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No place left at the Android 7.0 Nougat beta table for your Galaxy S7? Here's how to sideload it

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By Daniel Petrov

Updated: Nov 11, 2016, 9:21 AM

No place left at the Android 7.0 Nougat beta table for your Galaxy S7? Here's how to sideload it

Samsung made the S7 and S7 edge Nougat beta official through the Galaxy Beta Program app the other day, expanding the countries that will dole out the sweet desert from its servers to U.S., U.K., and, shortly, China.

There are caveats, of course - in the UK, the beta will be available only on "a non-operator locked device or have purchased an open market version," and overall it will be distributed on a first-come-first-served basis, so no need to hurry up, the invites might have been taken already. Ditto for the US. Fret not, though, as you can sideload the thing with minimum trouble - no need for root, TWRP, etc. - following the steps below.

Needless to say, this is still a pre-release version, so there might be more bugs and freezes than usual, but the new Samsung UX version with a lot of features brought over from the Note 7, and a lot more visual polish, seems worth the troubles. Here's what you need to do to get it if you have the G930F model (for some carrier models the Nougat beta will arrive today or over the weekend as you can see in the screenshot on the right):

1. First and most important order of business - go to the "Lock screen and security" settings, and set up a PIN number! You will be asked for one on first reboot after the official Nougat firmware is installed. Go to Settings > Lock screen and security > Secure startup > Require PIN when device powers on;

2. Download and extract Samsung's firmware upgrade Odin software, v3.11.1;

3. Download the Android 7.0 Nougat beta firmware for your Galaxy S7 G930F model;

4. Press and hold Home + Power + Volume Down buttons to enter download mode on your phone;

5. Start Odin on your computer, and connect the phone to it until you get the blue sign in Odin;

6. In Odin, add the respective firmware files in the slots on the right, and make sure the Re-partition box on the left isn't checked;

7. Click start, and wait for the firmware upgrade, then enter the PIN from step 1 upon reboot.

source: henklbr (XDA-Devs)

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena from 2010 to 2025, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.