Android December security update starting to hit Pixel 4 devices now

Some Pixel 4 users are starting to receive the December Android security update for their device.

The December update began rolling out to Pixel devices earlier this month, but Google delayed it for the Pixel 4 and 4 XL without explanation. Now, however, it appears the delay is over and the update is rolling out.

Specifically, some Pixel 4 users with U.S. carrier Verizon have received the update. A few Canadian Pixel 4 owners have also reported receiving the update.

According to Android Central, however, the update isn’t widely available yet. Oddly, the OTA files aren’t available from Google’s developer website either.

The security update weighs in at 129MB, which isn’t exactly big. While some expected a larger update, considering the huge ‘feature drop’ Google just announced, most of those new features are app related and may not rely on anything new in the security update.

For example, the biggest updates in the feature drop include improved Call Screen, an option to add portrait blur to pictures and auto-framing in Google Duo. All of those will likely come through updates to the Phone, Photos and Duo apps. Other changes, like the improved memory management, may be part of the security update or may come as a bigger update later on.

If you’ve got a Pixel 4 device, you can head to ‘Settings’ > ‘System’ > ‘Advanced’ > ‘System’ update to check for the update. However, it may take a few days to roll out to everyone.

My Pixel 4 currently doesn’t show that an update is available, but I’ve also not received the November update — an issue affecting many Pixel 4 owners. At this point, I expect I won’t get the November update at all, but considering monthly updates are a selling point of the Pixel line, it’s frustrating that updates aren’t coming.

Update 12/10/2019 at 12:43pm: Added a note that some Canadian users were starting to see the update.

Source: Android Central