Last night, roughly two weeks after the Nexus 5's release, Google announced the first round of KitKat updates for the Nexus 10 and 2012/2013 Nexus 7. While most of us are still waiting our turn, maniacally mashing the Check for updates button, the over-the-air update url has been discovered.

That means you can easily flash the 243MB KRT16O Android 4.4 build right now without waiting any further, no matter what your rooting/bootloader situation is. Of course, if you've modified the system partition in such a way that the OTA won't apply cleanly anymore, you have to either revert those changes or wait for the factory image.

Update #1: The latest Nova Launcher beta enables transparency and works like a charm:

Update #2: How To Try The Google Experience Launcher With Translucent Bars And Google Now Once You Get Your KitKat Update [APK Download].

[disclaimer1]

Prerequisites

In order to complete the steps below, you need to have the Android SDK installed. The SDK contains the latest version of adb and fastboot, which you will need for flashing. You will also need a MicroUSB cable to execute adb sideload, fastboot flash, and other commands. You don't need a USB cable if you're just planning to download the OTA zip directly to your device and flash it from recovery.

You must be running Android 4.3 JSS15R for this OTA to work.

Download

Download signed-razor-KRT16O-from-JSS15R:

Install

Note: This method, just like the native OTA update procedure, does not wipe your data.

Note: If you're using SuperSU v1.69 with OTA Survival enabled, you need to disable it first, otherwise the update may not flash.

adb sideload the zip you downloaded above by following my earlier guide here. If something fails, try to fix it by restoring the system files you've changed or wait for the factory image.

Here's what you should expect to see if you're using the fine TWRP recovery:

And now that you've flashed yourself some KitKat, go read up on what's new and enjoy!

Rooting

Rooting a Nexus 7 is very easy but requires an unlocked bootloader and a custom recovery. I recommend using TWRP.

  1. Flash TWRP from here (fastboot flash recovery FILENAME.img).
  2. Reboot into recovery (adb reboot recovery or hold Power+VolDn, then select Recovery).
  3. Flash the latest version of SuperSU.
  4. You should be rooted.

Thanks, @kholmqvist88 and @WinDroidGuy!