Security News > 2024 > January > Google Pixel phones unusable after January 2024 system update
Google Pixel smartphone owners report problems after installing the January 2024 Google Play system update, being unable to access their devices internal storage, open the camera, take screenshots, or even open apps.
The root cause is unknown but is likely a software issue with the January 2024 Play system update that Google hasn't pinpointed or fixed yet.
These recommendations are coming from impacted Google Pixel owners rather than Google themselves, who simply acknowledged they are aware of and looking into the issue.
"I wonder why this is not something that's getting blown up forcing Google for a fix. Spending so much money on a phone just to be made unusable by an update is very aggravating," an affected owner posted in Google's Pixel Phone support forums.
Google introduced Play system updates in Android 10 as a way to deliver crucial security updates and system component enhancements and protections in devices not running the latest patch level and those that have reached the end of support by the OEM. They are served directly by Google, bypassing the OEM update channels, and are effective in keeping older Android versions compatible with modern apps and Google services, and also relatively safe.
In the case of Pixels, it appears that Google performed a staged roll-out of the January 2024 Play system updates, so not every Pixel owner has received the problematic update yet.