Google has started rolling out the January 2026 software update. This update has been brought for Pixel smartphones and tablets running Android 16. The update is being released to different devices in phases. The company has announced that the update will reach all devices within the next week. Users will receive notifications when this update becomes available. However, Google has also advised manually checking for updates by going to settings.
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Eligible devices for latest update
This January update will be available on multiple Pixel devices. The list includes Pixel 7a, Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 series, Pixel Fold, Pixel Tablet, and the new Pixel 10 series.
Focus on bug fixes and stability
The main focus of this update is bug fixes and improving system stability rather than new features. Many of the reliability issues that users had reported over the past few months have been fixed in this update.
A significant change has also been made regarding audio issues. The problem of noise being heard in ringback tones during Webex calls in specific situations has been resolved. This solution applies to multiple Pixel phones and tablets.
Battery, display, and performance improvements
Issues with the battery and charging have also been fixed. In some cases, batteries were draining at abnormal rates. That defect has been resolved in the January update. This solution will be available on the most recent Pixel devices, including foldable phones and tablets.
Multiple display-related bugs have also been fixed. Issues with always-on display flickering, visual noise when editing HDR photos in Adobe Lightroom, and flickering lines appearing on screen in some cases have been resolved. Additionally, GPU performance has been improved for the Pixel 10 series.
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The issue of touchscreen suddenly not working on Pixel 10 devices has also been fixed. Besides this, the bug where the Wallpaper and Style app would close after deleting Live Universe wallpapers has also been resolved. Previously, this problem required restarting the phone.
Finally, the latest security patch has also been included with this update. Google has published detailed information about this in the Pixel Security Bulletin. This once again clarifies their emphasis on device security.
