The Nexus beta program

Want new features before everyone else? Nexus ships prerelease builds on a Beta channel. No sign-up: install a beta from the Beta section of the download page, or switch an existing install from inside the app.

What the beta channel is

Nexus has two update channels:

  • Production is the stable release. This is the default.
  • Beta gives you the latest features early, if you're feeling brave.

Beta builds are numbered like v3.1.0-beta.1, v3.1.0-beta.2, and so on: prereleases of the next stable version. The beta channel only ever installs beta builds, and the production channel only stable versions. The download page offers production by default, with the beta builds below it.

There is no fixed beta release schedule; betas ship as features become ready for wider testing.

How to join

Either way works:

  • New install: download a beta from the Beta section of the download page. A beta install stays on the Beta channel and keeps updating to betas.
  • Existing install: open Settings > Software updates and set Update channel to Beta. Nexus shows the beta version it will install; confirm, and it downloads and installs it right away.

Every update download is verified against the release's published SHA-256 hash before installing, same as stable.

How to leave

Open Settings > Software updates and set Update channel back to Production. Nexus installs the newest stable version, which can be older than your current beta, and stays on the stable track from then on. Switching in either direction installs the other track's latest version.

What to expect

Beta builds are real release candidates, built and published through the same pipeline as stable releases. But they exist to find problems before production does: expect occasional rough edges, and keep the update channel on Production on any machine where you can't tolerate them.

Help us make it better

Beta feedback is the whole point. If something breaks or feels off:

Include your exact version (e.g. v3.1.0-beta.2, shown in the About screen) and, for hardware issues, the support bundle from the Diagnostics page.