Google will roll out an Android update for an issue on some Pixel 6 and newer models facing media storage access issues after receiving the Android 14 update. The fix for impacted users will return their devices to an operable state, the company said in a support page.
To recall, Google acknowledged in a support page earlier this week that it is aware of the issue where the primary owners of some Pixel 6 and later models are unable to access media storage. The problem is affecting smartphone models that have received the Android 14 update and have multiple users such as users, guests, restricted profile, and child users; apart from the primary user.
Google Fixes Android 14 Storage Access Issue With Android Update
In an update, Google said that the Android update for impacted users will be rolled out starting in the next two weeks. While the update is supposed to help return the affected devices to an operable state, unfortunately, this might not be the case for everyone as the update will not be able to recover data on devices that are repeatedly rebooting.
To give a better perspective, the issue can cause two kinds of problems. The first one reboots the device with a Factory Data Reset (FDR) message (in this case all data, if not backed up, will be lost). The second problem relating to the issue is when a user declines the FDR message, which results in the device rebooting repeatedly, and a message that reads, ‘Pixel is starting’ is displayed.
“For users who are not experiencing this issue, or have already factory reset their device, we recommend avoiding creating or logging into a secondary user on the device until the OTA update is available,” as per the support page.
The Android update is said to work for users who have multiple Google accounts within the primary user or work profiles set up on their Pixel smartphones. For such users, Google is testing the Android System update over-the-air (OTA).
“For devices where the primary user is unable to access media storage, this may help remedy the issue without clearing your device’s data,” Google said.
However, do keep in mind that users will need to sign up for the update by filling out a Google Form, following which they should receive the test update within 24 hours. Further, it could take somewhere between one to two hours to fully update.
Meanwhile, for devices that are repeatedly rebooting, the company suggested Factory Data Reset, which it says is a temporary workaround that may help. However, it is important to note that doing a FDR will result in losing the data on the device completely.
Earlier this week, the company released a Google Play system update to help prevent the issue from being triggered on additional devices. If the update has not happened automatically, then users can check if it is available for their Pixel device by following these steps:
- Open the Settings app.
- Click on the ‘Security & privacy Update’ option.
- Tap on ‘Google Play system update’ to check for the latest update.
- Follow the instructions on the screen to install the update.
