Along with the Pixel Feature Drop for March, Google has also rolled out a new security update that brings a plethora of new fixes and improvements to Pixel devices, old and new. While Google isn’t the first out of the gate this month, it’s still great to see the update rolling out to supported Pixel hardware.
As usual, Google shared details about a series of patches it has released for its latest version, plugging holes in Android that would otherwise impact users and the experience. The update includes patches for frameworks, systems and other hardware components used in Android devices. As with any update, there are many moving parts here, with fixes and patches being months in the works. Check out our guide to learn more about the whole process here.
In addition, Google offered pixel-specific security updates as well as several software experience fixes. Pixel-specific updates are now available for the Pixel 4a, Pixel 5a, Pixel 5 and Pixel 7 series. There are many different versions released, so we’ve listed them verbatim from Google’s site below.
software versions
Global
- Pixel 4a: TQ2A.230305.008.C1
- Pixel 4a (5G): TQ2A.230305.008.C1
- Pixel 5: TQ2A.230305.008.C1
- Pixel 5a (5G): TQ2A.230305.008.C1
- Pixel 7: TQ2A.230305.008
- Pixel 7 Pro: TQ2A.230305.008.C1
T-Mobile & MVNOs, Google Fi (US)
- Pixel 4a (5G): TQ2A.230305.008.A3
- Pixel 5: TQ2A.230305.008.A3
- Pixel 5a (5G): TQ2A.230305.008.A3
Canada
- Pixel 7: TQ2A.230305.008.A1
- Pixel 7 Pro: TQ2A.230305.008.A3
WINDTRE (Italy)
- Pixel 7: TQ2A.230305.008.A1
- Pixel 7 Pro: TQ2A.230305.008.A3
In terms of fixes available, Google has hit all areas of the operating system, making improvements to apps, battery, charging, biometrics, camera, system and more. Again, there are many fixes in this update, so we’ve listed them below.
what is included
In addition to the new features, the March 2023 software update for Pixel devices includes several fixes and improvements in various areas including device stability, connectivity, performance and more – see below for some notable improvements.
applications
- Fixed an issue where the live translation feature in certain apps was prompting for translation too frequently*[1]
- Fixed an issue where the display would occasionally stay on while certain app activities are active
- Fixed an issue that occasionally prevented screenshots from being taken in certain apps
- Fixed an issue that occasionally prevented background and style settings from opening
Recharge battery
- Fixed an issue that occasionally resulted in app-specific battery limit settings being reset after a software update
- Addressed an issue that occasionally prevented Battery Share from charging certain devices or accessories*[2]
- General improvements for charging, battery usage or performance under certain conditions*[1]
- General improvements to wireless charging stability or performance under certain conditions*[2]
biometrics
- Additional improvements for fingerprint recognition and response under certain conditions*[1]
Bluetooth
- Fixed an issue that occasionally prevented Android Auto from connecting to certain vehicle head units wirelessly
- Connection stability improvements with certain Bluetooth LE headsets or accessories
camera
- General camera stability and performance improvements under certain conditions*[1]
- Improvements for color accuracy or exposure level when using the front camera under certain conditions *[3]
Display & Graphics
- Fixed an issue that occasionally causes screen flickering or artifacts in certain apps or conditions*[1]
- Fixed an issue that occasionally resulted in instability or playback errors with certain media apps or content*[1]
- Fixed an issue that occasionally caused the video preview to flicker in certain apps*[1]
Frame
- Fixed an issue that occasionally prevented the keyboard from appearing in certain apps or conditions
sensors
- Additional tuning for haptic intensity and response under certain conditions*[4]
- General improvements for adaptive brightness response under certain conditions
system
- Fixed the issue that prevents the device bootloader from being unlocked under certain conditions*[4]
- Fixed an issue that prevents the device from booting on Android under certain conditions*[4]
- General improvements to system stability and performance under certain conditions
- Kernel updates to 4.14.295 *[5]4.19.261 *[6]5.10.149 *[1]
telephony
- General improvements to network connection stability and performance under certain conditions
Touch
- General improvements to touch response and performance under certain conditions*[3]
user interface
- Fixed an issue that caused certain search results to launch apps in the work profile on the device
- Fixed an issue that caused certain text entries in battery usage settings to overlap when scrolling
- Fixed an issue that caused the home screen UI to appear blurry under certain conditions
- Fixed an issue that causes lag or delays when switching between apps while using third-party launcher apps
- Fixed an issue that occasionally caused inner launcher icons to appear truncated after closing a folder
- Fixed an issue that occasionally caused input text to overlap in the search bar
- Fixed an issue that occasionally caused media player notifications to appear truncated or truncated
- Fixed an issue that occasionally caused the navigation UI to appear over the wizard interface
- Fixed an issue that occasionally caused the notification bar to appear blank or blank
- Fixed an issue that occasionally caused summary screens to appear over the home screen
- Fixed an issue that occasionally resulted in Quick Settings tiles activating while not pulling down the menu
- Fixed an issue where unlocking the screen would occasionally overlap with notifications, the home screen, or other UI elements
- Fixed an issue that occasionally resulted in the silent mode icon being hidden or missing from the status bar
- Fixed an issue that occasionally prevented the app icon size from scaling correctly when resizing the display
- Fixed an issue that occasionally prevented screenshots from being shared or edited when overlay buttons were tapped
- Fixed an issue that prevented haptic feedback when interacting with the notification bar under certain conditions
- General performance improvements for certain UI transitions and animations
- Improvements to the behavior of the home screen icon when switching between different grid sizes
- Improvements to status bar layout and responsiveness on certain device orientations
Wireless Internet access
- General improvements to Wi-Fi network connection stability and performance under certain conditions
- Connection stability improvements with specific Wi-Fi 6E enabled routers or networks*[1]
As previously mentioned, this update only appears to be available for certain supported Pixel devices running Android 13. While Google has launched the update, it says it will take time to complete a full rollout, which should happen within the next few weeks. The update will be delivered over-the-air (OTA), so please be patient if you don’t see it right away. However, if you want to download it as soon as possible, you can always download and install it manually.
Source: Pixel Update Bulletin, Google Pixel Update
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