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Some Pixel phones have started getting the April security patch
- The April 2023 security patches have been delayed for Google Pixel smartphones.
- This is the second month in a row that security patches have been delayed.
- Verizon appears to be rolling out the patches to older Pixels.
It seems Verizon is rolling out the April 2023 update for the Pixel 5, Pixel 4a, and Pixel 4a 5G. The carrier has posted build numbers on its website, as spotted by Droid-Life. The support pages for other Pixel devices, including the Pixel 7 and Pixel 6 series, still list the older March 2023 security patches. Meanwhile, we could not locate any reports from users receiving these updates yet on the older Pixels, but we’re optimistic that a rollout has begun from Verizon’s end.
Google is usually punctual with its monthly security patches for the Pixel series. The updates are released on the first Monday of the month, alongside the monthly Android Security Bulletin. For this month, the April 2023 Android Security Bulletin has promptly gone live, but the corresponding April security patches are nowhere to be found for the Pixel series.
This is the second time in a row that Google has missed its self-set release schedule for Pixel security patches. Last month too, the company was late in delivering the monthly security update to Pixel users. The March 2023 patches arrived two weeks later alongside the Pixel feature drop, and even then, the Pixel 6 series received its update after another week.
Google did not mention why the security patches were delayed, neither for the last month nor for this one. This silence also extends on to when the patches will eventually go live. Users who bought a Pixel on the premise of quick software updates would be disappointed with this turn of events. On the other hand, Samsung has been prompt in delivering updates to its flagships, as the April 2023 security patch for the Galaxy S23 series is already live and rolling out to users.
We heard a surprise report last week about a Pixel 5 user in Canada on Freedom receiving the April patch before March had ended. But now, with the April patches delayed, the proverbial balance has been restored.
We hope Google informs its users about the reasons for the delay in delivering the security patch and promises a realistic timeline for release.