Summary
- Google’s January 2024 Play System update caused storage issues for some Pixel users.
- The update’s rollout was halted due to this, with Google acknowledging the problem and providing a fix for affected users.
- Google is now rolling out a new January 2024 Play System update build for its Pixel phones.
Google rolls out a new Play System update for the best Android phones almost every month, bringing small but valuable changes to the OS without requiring a full firmware update. The year started with Google rolling out the January 2024 Play System update but had to stop its distribution soon after as the build was locking Pixel users out of their phone’s storage. The company quickly acknowledged the issue and provided a cumbersome fix for affected users. Two weeks after initially halting the update and a week into February, Google has started rolling out a new January 2024 Play System update.
Multiple Pixel users on Reddit report receiving the January 2024 Play System update on their phones (via Android Authority). Depending on their Pixel, the update weighs around 70-88MB. Upon a manual check, the update also popped up for download on my Pixel 8 Pro. This update comes within days of the February 2024 security patch going live for compatible Pixel phones.
Google’s release notes for the Jan 2024 Play System update highlight the following changes:
- [Phone] Updates to system management services that improve Device Connectivity, Network Usage, Security, Stability, and Updatability.
- [Phone] Bug fixes for System Management & Diagnostics related services.
If you own a Pixel, you can download the latest monthly Google Play System update by navigating to Settings > Security & privacy > System & updates > Google Play system update. However, you might want to hold off on this update if you are wary of it causing issues and locking you out of your Pixel phone’s storage. Wait for a few days until more user reports confirm there are no issues with the build before updating.
Non-Pixel devices were not affected by the storage bug, so if you have not updated your phone to the Jan 2024 Play System build, go ahead and do so now.
The initial Jan 2024 build had a fault within the DCLA Mainline Module, leading to some unlucky Pixel owners being locked out of their phone’s storage. Worse, the issue occurred within months of a similar incident caused by an Android 14 multi-user bug, which left some Pixel 6 and 7 owners unable to access the data on the internal storage.
Back then, affected users were forced to factory reset their phones and lose all their stored data. Thankfully, Google had a better, albeit cumbersome, workaround for the fiasco caused by the Jan 2024 Play System update, which involved running some ADB commands.
Still, all of these issues with software rollouts paint Google in a bad light. The company’s patchy track record with Pixel updates in recent months is one of the many reasons our Phones Editor, Will Sattelberg, says Pixel phones are impossible to recommend.
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