The February Pixel update is here and should be installed as soon as you receive it
No, Pixel users. You are a little early. It's only February and not yet March. When the calendar does say March, the Pixel quarterly feature drop will, well, drop more features on your compatible Pixel. Meanwhile, the just-released February update, which will start rolling out today, is expected to exterminate bugs and patch software flaws. The update is heading to models such as the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, Pixel 6a, Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, Pixel 7a, Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, Pixel 8a, Pixel Fold, Pixel Tablet, Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
As is typical with these monthly updates, it is important to install them as soon as possible because they include patches that fix software vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers. The update also fixes an issue that occasionally prevents a Pixel 9 series model from making a connection with certain Bluetooth devices or accessories. It also fixes an issue with audio output with Android Auto under certain conditions.
The February update carries 24 security issues that are fixed in the patch dated 2025-02-01 and 23 on the patch dated 2025-02-05. The severity of the vulnerabilities ranges from high to critical. Google says that one flaw, CVE-2024-53104, "may be under limited, targeted exploitation." This issue is a critical vulnerability in the Linux kernel which could result in an attacker taking full control of the targeted device. Knowing that this flaw could be actively exploited, Pixel users should be quick to install this update.
When the update arrives on your Pixel device, go to Settings > System > System update and follow the directions. The update has yet to hit my Pixel 6 Pro although I have installed Android 16 Beta 1 on the device which was originally supposed to lose Android support in October of last year. Google has added two additional years of support to the phone which will now continue to receive system updates and monthly security updates up to October 2026.
A previous post by a Googler hinted that the first beta release for Android 16 would be released on January 22nd; it was released on January 23rd instead which we would say is a pretty damn good call. The same Googler also hints that the second beta version of Android 16 will come on February 19th with the third beta version expected on March 12th. More beta releases of Android 16 are expected until the final build is pushed out during the second quarter of this year.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: