Pixel's March update is causing some phones to boot loop endlessly, and no one knows why

What do you do when you update your phone in hopes of gaining access to new features, only to find it gets stuck in a boot loop? That’s the conundrum several Google Pixel users have been facing after their phones have been constantly rebooting since the March 2026 Pixel Drop.

We have come across several reports of various Google Pixel phones getting stuck in a boot loop after upgrading to the March 2026 update, also known as stable Android 16 QPR3. These reports span across numerous generations, starting all the way from the Pixel 6 to the newest Pixel 10 series.

Users report a slightly varying impact on their devices. For some, the phones refuse to turn on, and for others, they either keep booting back into the Recovery mode or show the initial boot screen with a Google logo. The warning message on some users’ phone screens also suggests that the “Android system” or data “may be corrupt.”

Some people, at least those whose devices boot into recovery, have the option to reset them to factory condition. Doing so would cause users to lose their data, which may not be favorable.

The issue has also been reported to Google through the official Issue Tracker, and the active thread shows dozens of people reporting similar issues with their devices. However, there’s no clear indication of what specifically caused it or why it’s affecting only a small number of Pixel users. Owners on the thread have also reported being able to boot into fastboot mode and have sideloaded the recent firmware, but to no avail.

Here’s what might help

Interestingly, a few users were able to get their Pixel phone to boot by booting it in Safe Mode while keeping it plugged in. While that has allowed them to take a backup, the phone reboots into a boot loop soon after.

If you’re going through the same issue, here’s a potential stopgap solution based on some users’ advice:

• Keep your phone attached to a charger and set it aside for about 30–40 minutes.
• After that, try booting into Safe Mode
• To do this, press the Power button on your Pixel.
• Once the Google logo shows up, press the Volume Up and Volume Down buttons together until the boot animation shows.

Once the animation ends, your phone will enter Safe Mode, which will also be denoted by the logo at the bottom of the screen.

Hey, Google! What’s next?

In the Issue Tracker thread linked above, Google has noted that the issue has been shared with the engineering teams, but there isn’t an update on the fix just yet. We’ve also written to Google and will update this post once we get a response.

Meanwhile, for at least one user, the March update has caused random crashes, even though their phone boots up just fine. We’re unsure if this is an extension of the issue or something unrelated.