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Google will now allow developers to roll their Pixel 6 devices back to Android 12

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Google recently released Android 13 for its Pixel handsets and if you recall, Pixel 6 devices that have updated will not be able to roll it back to Android 12. It looks like Google might have had a change of heart, at least as far as developers are concerned as the company has since released Developer Support images for the Pixel 6 devices.

The idea isn’t so much that Google wants to allow all Pixel 6 owners to roll their devices back to Android 12, but rather the company is giving developers a chance to roll their phones back to an earlier update so that they can test their apps on the phone without having to get a new one or use a different device with Android 12.

This is because whenever a new major update is released, there is a potential that some apps might not play nicely with different versions of Android, so giving developers the option to test it on both Android 13 and Android 12 could go a long way in ensuring compatibility. Also, seeing as it might take a while for other manufacturers to issue the Android 13 update, we expect that most devices will continue to run Android 12 for the foreseeable future.

That being said, Google’s Developer Support images page does note:

“A Pixel 6, 6 Pro, or 6a device that is running Android 13 can be rolled back to an Android 12 Developer Support image but can’t be rolled back to any other Android 12 images. A device that is running a Developer Support image can be flashed to the latest public build but can’t be flashed back to any previous Android 12 images.”

Google also warns that the Developer Support images aren’t intended for general use, so it might not be the best idea for you to try to roll your Android 13 Pixel 6 back to Android 12 using this method if you’re not happy with the latest update.

Source: XDA Developers

Tyler Lee
A graphic novelist wannabe. Amateur chef. Mechanical keyboard enthusiast. Writer of tech with over a decade of experience. Juggles between using a Mac and Windows PC, switches between iOS and Android, believes in the best of both worlds.

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