It is official that the next generation of the Android operating system will be called Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Google has released the final developer preview of Android 6.0 Marshmallow and here is how the OS can be installed on the Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 9 and Nexus Player.
Google has confirmed that the upcoming OS will be available by September's end, but thanks to Google making the developer preview available, some Nexus device owners will have the opportunity to check out the OS prior to its official release. Nexus device owners who are already on the developer preview 1 or 2 will get an over-the-air (OTA) update for preview 3.
Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 9 and Nexus Player owners who do not have developer preview 1 or 2 installed on their devices can go ahead and install preview 3 on their handsets directly.
Owners of the above-mentioned Nexus devices will have to download the ADB tools then unpack the zip file. Individual Nexus devices have a separate factory image that can be downloaded from the following links: Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 9 or Nexus Player.
The extracted ADB tools and factory image should be in the same folder. Users will have to start their device in fastboot mode. To activate fastboot mode, follow the steps below:
Step 1: Long press both the power button and the volume down button simultaneously.
Step 2: Once in fastboot mode, double click on the "flash-all.bat" file that runs a batch process.
Step 3: Your Nexus device will reboot automatically.
Step 4: A welcome page will appear indicating that your preview 3 of Android 6.0 Marshmallow is now installed successfully on your Nexus device.
It is recommended that users make a backup of their important files before installing preview 3 of the upcoming operating system. Ensure that your device has at least 50 percent charge prior to attempting the installation. It is advisable that only users who have knowledge of using factory images should attempt to install preview 3.
Considering Android 6.0 Marshmallow is a major update, several Android device owners would be keen on testing out the operating system. However, non-Nexus device owners will have to wait until the software is officially released.