Google has begun rolling out an unexpected second software update for Pixel phones this month, catching many users off guard.
The update began appearing earlier this week and is already rolling out to several Pixel models. This comes after Google had already released both the December Pixel Drop and the regular monthly security update earlier in the month. The new update is noticeably small. That detail has fueled speculation that this is not a feature update, but rather a targeted fix for a serious issue.
As Android Authority reported, this is a “new, smaller, second update,” and Google “has yet to reveal what the update addresses, but it’s likely to contain a critical fix.” The outlet added that it was able to “verify this on a Pixel 10 Pro, getting the update just now.”
Users on Reddit were the first to spot the update, with confirmations coming from owners of Pixel 8, Pixel 9, and Pixel 10 series phones.
As of now, Google’s official Pixel firmware pages still list only the original December update. There is no public explanation of what the new release fixes, and Google has not made an announcement.
More Google coverage
- New Google Search AI Mode is ‘Total Reimagining,’ Says CEO Sundar Pichai
- In Major Ruling, Judge Finds Google ‘Willfully Acquired and Maintained Monopoly Power’ Over Digital Ad Market
- Google’s Big Bet on Nuclear Energy: ‘The Race to Power AI-Driven Data Centers is Accelerating’
- Computer History Museum Releases Original AlexNet Code: Why It Matters
The end of the ‘pocket dial’ nightmare?
While the emergency patch’s purpose is unknown, Pixel owners did recently get a promising sign about a different, long-standing issue: pocket dialing. For years, users have complained about phones activating in pockets, making emergency calls, sending messages, or turning on flashlights without permission.
It appears a fix for these accidental taps is officially in the pipeline. PiunikaWeb first spotted a Google engineer’s comment on the company’s issue tracker from November 29. The engineer stated, “The issue has been fixed and watch out for future releases.”
Although the long-awaited “pocket mode” didn’t make it into this week’s small hotfix, the confirmation suggests it is likely arriving in the January 2026 update or the next major feature drop.
To learn more about what else changed for Pixel users this month, see TechRepublic on Pixel work chats getting archived.