Google this week rolled out Android 16 QPR2, coupled with the December 2025 update, for eligible Pixel smartphones. While the update should technically cover all phones ranging from the Pixel 6 to newer models, the Pixel 7a (Lynx) was suspiciously missing from the list of eligible devices.
A few threads on Google’s support pages mention the update’s absence, while Google hasn’t yet offered a statement on what has caused the delay. Now, one Pixel 7a user has gotten word from Google chat support about this situation, and it’s not great news.
According to screenshots posted by a Reddit user, Google’s chat support says the Pixel 7a was excluded from the December 2025 update due to “a critical Wi-Fi stability bug” spotted late during the beta process, citing feedback from the beta threads (via PiunikaWeb).
A closer look at the text in the chat suggests the use of generative AI, which, as we know, is not always perfect. However, a bug report on Google’s Issue Tracker from early November provides some info about the supposed Wi-Fi stability issue.
The lack of clarity from Google is astounding
One bug report mentions a significant drop in Wi-Fi speeds, with no such issues reported on cellular. This is potentially what the AI chat support is referring to.
The chat also states that an update could land by the middle of the month or early next month with the January update. Again, we can’t take this at face value, at least until Google provides an official statement.
If you own a Pixel 7a and weren’t aware of the bugs spotted in the beta stages, there’s every reason to be disappointed right now. One can only hope that Google will offer an explanation sooner rather than later.
While users will appreciate that Google didn’t rush through the buggy December 2025 update for the Pixel 7a, better communication from the company could have helped in this situation.
As for the next steps, there’s not a lot Pixel 7a users can do right now, apart from waiting patiently for Google to release the update along with the OTA files and factory images.
