You Need to Update Your Pixel Devices Right Now

Security updates are not something to be ignored: They patch critical issues with your tech that could compromise your privacy, security, and data. So when a company, like Google, drops a new security update for a device, like your Pixel, you should take note and install the update as soon as possible.

Google released its April security update for Pixel devices on Monday, April 4. The new update covers much of the Pixel lineup, including Pixel 3a, Pixel 4, Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5, Pixel 5a, Pixel 6, and Pixel 6 Pro (as well as any XL variants). Unfortunately, you won’t see the update on Pixel 1, 2, or 3.

There are 44 security patches in total here, 14 of which are dated April 1, 2022, with the other 30 dated April 4, 2022. Nine of those vulnerabilities are rated “critical,” with the rest rated “high.” All of the critical security vulnerabilities relate to either Qualcomm components or Qualcomm closed-source components.

However, that’s not to dismiss the severity of the vulnerabilities rated “high.” According to Google, the worst of these flaws could allow bad actors to escalate local privileges on your system, or lead to remote information disclosure, all without you needing to click on anything fishy (or phishy) first. In all, this update patches a lot of potentially dangerous security flaws, and should be installed as soon as possible.

April security updates bug fixes

While security patches are the main reason to install this new update as soon as you can, they’re not the only benefit to your Pixel. This update also comes with bug fixes you’ll likely find useful.

Pixel 6 and 6 Pro users will find three bug fixes exclusive to their devices, relating to wireless charging and camera issues:

Battery & Power

Additional improvements for wireless charging performance with certain accessories.

Camera

Fix for issue causing front-facing camera preview in certain apps to appear zoomed in.Fix for issue occasionally causing green screen to appear in camera preview.

Users with a Pixel 3a and newer will see the follow user interface updates hit their device:

User Interface

Fix for crash in System UI while using apps in Picture-in-Picture (PIP) mode in certain conditions.Fix for issue causing error message to display when setting up certain live wallpapers.Fix for issue causing notification shade and Quick Settings to appear invisible after changing wallpaper in certain conditions.Fix for issue occasionally causing animation to display incorrectly when canceling a search in the app drawer.Fix for issue occasionally preventing navigation in overview screen while TalkBack is active.Fix for issue occasionally preventing recents button to show the overview while using 3-button navigation with third party launchers.

How to update your Pixel to the latest security version

Updating your Pixel is easy. Open the Settings app, go to Security, then check for a new update. If the April security update is available, you’ll see it as the follow build, depending on your device:

Pixel 3a (XL): SP2A.220405.003Pixel 4 (XL): SP2A.220405.003Pixel 4a: SP2A.220405.003Pixel 4a (5G): SP2A.220405.003Pixel 5: SP2A.220405.003Pixel 5a (5G): SP2A.220405.003Pixel 6: SP2A.220405.004Pixel 6 Pro: SP2A.220405.004

Google is still rolling out the update, so you might not see it on your device yet. If you’d like to install it manually, you can find Factory Image and OTA downloads for your device at the bottom of this 9to5Google page.

[9to5Google]