With the release of its first over-the-air software update, the Pixel 6a is now eligible to be enrolled in the Android 13 Beta.

“We have provided the first security update for Pixel 6a,” a Google support document explains. “The rollout begins today and will continue over the next week in phases, depending on carrier networks. Users will receive a notification once the OTA becomes available for their device.”

This so-called “day one” update elevates the Pixel 6a from the April 2022 security update level to the June 2022 security update level. But there’s a hidden side-benefit, too: once you’ve updated your Pixel 6a, you can enroll it in the Android 13 Beta, which is now at the near-final 4.1 milestone. Doing so will give you whatever interim beta updates appear and then you’ll move on to the final release as soon as that’s available.

Should you? Well, based on my admittedly limited experience with the Android 13 Beta on my Pixel 6 Pro and what I’ve read online, it appears that Android 13 is now stable enough for mainstream use. And as noted, it is feature complete, so what you see here now is what you’ll get when the final release appears, possibly as soon as later this month. If you’re interested in testing Android 13, head over to the Android Developer website and enroll your phone.

The other side-note here is that Google was supposed to deliver the August 2022 security updates for all supported Pixels, including the Pixel 6a, on August 1, but it has delayed that release for unspecified reasons.

Tagged with Android 13, Google Pixel, Pixel 6a