ByAndrew Martonik Monday, Mar 6, 2017 at 2:38 pm EST
You can now get up to the latest software without waiting for an over-the-air update.
In keeping with its regular cadence of releasing full software builds for its latest devices, Google has updated its factory image page to include Android 7.1.1 builds with the March 2017 security patch for its latest phones and tablets.
The latest images are available for the Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel C, Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6 and Nexus 9. You may also recall that this will be the final full platform update for the Nexus 6 , with only security patches coming to the phone going forward until its support is ended.
These full images are extremely useful if you've flashed a custom ROM on your phone, or perhaps haven't used it in a while and want to skip through OTA updates and just hit the latest software all in one step. In the most common use case, it can also be used to just update to the latest software release rather than waiting for the software to arrive automatically.
No matter the case, we have a great guide to manually updating your Nexus or Pixel , including step-by-step instructions for bringing your phone or tablet to its latest version. Remember that using a factory image doesn't have to wipe your phone, either ― we show you how at the link above.
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