Update #2: The General Mobile 4G Android One device has been added to the list of devices that can run the Android Beta Program. Update: The Android Beta Program is now open! Aren’t interested in manually flashing your device, but are still interested in trying out the new Android N preview? By heading to the link attached below, you can simply select which of your compatible devices you’d like to have access to the Beta Program, and that’s it. Once you press the Enroll button, an OTA should be sent out to your device in just a few minutes. Like we told you earlier, there are a plethora of known issues with the preview so far, so download this early build at your discretion. Sign up for the Android Beta Program

Original post: Google just dropped a bomb on us: a very early preview of Android N has just been launched, and we’re now scrambling to wrap our heads around everything. For now, we have a high-level look at Android N (still unnamed), but one other very cool bit of info that surfaced is the launch of an Android Beta Program.

The Android Beta Program will allow users who are interested in trying out Android N preview to receive over-the-air updates for every preview release, just like they would get any other update. Up until now, users who wanted to test various preview releases had to flash each image separately; the new Beta eliminates the friction.

To be clear, Android Beta Program is meant for developers only – in fact, Google warned that the program is meant for “adventurous developers” and that it recommends testers to install the Beta on a secondary device. That means that, should you take the plunge, you should expect a fair share of bugs and other issues, potentially including some that could render your device unusable.

We won’t know for sure how stable N preview is until we install it on our devices later today, but we don’t recommend getting onboard unless you’re comfortable with the risks of running beta software.

Here’s how it works, as per Google:

To enroll in the program visit the Android Beta Program site. You’ll see all of the devices registered to your account that are eligible to enroll in Android Beta. Choose the devices you want to receive the Android N updates

Click Enroll, read and agree to the terms of service, and then click OK

Once you’ve enrolled, your device will soon receive an update. In most cases, you will not need to do a full reset of your data to move to Android N, but it’s recommended that you back up any data you don’t want to lose before enrolling the device. As updates are delivered to your device, we recommend downloading and installing them as soon as possible. You’ll want to stay current with the latest changes in system UI, behavior, APIs, and features. At the conclusion of the Developer Preview, your enrolled devices will receive an update to the official Android N release. You can un-enroll your devices from the Android Beta program at any time from the Android Beta site. Before un-enrolling, make sure to back-up your data on the device.

The regular method of installing Android N will remain available. Factory images for Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6, Nexus 9 (LTE), Nexus Player and Pixel C are already available here.

Google said that the Android Beta Program will go live later today. For now, the link to the program page returns a 404 error, but we will update this post as soon as it becomes available.

Thoughts on Android Beta?