Android 11 release date: When can you expect it to launch?

Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

Google released the first Android 11 beta on June 10, 2020. We've been digging into that release for about a month, and going hands-on with all the new features. Today, July 8, Google is releasing Android 11 Beta 2 for Pixel 2, 3, 3a, and 4 devices.

There's surprisingly a lot to dig into considering these are very early builds of the OS. However, if you don't want to install the Android 11 preview on your phone just yet, we wouldn't blame you. These are very early builds, so you'll likely run into bugs and performance issues.

So, you're probably wondering when the official, consumer-ready Android 11 release date is happening. Google has outlined the four developer previews and three Android 11 beta builds that it expects to release over the coming months. Check out the details below:

• Developer preview 1: Early baseline build focused on developer feedback, with new features, APIs, and behavior changes.
  • Launched: February 19, 2020
• Developer preview 1.1: Early maintenance update with bug fixes and performance improvements based on feedback thus far.
  • Launched: March 4, 2020
• Developer preview 2: Incremental update with additional features, APIs, and behavior changes.
  • Launched: March 18, 2020
• Developer preview 2.1: Early maintenance update with bug fixes and performance improvements based on feedback thus far.
  • Launched: April 2, 2020
• Developer preview 3: Incremental update for stability and performance.
  • Launched: April 23, 2020
• Developer preview 4: Incremental update for stability and performance.
  • Launched: May 6, 2020
• Beta 1: Initial beta-quality release, over-the-air update to early adopters who enroll in Android Beta. Play publishing opens.
  • Launched: June 10, 2020
• Beta 1.5: Early maintenance update with bug fixes and performance improvements based on feedback thus far.
  • Launched: June 17, 2020
• Beta 2: Platform Stability milestone. Final APIs and behaviors.
  • Launched: July 8, 2020
• Beta 3: Release candidate build.
  • Expected launch date: Early August, 2020
• Final release: Android 11 release to AOSP and ecosystem.
  • Expected launch date: September 8, 2020

If you aren't a developer and don't want to install the full preview on your device using your computer, we've got some good news. The more stable Android 11 beta 2 is finally here, and it's incredibly easy to install. Head here and enroll in the Android Beta Program if you have a Pixel 2-4, and you'll receive an OTA update soon afterwards. Or, you can use Google's handy new Android Flash Tool on the web to sideload it from your computer.

You'll notice in the list above that the Android 11 Beta 2 contains something called a Platform Stability milestone. Google says it wants developers to use this milestone as a target for planning final compatibility testing. By this point, Android 11 has reached final internal and external APIs, final app behaviors, and final non-SDK graylists.

What about the official, consumer-ready Android 11 release date? Google may have accidentally leaked the official Android 11 release date in its Smart Home Summit video on YouTube. According to a Google exec, we can expect the Android 11 release date to be September 8, 2020. This fits in with Google's projected timeline for its Android 11 releases, though Google has yet to comment on the leak.

Google has provided a rough Android 11 release date timeline:

Next: Android 11 hands-on: Should you install it?

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