What you need to know
- Google started rolling out its July security update for Pixels, which serves as its first post-Android 17 launch patch.
- The update fixes a few early issues affecting Pixel 6 to Pixel 10 series phones, as well as a navigation button problem for the Pixel 10 Pro Fold.
- Google has achieved Platform Stability for Android 17’s first quarterly update with Beta 6.
Android 17’s debut was huge, alongside Google’s other major Pixel news. Now, the company is rolling out its first post-Android 17 patch, and it’s of the monthly variety for security and bug fixes.
Google posted the changelog for its July 2026 security update for Pixel 6 and newer phones. Globally, Pixel users can expect to download vCP2A.260705.006 once it hits their devices. Google says the patch is “rolling out in phases” over the next week, so its availability will be staggered to start. Android 17’s UI is receiving a couple of fixes. The first involves only the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, as users reported problems with its navigation buttons.
Google says these buttons would occasionally “change alignment after folding and unfolding the device.” The July patch should solve this issue for those affected users. The second fix concerns every supported Pixel device for this July update (Pixel 6 to the Pixel 10 series). Google states it’s rolling out a fix for the wallpaper shape effect as it would “incorrectly cover the subject instead of appearing in the background.”
You can check out the remainder of the patch notes below. It’s worth noting that the following fixes concern all supported Pixel phones receiving this patch.
- Fix for an issue where certain applications would unexpectedly close or fail to launch
- Fix for an issue where various system widgets were displayed with incorrect colors or contrast settings
- Fix for an issue where some devices would fail to load the Android system or become stuck in a boot loop under certain conditions
Testing underway
Google is rolling out a small fix for widgets, but it doesn’t solve the main issue most Pixel users were experiencing. Users said their home screen widgets started disappearing after updating to Android 17. Google is aware of this and says a fix is on the way. We’ve seen that fix appear in the Android 17 QPR1 Beta 5 update. Specifically, it states the fix is for widgets that “disappear or become unavailable in the widget picker after a device reboot.”
Since this is in its QPR1 beta, we’ll likely have to wait for Android 17’s first quarterly patch, which is what the tests are for. However, Google hit us with a pretty quick double whammy. Android 17 QPR1 Beta 6 rolled out last week, and it’s now in Platform Stability. This is the part of the beta where devs can begin testing and applying their APIs to the software in preparation for users to receive it.
Android Central’s Take
Android 17 wasn’t a flashy update, and most other phones from other makers are awaiting their turn to get it. Not all major OS updates need to be, so long as they offer something worth our time. Android 17 focuses on security and threat detection for phones, which is always appreciated.
