Since updating to Android 14, some Google Pixel users began to experience storage issues on Pixel 6 and newer devices. Google acknowledged said issue shortly after and promised an incoming system update that would fix it. In a new update, Google says a fix is now rolling out, but only in a “test” basis.
Well, this is one for the books. The severe Pixel bug that was causing the phones to reboot repeatedly or make it impossible to access media storage is still an issue that hasn’t been fixed.
While Google acknowledged the existence of a problem a few days ago, and promised an update to fix the affected units, the best solution that was being thrown around was to perform a complete factory data reset. This, of course, was not the answer any of the affected users wanted to hear as it is time-consuming and can result in data loss if a backup hasn’t been properly done.
Yesterday, Google went back to its community forums with a “possible” solution. Unfortunately, the solution is not one that can offer any guarantees as it comes with a huge disclosure: It is a “Test Update”.
A Test Solution to a Real Problem
The upcoming update will be arriving within the next two weeks and hopefully returns affected devices to a usable state. It will roll out Over-the-Air (OTA) and is dubbed a Test update, as only devices that have signed up to get it will see the download.
To be part of the select users that will get to drive the OTA fix, you will actually need to complete a Google Form that can be found here. If your device is repeatedly rebooting, the update may not enable data to be recovered. In this case, you will need to perform a factory data reset.
Google also states that you also have the option to contact Pixel Support to see if other options might be available. However, it would hopefully not have to come to that and the OTA update can fix the issue with no further help.
Meanwhile, note that the storage access issue impacts devices with multiple users, including guest profiles, restricted profiles, and child profiles. So, until the OTA update is available to your device, Google recommends avoiding creating or logging into a secondary user on the device.
