Google Quietly Extends Pixel 6, 7 and Fold Support Lifecycle

Google quietly extended the support lifecycle for the Pixel 6, 7, and Fold, with each now getting two more years of OS updates. Originally, each of these devices was scheduled for three years of OS and feature updates and five years of security updates. Now, they will receive five years of each.

“Pixel phones receive regular software updates that include new features, security enhancements, operating system updates, bug fixes, and more,” the Google Support website explains. “Updates roll out gradually, and are dependent on carrier and device. It may take a few weeks for the update to arrive on your device. You’ll get a notification once the update is ready to install.”

The support extension applies to the Pixel 6, 6 Pro, 6a, 7, 7 Pro, 7a, and Fold.

“These phones will get updates for 5 years starting from when the device first became available on the Google Store in the US,” the site continues. “This includes 5 years of OS and security updates, and may also include new and upgraded features with Pixel Drops.”

The timing is particularly good for the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro: Under the original support timeline, Android 15, which arrived in October, would have been the final OS upgrade. But now these devices will get Android 16 and 17 too.

Newer Pixel phones–including the Pixel 8, 8 Pro, 8a, 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL, and 9 Pro Fold–all get 7 years of updates, including OS and security updates, plus Pixel Drops and other new features.

And in case it’s not obvious, each of these Pixels uses a Google Tensor microprocessor of some kind. So only the Pixel Tablet–which arrived in mid-2023 with a Tensor G2 processor–is stuck on a lackluster support lifecycle, in this case with 3 years of OS updates and 5 years of security updates.