Android 15 update is bricking some Pixel 6 devices

Gandalf_The_Grey · Oct 21, 2024

It's been nearly a week since Google began rolling out the Android 15 update for Pixel devices. The new Android 15 brings several upgrades over the previous version. However, if you own a Pixel 6, it might be wise to hold off on installing the update for now. Reports are emerging that the Android 15 update is causing Pixel 6 devices to brick unexpectedly, leaving them unusable.

The Pixel 6 series has a history of running into issues after Android updates. Last year, the Android 14 update locked some users out of their storage, and earlier this year, factory resets left many Pixel 6 devices unresponsive. This time, however, the Android 15 update appears to be causing even more severe problems, leaving some users with completely bricked devices.

Users on Reddit are reporting that the Android 15 update is bricking their Pixel 6 devices unexpectedly. So far, two users have specifically mentioned their phones died after enabling the Private Space feature. One user, GegoByte, experienced their device bricking immediately after opening the app within Private Space, while another, Homer_95, said their device suddenly died during regular use, despite having sufficient battery remaining.

Both users describe their Pixel 6 as "completely dead," with typical troubleshooting methods like holding the Power and Volume Down buttons or connecting to a computer yielding no results. Initially, it seemed that user profiles might be the issue — similar to what happened with the Android 14 update — since Private Space operates as a new user profile. However, since those two Reddit posts, two additional users have reported their Pixel 6 devices bricking randomly after the update, so the exact cause remains unclear.

We haven't encountered any issues on our Pixel 6 unit yet, but given that several devices have been affected, it might be wise to hold off on updating. Moreover, this isn't an isolated incident — Google devices seem to be having trouble with Android 15 in general. Just a few days ago, Pixel 8 Pro users reported issues with the back gesture. We'll update this page as soon as we hear an official response from Google regarding these issues.