Google Pixel: January update for many models
Google has released the January update for its Pixel smartphones. It fixes bugs and brings improvements. However, some models are left out.
Google's Pixel models are receiving an update.
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The first Pixel update of 2026 is available. With the update, the January security patch lands on supported Pixel devices with Android 16. The new software is ready for installation on the Pixel 7a, Pixel 8, Pixel 8a, Pixel 9, Pixel 9a, Pixel 10, Pixel Tablet, and Pixel Fold models. Google appears to be skipping the Pixel 6 and 7 series for this update. The Pixel 7a will now apparently also receive the missing update to Android 16 QPR2, which was released for most Pixel devices in December.
Audio errors and battery consumption
The update fixes an audio error for models from the Pixel 7a onwards: under certain conditions, according to Google, disruptive callback tones could occur during Webex calls. It also fixes a bug for these models where deleting a Live Universe wallpaper could occasionally render the “Wallpaper & Style” app unusable until the device was restarted.
(Image:Â Andreas Floemer / heise medien)
For the Pixel 8 and newer models, the January software is intended to address battery consumption issues under certain conditions.
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Display, GPU, and more
The January version of the Pixel update fixes most bugs for the new Pixel 10 models, which consist of the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, Pixel 10 Pro Fold. For example, the update fixes a “problem with Always-On Display flickering under certain conditions.” Additionally, “disturbing lines that flash on the screen under certain conditions when editing HDR photos in the Adobe Lightroom app” should be a thing of the past.
Furthermore, Google mentions “general improvements to GPU performance under certain conditions.” Additionally, a bug where the touchscreen randomly stops working under certain conditions is said to have been fixed. The update also includes security patches, which are quite manageable in January – the Security Bulletin describes a critical security vulnerability (CVE-2025-48647) in the CPM component.
Since July 2025, Google has only been closing particularly serious security vulnerabilities monthly. The remaining patches are provided quarterly.
(afl)
