Surprise update hits the 5G Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro with no changelist
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Google surprised Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro users today by pushing out a pair of updates. The update with the build number SD1A.210817.037.A1 was issued to models locked to Verizon. The update sporting build number SD1A.210817.037 (the same number as the Verizon version minus the "A1" at the end) is for Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro users throughout the rest of the world.
We'd love to tell you what the changelist was for this update. Honestly, we are just dying to tell you. But we can't because no changelist was issued. The update was first spotted by 9to5Google and includes the same November 5th security update that the new Pixels have already received.
We can hope that the update takes care of some bugs such as the fingerprint issue that allows the in-display scanner to unlock the phone with a stranger's fingerprint, or the problem that has the fingerprint scanner running too slowly. There is also the problem that breaks the fingerprint scanner when the phone runs out of battery life and it doesn't turn on again even after the phone has been recharged (a factory reset will do the trick).
Grab the Google Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro from Verizon
The OTA update has not yet hit the actual Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro models and the change in build numbers from .036 to .037 hints at a small change with the new updates. And since the non-Verizon build number is the same as the build number for Verizon locked models (except for the .A1 at the end), whatever changes have been made are undoubtedly the same for all versions of the Pixel 6 lineup.
The update could exterminate some minor bugs
Perhaps the update improves the new Pixel 6 series' much-maligned battery life which should be higher considering the capacities of the batteries on the two models. One problem that led to the two models' ghost dialing numbers from your contacts list and 9-1-1 was recently fixed. All that Pixel users had to do was reinstall the latest version of the Google app (12.43.18 or higher) in the Play Store.
You can keep checking to see if the update has hit your phone by going to Settings> System> Advanced> System update.
Things that are NOT allowed: