If you’re among the lucky few who managed to pre-order the Pixel 6 or 6 Pro (or who will get one when they become available tomorrow), get ready to download a day-one update.
According to a post on Google’s ‘Pixel Phone Help’ site, Pixel 6 and 6 Pro owners will need to update their phones “to get all the features.” The post explains that once users complete the phone setup, the update “automatically downloads silently in the background” and will prompt users to reboot the phone once it’s ready.
The post also recommends updating apps to the latest versions as well to ensure access to all features.
The Verge further elaborates, noting that users should look for build number ‘SD1A.210817.036’ (or ‘SD1A.210817.036.A8’ for Verizon customers). You can find that number either by opening the notification shade and swiping down again to reveal the quick settings widgets (the build number will be visible below the widgets but above the edit, power and settings buttons). Alternatively, you can head to Settings > About Phone and scroll to the bottom to see the build number.
Day-one software updates seem to be the norm these days, whether you’re picking up a new phone, laptop, game or other tech. As a reviewer, I’ve started making it common practice to set new devices aside to update after I first set them (I’ve had more than a few scenarios where a laptop performed really poorly because I hadn’t installed some critical software update yet).
As for the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, the day-one update is likely the cause behind some of my woes during testing. I noted in my Pixel 6 review that several features weren’t available or didn’t work (I even made sure all my apps were up to date and, as far as the Pixel 6 was concerned, Android was fully updated too). Naturally, after publishing the review, the day-one software update arrived and fixed several problems, although some features still aren’t available because I’m in Canada.
All this is to say, update your phones (and other tech)!
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