The Pixel 6 was a pivotal phone for Google, debuting the company’s self-branded Tensor chipsets and a brand-new hardware design language that’s still being iterated on in the latest Pixel devices. But the 6 and 6 Pro missed the boat on Google’s ongoing commitment to longer software support: beginning with last year’s Pixel 8 series, Google now guarantees seven years of Android version updates for its phones. The Pixel 6, meanwhile, was promised only three — which ran out with last month’s update to Android 15.
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The Pixel 6 isn’t suddenly obsolete now, however. Many new features will still make their way to Pixel 6 phones through app updates, and critical security patches will still be delivered for a couple of years. If you’re still using a Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro, here’s what you need to know about your updates going forward.
Pixel 6 probably won’t see Android 16
Per Google’s official support documentation, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro were guaranteed Android version updates “until at least” October 2024. In what will almost certainly be the Pixel 6 series’s last major OS update, Android 15 landed on the phones last month, fulfilling Google’s promised three-year Android update timeline.
We’re expecting Android 16 to be released earlier than other versions have. Google has confirmed a “major SDK release” — that’d be Android 16 — for the second quarter of next year, breaking with the established pattern of pushing out new Android versions in the fall. Still, given the release will come months after the Pixel 6’s Android update window has closed, it’s unlikely the next version will land on Google’s 2021 phones.
While the Pixel 6a was also guaranteed three years of Android version updates, it went on sale months after the standard Pixel 6, in July 2022. That means the Pixel 6a’s window lasts until July 2025. If Android 16 is released in the second quarter, the Pixel 6a should get it.
The Pixel 6 series hasn’t been abandoned, though. The 6 and 6 Pro got Android 15’s first patch in the November update, and they’re slated to continue receiving security updates for at least a couple more years.
What to expect on Pixel 6 going forward
The Pixel 6 was only guaranteed Android version updates through last month, but Google has promised security updates for at least five years from the phone’s on-sale date, until October 2026 at the earliest. So if you’re rocking a Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro, you can rest assured that you’ll be as safe from major security vulnerabilities as any other Pixel owner until then.
Google’s Pixel 6 Android version update guarantee ending this year also doesn’t necessarily disqualify the phone from future feature updates. Google’s support docs specify that the Pixel 6’s full five-year update lifespan “may also include Pixel drops” that can add new functionality.
New features are often delivered outside Android version updates, too — anti-theft measures Google announced alongside Android 15 are “available for most Android 10+ devices,” whether they’re still eligible for OS updates or not. And the lion’s share of the flashy AI features Google’s been implementing lately are dependent on individual apps, not system updates. Gemini will continue to function and get new features on the Pixel 6 for years to come. AI features in other apps like Google Photos’ Ask Photos and Google Lens’s new multimodal input also don’t require the latest version of Android.
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The Pixel 6 running out of Android version updates won’t have much of an impact on average users. If you’re still using a Pixel 6 and you’re happy with it otherwise, you shouldn’t feel compelled to run out and upgrade just because your phone probably won’t see Android 16. I wouldn’t recommend continuing to use a Pixel 6 after it stops getting security patches, but that’s still a couple of years away.
All that being said, the best Android phones on the market today are really good. Coming from a Pixel 6, something like the Pixel 9 or Galaxy S24 is going to feel like a significant upgrade, especially in build quality and battery life. It’s a fine time for Pixel 6 owners to upgrade — just not necessarily because of Android updates.
