Updated
Updated · Android Police · Jul 20
Google Ends Pixel 6, 6 Pro Support With Android 17 QPR2 Beta 1
Updated
Updated · Android Police · Jul 20

Google Ends Pixel 6, 6 Pro Support With Android 17 QPR2 Beta 1

3 articles · Updated · Android Police · Jul 20

Summary

  • Android 17 QPR2 Beta 1 confirmed Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro have reached end of life, leaving both phones off the OTA and making Android 17 QPR1 their final beta track.
  • September's Pixel Feature Drop is expected to carry that last QPR1 build, putting official support end near the devices' previously expected October cutoff.
  • 2021's Pixel 6 lineup had already outlasted Google's original support promise after receiving two extra years beyond the initial three years of OS updates and five years of security patches.
  • After QPR1, the phones should keep working but will be frozen on their latest Android 17 build and stop receiving security updates, raising longer-term risk for users who keep them.
  • QPR2 Beta 1 also ships fixes for Bluetooth re-pairing, Gemini-triggered reboot crashes, disappearing notifications and several UI and accessibility bugs on supported Pixel devices.

Insights

Google promises 7-year updates for new Pixels. Can its spotty record with the Pixel 6 be trusted?
If updates can be used to degrade your phone, is 'guaranteed support' a promise or a threat?
As phone innovation stalls, is software obsolescence the new tool to force users into costly upgrades?