How to: HMD Skyline Android 15 trick

Several HMD Skyline owners have received the Android 15 update, which has so far been released only in Finland. They used an old trick to get the update, which involves clearing some location data and using a VPN app.

I tried to do it but wasn’t successful until recently, as I had forgotten about a post I wrote back in 2022 on how to get updates. 🙂 You can read it here, but I’ll briefly explain how to get the update before it becomes available globally.

Steps to get the update:

1. Install a VPN app (TunnelBear worked well for me).
2. Select Finland and turn the VPN on.
3. Put your phone in Airplane mode.
4. Eject the SIM card tray to disconnect the SIM.
5. In the app settings, tap the three dots and select Show system apps.
6. Clear the storage of Google Services Framework, Location Services, and Google Play Services apps.
7. Turn on the VPN app, then connect to WiFi.
8. Check for the update, but do not insert your SIM card until the update is installed.

That’s it! I finally got Android 15 (V2.270), though it isn’t drastically different from Android 14. This update brings some under-the-hood improvements for smoother performance, better battery management, security upgrades, and advanced notification controls. It also includes the December Google Security Patch. The update size is 3.32 GB, so make sure to use WiFi if your data plan is limited.

I messed up by inserting the SIM card too soon, but that’s not a big issue—just repeat the steps.

 

Check Google pages to see more details on what is new in Android 15.

Thanks to everyone who tipped!