The Developer Preview is now available for Android 8.1 Oreo on Nexus and Pixel devices but it comes with quite a big caveat.
Android 8.1 adds SMS connect to the feature list but you’ll want to be sure not to forget your PIN and be forced to do a factory reset. Early adopters of the Developer Preview are saying that the device asked for a ‘Previously Used Secret’ and not for the Google account upon booting for the first time after a reset.
Redditor Tom Bolger shared what happened to his Android 8.1 phone following a factory reset and despite doing another reset the same thing happened. He contacted Google tech support who failed to help him get into his phone and suggested a replacement device.
While the chances of this happening are pretty slim, in that the likelihood is you’ll remember a previously used code, it doesn’t help those who simply forget. It’s not clear if Google will revert this change for the public release of Android 8.1 as the company does tend to test new features regularly.
So if you’re planning on resetting your device anytime soon, make sure you make a note of the previously used PIN or be prepared to have a very expensive paperweight.