What you need to know
- Google quietly updated a support document that now explains the Pixel 6 series, Pixel 7 series, and Pixel Fold will receive five full OS upgrades.
- Originally, Google promised these devices would get three full Android OS upgrades, and five years of security updates.
- The extension was rumored when the Pixel 6 series became eligible for the Android 16 developer preview, and it's now official.
Google is retroactively providing an extra two years of full OS upgrades to the Pixel 6 series, Pixel 7 series, and Pixel Fold, it quietly detailed in an updated support document. Additionally, the company says that during this extended window, these models "may" also get new features through Pixel Drops.
The change was first spotted by Nail Sadykov on X (via Mishaal Rahman). It confirms what was originally suspected when Google released the first developer preview for Android 16 last month: the company plans to support the Pixel 6, Pixel 7, and Pixel Fold beyond its initial promises. The Android 16 Developer Preview 1 update supported the Pixel 6, Pixel 6a, and Pixel 6 Pro, even though Android 15 should be its last OS upgrade according to Google's three-year promise.
Now, the entire Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 series — plus the original Pixel Fold — will get a total of five years of OS upgrades from the time they were first released. That's two more years than Google initially promised, as its first guarantee was that each of these models would get three years of OS upgrades and five years of security update.
Google officially confirms the Pixel 6 series, Pixel 7 series, and Pixel Fold will get an additional 2 years of OS updates! The company has updated a support page to mention that these Pixel phones are guaranteed 5 years of updates - including 5 years of OS and security updates… pic.twitter.com/GB2cN2B4iPDecember 5, 2024
The change means that the Pixel 6, Pixel 6a, and Pixel 6 Pro should receive Android 16 and Android 17. Meanwhile, the Pixel 7, Pixel 7a, Pixel 7 Pro, and Pixel Fold should receive Android 16, Android 17, and Android 18.
Google has significantly expanded its guaranteed software support windows since it switched to its in-house Tensor processors, setting a new industry-standard with seven years of full OS upgrades on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 series. However, competitors are catching up. Qualcomm recently announced the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset could support up to eight years of major Android version updates.
The Google Pixel brand has grown of late, earning double-digit market share. It seems that Google is now showing some goodwill to Pixel owners by extending the support their existing devices will receive.
