Here’s why unlocked Pixel 6 phones on Verizon aren’t getting updates (yet)

Users are also facing SIM card issues when activating

By all accounts, Google’s latest smartphones are some of its best yet — especially considering the $600 starting price. However, if you’re a Verizon customer, you’ve likely noticed the smaller Pixel 6 is much more expensive, with a $100 price increase across both storage options. If you decided to buy unlocked to avoid its mmWave-related markup, a couple of other issues are likely causing you even more frustration.

While the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro both received day one updates for customers — delivering the November security patch and a handful of bug fixes — not everyone is so lucky. As we noted ahead of launch, Verizon-specific phones were granted their own version, designated by an “A8” listed at the end of the build number. According to several posts on Reddit and Google’s support forums — as well as tips from AP readers — unlocked devices running on Verizon are stuck on the pre-launch build.

For a phone that, arguably, depends more on software than killer hardware, it’s not a great start for users everywhere. Without an update path, anyone running an unlocked Pixel 6 or 6 Pro with a Verizon SIM card can’t access those vital changes, an issue with an unclear timeframe. While this could effectively resolve itself after a minor delay, it’s possible Verizon customers with unlocked phones could essentially be out of luck for upgrades — unless they take matters into their own hands.

A “Product Expert” on the Pixel subreddit helpfully explained that a manual sideload fixes the issue, essentially placing you on the right track for future updates by installing the carrier-specific build. That’s a lot of work for anyone who just wants their phone to work as expected out of the box, and it’s a tactic that could end in a bricked device if you aren’t careful.

We’ve reached out to Verizon to determine whether owners of unlocked devices can expect to be moved over to the correct update track, and will update this post if we hear back.

It’s not the only issue facing Pixel 6 owners on Verizon. Problems with SIM cards — both older 4G cards and newly-activated 5G-capable chips — have been plaguing users since launch as well, with many forced to rely on eSIMs for the device to connect to a network correctly. Some have managed to activate a card directly at a physical store, only for it to stop working a week later, while others have been forced to contact customer support to mark the phone as CDMA-less before it can be used.

It’s another handful of headaches facing Google’s latest phone. Hopefully, future updates — and another couple of weeks post-launch — can finally iron out these bugs for good.

Thanks: Jeff, Michael

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