9 Things to Do Before Installing the Galaxy S9 Android Pie Beta

The Samsung Galaxy Android Pie beta is live and if you plan on trying it on your Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S9+, there are some things you should do before installing it.

Samsung’s confirmed an Android Pie and One UI beta for the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. The beta’s now live in South Korea, the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

The Galaxy S9’s Android Pie beta will also hit China, France, India, Poland, and Spain in the near future as Samsung ramps up testing ahead of the final release in January.

The Galaxy S9 Pie beta lets users try Samsung’s new user interface before the official roll out next year. It also gives Galaxy S9 users a chance to help Samsung find bugs and problems with the firmware.

Samsung’s Galaxy Pie beta is free for anyone in these regions though you’ll need to signup and enroll your device before you’re able to download it.

The beta is exciting, but testing early software isn’t for everyone. Samsung’s new software comes with a bunch of performance problems and bugs.

Some of the bugs are unavoidable, but spending some time prepping for the beta could help you cut down on the amount of issues you see at launch.

In this guide we’ll take you through some things you can do before you download the Android Pie beta on your Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S9+.

Backup Your Data

If you plan on trying the Android Pie beta on your Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S9+ you’ll want to make sure you backup all of your important files.

Samsung always notes that unexpected data loss can occur during the beta program. If you store important irreplaceable files on your phone, you’ll want to make sure your data is backed up properly before you transition from Oreo to Pie.

This is extremely easy to do. If you haven’t already, you’ll want to install Samsung’s Smart Switch onto your PC. The process could take some time depending on how much data you store on your device.

The Smart Switch app backs up your device’s SMS messages, home screen settings, Settings, call logs, applications, photos and videos, documents, and more.

You can also use the company’s Samsung Cloud solution to back up your data. To access Samsung Cloud, head into your device’s Settings > Cloud and Accounts. If you don’t have a Samsung account you’ll need to create one.

There are also a bunch of solid third-party apps out there. Super Backup & Restore is one of our favorites, but check the Google Play Store for others.

Free Up Space

If you plan on installing the Galaxy S9 Android Pie beta you’ll need some free space available on your device’s storage.

It looks like the Galaxy S9 Android Pie update needs between 1.6GB and 1.8GB of free space to install. If you don’t have that kind of space available, you’ll need to delete files you no longer need to make room.

Charge Your Phone

Make sure your device is at least 20% charged (we recommend 50%) before you start the installation.

Update Your Apps

Samsung’s beta software often clashes with first and third-party applications. This is why you’ll want to keep an eye out for Android Pie support updates from Samsung and updates from third-party developers. They could help keep you sane.

Last year, Samsung recommended updating Samsung Pay, Samsung Internet, Samsung Notes, Email, and other first-party apps before moving to its Oreo beta. We recommend doing the same thing this time around as well.

The same goes for the third-party apps you use on your phone. While some third-party apps will work fine with the beta, others might crash or lag more than usual. Installing the latest bug fixes could help.

If you depend on your apps to get you through a day of work or class, you might want to avoid the Galaxy S9 Oreo beta because it could be more trouble than it’s worth.

Have Your Login Info Handy

Make sure you track down all of your login information. This way you aren’t scrambling when you go to install.

First off, you’ll need a Samsung account to join the Galaxy S9’s Android Pie beta. If you don’t have a Samsung account, you can create a new one on Samsung’s website.

Creating an account only takes a few minutes and you’ll need it when you go to sign up for the beta via Samsung+ or the Samsung Members app.

After you install the beta on your phone, there’s a chance that the process logged you out of some, or all, of your applications and services.

Make sure you know all of your passwords and logins before you install the beta on your phone. Otherwise, you might have to waste a bunch of time tracking down or resetting your login info to get back into your important apps and services.

Bookmark Fixes

This is a beta which means there’s a very good chance you encounter bugs or performance issues during your time with the software. There’s no telling what you’ll run into so it’s important to get familiar with fixes for the most common software problems.

We’ve put together a running list of fixes for the most common Galaxy S9 beta problems. Our list addresses abnormal battery drain, Wi-Fi problems, Bluetooth issues, and performance issues. Bookmark that page if you need to.

XDA-Developers is another solid resource and Samsung’s Beta Community, located inside the Samsung+/Samsung Members apps, is another place to find help.

It’s also where you’ll want to report issues with the Android Pie beta.

Learn How to Downgrade

If you run into unshakeable problems while running the Galaxy S9 Android Pie beta, you can downgrade back to an official version of Android. Make sure you’re comfortable with this process before you hit download.

Samsung’s Beta FAQ goes over the downgrade process and it’s worth a look right now if you’ve never tried a Galaxy beta update and/or you’ve never downgraded to another version of Android before.

The company says you’ll be able to recover the data you backed up before the beta, but that “there may be limitations in recovering data that was created after installing the beta software.”

Get Familiar with One UI & Pie

Get acquainted with Android Pie and the One UI before you install. Some of you might decide that it’s not worth the trouble.

We’ve put together a guide that will take you through the known changes in the beta which include a brand new Night Mode and various UI tweaks.

You can also take a look at the most, and least, exciting Galaxy S9 Android Pie info in our guide below.

Dig Into Feedback from Beta Users

If you’re feeling leery, you’ll want to dig into feedback from beta testers before moving your Galaxy S9 from Android Oreo to Android Pie.

Again, this is early software and it has problems. Some of these are minor bugs, others could have a huge impact on your phone’s performance.

Before you jump into the beta, look for feedback from beta testers. This feedback will alert you to potential bugs and problems. It’ll also alert you to potential benefits.

You can find feedback on social media sites like Twitter, YouTube, XDA-Developers, and inside the Samsung Members/Samsung+ apps.

Install the Galaxy S9 Pie Beta to Help Samsung

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Trying new features before they're officially released is fun, but your testing will help Samsung improve Android Pie's performance for many others.  If you're sick and tired of dealing with Android problems on your device, think about trying the Android 9.0/One UI beta on your phone. Your testing could help Samsung's engineers squash bugs and major performance issues before the official version is released to millions of Galaxy users in January.  Reporting bugs is extremely easy and your feedback, no matter how small, could help the company provide a much better experience for all Galaxy S9 users come January.  To send feedback about the Android Pie beta, you need to launch the Samsung+/Samsung Members and post your bug report(s) under the appropriate menu. It only takes a few minutes and it could have a huge impact on the quality of Samsung's new operating system.

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