, the other way to shortcut the wait time is by enrolling the device in Google's beta program, which gives access to the developer preview version of the OS. ZDNet's instructions for how to safely do that are available here.

While Nexus owners can expect to get Google's latest improvements to Android in the coming weeks, it likely will take several months for Android handset makers to release the update to all other handsets.

The first new non-Nexus phone that will ship with Nougat is LG's V20. Prolific mobile leaker Evan Blass posted an image of the device on Twitter this week. Fans won't have to wait that much longer for a glimpse, however, with the launch event set for September 6 in San Francisco, though LG hasn't said when the device will be available.

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