Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
TL; DR
- Android Canary 2604 rolled out this week for the Google Pixel 8 series and newer, but older Pixel users were left waiting.
- Google has confirmed that Android Canary 2604 is available for the Pixel 6 series, Pixel 7 series, Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet starting today.
- Although the latest Android Canary build is very experimental and should not be installed on mainstream devices, it adds a few changes for the user.
Google released the experimental April Android Canary build earlier this week, but only for select devices. The Initial release of Android Canary 2604 (ZP11.260320.007) OTA images are included for only the Google Pixel 8 series and newer, excluding the older Pixel 6 series, Pixel 7 series, Pixel Fold, and Pixel Tablet. At the time, Google said that OTA images for these devices would come later. Android Canary 2604 is now officially available for all eligible devices, including the Pixel 6 series and newer.
Google’s Mishaal Rahman announced the extended rollout for the latest Android Canary build post Friday, April 17 on X (formerly Twitter). Android Canary builds are highly experimentalthe initial release reflects Android APIs and behavior changes with kinks not yet worked out. So, it is not recommended that you install Android Canary 2604 on your primary device. Those waiting to safely test this new release on an older Pixel device like the Pixel 6 or Pixel 7 series can now do so.
Don’t want to miss out on the best Android Authority?
Be warned, however, that manually installing the Android Canary 2604 build will lock you into the Canary release channel for OTA updates. After switching to Canary, the only way to go back to the stable channel is to flash a regular Android 16 build, which requires a full data wipe.
Android Canary 2604 replaces the “No Notification” message in Android 17 Beta 3 with a new “You’re all set” greeting decorated with a trophy icon. It also minimizes app menus that pop up when you long-press their icons on the home screen. The initial menu has been condensed with a “Shortcuts” button that adds more options, and this menu now offers an “Actions” button that reveals additional features.
Note that this is not a build you need to install on the devices you depend on. Google official Android Canary 2604 announcement post Reddit acknowledges that some of these features are under active development and may encounter bugs or issues that may affect the use of your device.
The extended rollout of Android Canary 2604 makes it easy for those who want to experience the latest features and changes on older Pixel devices from the Pixel 8 series. Use it to install it Android Flash Tool flashing the latest Android Canary build (considering the risks). After a successful installation, subsequent Android Canary updates will arrive over the air.
Thank you for being a part of our community. Read our Comment Policy before deployment.
