Google has quietly confirmed that Android 15 is launching in October

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL review back handheld
The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Usually a new flagship Pixel phone would launch with a new version of Android, but this year Google did things differently, launching the Pixel 9 series earlier in the year than is typical for its new flagship phones.

And as for Android 15? Well, we’re still waiting for that. But the company has now at least revealed the month during which this software update will roll out.

As spotted by Android Authority, Google has now updated the release notes for the Android Beta Exit update, which is what users who choose to exit the Android 15 beta will see, and at the top of those release notes is a line stating that that Android 15 will be available in October.

Since these are official Google release notes we can take this as confirmation that this is when Android 15 will land, even though it’s an oddly low-key way for Google to make such a major announcement.

A screenshot of the release notes for the Android 15 beta exit

(Image credit: Google / Android Authority)

A one-month window

The notes don’t get more specific, so we don’t know exactly when in October the finished version of Android 15 will roll out, but Android Authority has heard from a source that Android 15 may roll out around the middle of the month.

So we could still be looking at quite a long wait, and even when it does roll out it will initially only land on Pixel phones, with other manufacturers having to prepare their own versions of Android 15 for their devices.

So if you own a Samsung, OnePlus, or other brand of Android phone, then you could be waiting weeks beyond that, or even longer in some cases.

Still, hopefully the Android 15 update will be worth the wait. Based on betas and leaks, it could include things like a battery health percentage, lock-screen widgets, a Private Space to hide sensitive apps, support for Bluetooth Auracast, and a whole lot more.

So it could breathe new life into aging Android phones, and should even be a desirable update for brand-new handsets like the Google Pixel 9 Pro.

You might also like

TOPICS

James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.

Read more
Android 16 logo on a phone
Android 16 will bring these 5 upgrades to your phone – including one I can’t wait to try out
Android 16 logo on a phone
Android 16 Beta 3 has arrived – here are the 4 features I think will be the most useful
Android 16 logo on a phone
The first Android 16 beta could land today – with a big change for your notifications
Android 16 logo on a phone
The first Android 16 public beta is here – and it borrows a key iOS feature
The Oppo Find N5 open to Google Maps
Android 16 brings a much-needed upgrade to Google Maps that iOS users already have
Google Pixel 9 Pro
Google Pixel 10 model number leak hints that the next Google flagship is on the way
Latest in Android
Android 16 logo on a phone
Android 16 Beta 3 has arrived – here are the 4 features I think will be the most useful
Google Pixel 9
Android 16 could bring an improved Samsung DeX-style desktop mode to more phones
Android 16 logo on a phone
Android 16 beta users are reporting major battery drain issues – but I’m not too worried about it
The Oppo Find N5 open to Google Maps
Android 16 brings a much-needed upgrade to Google Maps that iOS users already have
A hand holding a phone showing the Android Find My Device network
Android's Find My Device can now let you track your friends – and I can't decide if that's cool or creepy
Android 15 logo on a phone, in a hand
Google is working on its own version of Apple’s Hide My Email, and you might soon be able to try it yourself
Latest in News
Google Pixel 8a in aloe green showing
Google Pixel 9a benchmark link teases the performance of the upcoming mid-ranger
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Monday, March 17 (game #1148)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, March 17 (game #379)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, March 17 (game #645)
Apple iPhone 16 Pro HANDS ON
Leaked iPhone 17 dummy units may have given us our best look yet at all four models
A super close up image of the Google Gemini app in the Play Store
It's official: Google Assistant will be retired for phones this year, with Gemini taking over