Google Issues the May 2022 Pixel Update

Google’s supported Pixel handsets are already receiving the May 2022 update, which fixes bugs and security vulnerabilities. This is also the last update that the Pixel 3a and 3a XL will receive.

Among the changes, Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro users should see improved haptics “under certain conditions and use cases,” a problem that was apparently caused by the March 2022 Pixel update, go figure. And all supported Pixels—including the Pixel 3a, 3a XL, 4, 4 XL, 4a, 4a (5G), 5, 5a (5G), 6, and 6 Pro—are getting two fixes. One for an error that causes the display to wake up on its own and one for an issue that causes launcher crashes after restarting the device in certain conditions.

Windows Intelligence In Your Inbox

Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday — and get free copies of Paul Thurrott's Windows 11 and Windows 10 Field Guides (normally $9.99) as a special welcome gift!

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

The May 2022 update also fixes the notorious Dirty Pipe vulnerability across all supported Android devices. This vulnerability exists in the Linux kernel at the heart of Android and could cause malicious code to gain full control of a successfully hacked device. (The good news is that only a small number of very recent Android handsets were impacted.)

As for the Pixel 3a, it’s turning three years old and is thus out of support after May 2022. Check out my original review from 2019 and a 2020 follow-up for a nostalgic look back at Google’s first a-series smartphone. Despite the mid-level specs, it was a gem.

UPDATE: Google says it will in fact issue one more update for the Pixel 3a/3a XL “by July.” —Paul

Tagged with

Share post

Please check our Community Guidelines before commenting

Conversation 2 comments

  • abdulla77

    Premium Member
    02 May, 2022 - 11:09 pm

    <p>I’ve been using Pixel phones since they first made them, however the Pixel 6 Pro was just the last straw… you see, I live in the Middle East, and the Pixel lineup of phones are not supported in this region. VoLTE and 5G for example don’t work, and I’ve been reading that Google themselves have not ‘supported’ the region, as people who rooted their Pixel 6’s managed to get a 5G signal/VoLTE. In the other hand, Samsung phones with VoLTE/5G reigns supreme in the Android world here. Apart from that, the recent Oneplus 10 Pro I bought from the UK website actually has VoLTE and 5G out of the box enabled. Samsung phones get their patches way faster as well. So all in all, Google is no where near what they promised they wanted to be with the Pixel 6. They could, it’s a choice they have, but they’re not taking it.. oddly enough. </p>

  • dftf

    03 May, 2022 - 8:38 am

    <p>I installed it just now on my <em>Pixel 3a</em>: came-in at 21.24MB.</p><p><br></p><p>The issue with the <strong>task-switcher</strong> going back to the previous app, not the current one, hasn’t been fully-fixed, but seems more-consistent so-far. But the issue where the <em>Pixel Launcher</em> crashes if you have <strong>remove animations</strong> enabled hasn’t: it still crashes the moment you tap "Split Top". There is still no-option to disable the <strong>minimise app animation</strong> (where the app shrinks-down into its icon on the home-screen). I doubt if there is one further update either of these will be fixed — if anyone is using the Android 13 beta, can you confirm if either are still an issue?</p>

Windows Intelligence In Your Inbox

Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Thurrott © 2024 Thurrott LLC