Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro Mid-November Update Limited to Select Carriers in US, Japan: Google

Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are getting a mid-November update with minor bug fixes and some fingerprint sensor performance improvements, Google has confirmed. The latest update is initially limited to select carriers in the US and Japan. This means that it will not be available to Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro users globally. The update started rolling out to eligible users earlier this week and will continue over the next week, Google said. In the recent past, several users complained about the in-display fingerprint sensor of both Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.

Shortly after the new software package reached some early users, Google announced the rollout of the mid-November update on the Pixel Community forums.

“The November software update includes minor bug fixes and some fingerprint sensor performance improvements for Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. This is separate from the November security fixes,” the company said in its post.

The mid-November update is notably limited to select carrier networks at the initial stage. AT&T, Verizon, Cellcom, Charter, and Visible are amongst the supported carriers in the US for the update. Similarly, the update is rolling out to KDDI, DoCoMo, Rakuten, and SoftBank in Japan. It is also reaching users on Google Fi.

For Verizon customers, the update carries software build number SD1A.210817.037.A1. It is, however, SD1A.210817.037 for other carriers.

Google noted that customers on other carrier networks and in countries other than the US and Japan will get the same update in December. The exact release date is yet to be revealed, though.

Eligible users will get the latest software update automatically when it is rolled out for them. Nevertheless, you can manually check for the update on your Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro by going to Settings > System > System update > Check for update.

Google has not detailed the exact fingerprint sensor performance improvements it has brought through the mid-November update. Some users, though, suggested that the update improves the overall fingerprint scanning experience on the new Pixel phones.

It is unclear whether the new software release fixes any of the reported issues with the fingerprint scanner of the Pixel 6 models. Google did clarify last week that particularly the delay in unlocking the device through the fingerprint scanner is due to “enhanced security algorithms.”

Some users noticed issues beyond just some delay and unresponsive behaviour and claimed that the fingerprint scanner unlocks the device even with some unregistered fingerprints. A few users also noticed that the fingerprint scanner breaks once the battery on the new Pixel phones is fully discharged. Google has not yet publicly responded on these issues.