latest
10 years ago, Google launched the 2nd-gen Nexus 7, and no tablet has captured its magic since
An elegant tablet from a more civilized age
Ten years ago today, Google released the 2nd-generation Nexus 7, just days after a surprise announcement. Back then, Android tablets still felt fresh and exciting. It seemed like anything was possible, and things could only improve from there. Well, we know what happened next. But the depressing state of the tablet market to come was in no way the fault of the Nexus 7. In fact, this is still one of the best Android tablets ever made, and it's worth looking back and showing it the honor and respect it deserves.
Unofficial LineageOS 19.1 breathes new life into your old Nexus 7 with Android 12L
Give your 2013 tablet a taste of 2022
Right now, Android is enjoying something of a tablet renaissance. Android 12L has been out for a couple of weeks now, and it's all about placing an emphasis on large-screen devices. We've seen what it can do for tablets like the Lenovo Tab P12 Pro, but wouldn't it be great if it could also breathe new life into older devices? That's just what one custom ROM project is doing, and if you held on to your old Nexus 7 2013, you can now check out Android 12L with the help of an unofficial LineageOS 19.1 release.
Out with the old, in with the new: LineageOS cut support for Android 9 Pie earlier this year, and to make up for the loss, the open-source project has just released version 18.1 based on Android 11. It comes with official support for about 60 phones and tablets.
LineageOS 17.1 adds support for OnePlus Nord, 2013 Nexus 7, and more
The Android 10-based custom ROM rolls out to more devices
LineageOS is the most popular custom ROM around, and for good reason. It has extended the life of many phones and tablets that would have otherwise been abandoned, and even for phones still receiving software updates from the original manufacturer, Lineage can sometimes work better than the stock software. Since our last roundup, LineageOS 17.1 has arrived on eight more devices, including the OnePlus Nord and 2013 Google Nexus 7.
LineageOS is one of the most popular custom ROMs available, with somewhere around two million active installations. It typically takes a while for the project to update to newer versions of Android, since development is largely done by maintainers in their spare time. Six months after the public release of Android 9 Pie, it looks like LineageOS is about ready to make the jump — but not before dropping older devices.
The LineageOS custom ROM used to support just about every phone imaginable, but lately the project has been going for quality over quantity. Oreo (15.1) builds have to fulfill stricter requirements to receive official status, and now Lineage is dropping support for 30 unmaintained phones and tablets.
Google has started rolling out the latest round of monthly patches for Nexus devices (and the Pixel C). Maybe you've got that nagging OTA notification on your phone, or maybe you only wish you were so lucky. If you need to update and the factory images are no good, we've got all the OTAs right here. If you want to know what's in this update, check out our full rundown.
The latest factory images and OTA ZIPs bringing July's security patches to Nexus devices are ready for download. Thing is, those files are beefy, and they can take a while to download. Want to take a quicker route? Try downloading an incremental OTA ZIP instead.
Read update
Google formalized the update guarantee for Nexus devices last year in the wake of the Stage Fright vulnerability, but now it's gone a step further by listing the approximate end-of-life (EOL) dates on its support site. Google added this data at some point in the last few weeks, but it has only now been noticed.
June's Android security updates started rolling out earlier this week, but you could still be waiting for them if they're going out in batches. Those of you who are too impatient can get the full factory image and flash it or download the smaller OTA files linked here and sideload them. Cody already posted the detailed changelog if you want to read about all the changes, but if you're just interested in the links, here they are.
Right on schedule on the first Monday of the month, Google's latest security updates for Nexus devices have arrived. Both factory images and OTA update zips for June 2016 are available for the following devices, Android version 6.0.1, listed below with build numbers for your convenience.
This month's Android security updates are rolling out, but they may be taking their time to get to your device. If you're too impatient, you can grab the full factory image and flash it or you can just download these smaller OTA files and sideload them. Here are the links you need and if you want to see the changelog before you head out, we've got you covered as well.
The April Android updates are rolling out, but as usual, they are doing so in waves. If you don't want to wait, you can grab the OTA file and sideload it. Where can you find such a thing? We've got all the OTA links right below.
[Update: Nexus 6] [Flash All The Things] Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow Nexus And Android One OTA Roundup
Google is rolling out Android 6.0.1 with some tweaks to do-not-disturb, new LTE bands, and a ton of new emoji. Getting tired of waiting? You could wait for days (or weeks!) to get the OTA on your device the old-fashioned way, or you can just grab the ZIP files from the URLs below. We'll update with new OTA files as we find the URLs, so check back often if your device isn't listed yet.
If you're on Android 6.0 and use the share menu regularly, you may have encountered a rather annoying issue with Android's Direct Share feature. The issue arises when the share dialog pops open and the direct share contacts don't load immediately. Instead, the UI loads, you go to tap what you want, and suddenly the direct share contacts appear and all the app share links get pushed down out of view. See the animations below for the Android 6.0 and 6.0.1 behaviors side by side - the broken version is on the left.
I love my Nexus 7 2013. I bought it the day it was released in the US, shipped it over to Lebanon, and have used it daily ever since I received it. I find it to be the perfect size for reading and browsing, especially if you like holding your tablets with one hand. (I walk around reading on mine, I'm a bit weird like that.) The build quality also makes it awesome to throw on a bed or sofa without worrying about something getting loose or broken inside. It's also recently got Marshmallow, which makes it more up to date than most tablets out there.
Android 6.0.1 factory images are now available for the Nexus 5, 5X, 6, 6P, 7 (and 7 w/ mobile data), 9 (and 9 LTE), and Player - you can find them here. Included in the new update are many, many emoji characters, and there's a good breakdown on just which ones are new over at Ars Technica.