Google inadvertently confirms Android 15 for Pixels will release in October

Key Takeaways

• Google unexpectedly released Pixel 9 with Android 14, not Android 15, which will roll out in October per the updated Android Beta Exit OTA release notes.
• To stay on Android 15 beta, ignore the OTA downgrade to Android 14 until it is officially released in October.
• Google seemingly delayed Android 15's launch to improve the platform's stability.

Google has always launched a new version of Android alongside its flagship Pixel phones. But it bucked the trend this year, releasing the Pixel 9 early, running the 10-month-old Android 14 instead. This is despite Android 15 being in public beta testing since April 2024, and based on Google's release schedule, the OS should be ready for its public launch. A recent report suggested that Android 15 is not coming until October. Now, Google has inadvertently confirmed when Android 15 will be available to the public.

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Android expert Mishaal Rahman for Android Authority spotted that Google has updated the release notes for the Android Beta Exit OTA that will downgrade your Pixel to Android 14. It now explicitly says that Android 15 will be released in October.

If you are waiting for the Android 15 stable update, please ignore this OTA till Android 15 is available in October.

This timeline will help you decide whether to continue running the Android 15 beta on your Pixel or down back to the stable Android 14 release. If you choose the former, you must ignore the Android Beta Exit OTA update prompt on your Pixel for the next 1.5 months.

Source: Android Authority

It's surprising and unclear why Google suddenly updated the release notes for the Android 14 downgrade OTA to reveal Android 15's public release date.

Google reportedly did not launch Android 15 with the Pixel 9 series in August as it wanted to focus on platform stability. Major new Android builds are typically buggy at launch, which Google wants to avoid with Android 15 this year. So, to ensure a smoother release, the company is taking additional time to squash all the bugs.

Android 15 source code might drop next week

Google will seemingly push Android 15's source code to AOSP as soon as September 3, 2024. This will make the nearly month-long delay in releasing the final OTA to Pixel phones in October even more puzzling.

Based on Google's previous release timeframe for Android builds and monthly security patches, Android 15 should drop on October 7. The company typically pushes new security patches and updates for Pixel devices on the first Monday of every month. However, one of Mishaal's sources claimed the update might not roll out until the middle of October.