Some Pixel 6 users are seeing bricked phones after a factory reset

Summary

• Google Pixel 6 users are facing issues when trying to factory reset their phones.
• Users are met with an error message, which leaves the phone unusable.
• Google is aware of the problem, but there is no timeline for an immediate fix.

Despite the Pixel 6 having some glaring shortcomings, it was one of the best Android phones you could buy when it first made its debut. Google did the unexpected by offering something fresh, giving Android users an exciting choice when it came to smartphones. Of course, the Pixel 6 series would become the cornerstone of the lineup, with successors like the Pixel 7 and Pixel 8 keeping roughly the same look while gaining further refinements.

Unfortunately, as we inch closer to the release of the Pixel 9 series, which is set to occur in August, it looks like some users are seeing some nasty behavior pop up on their Pixel 6 phones. This behavior occurs while trying to factory reset the device, which has left some folks in a bit of a pinch. And while Google has acknowledged the problem, there doesn’t seem to be an immediate fix for it at the moment.

Whatever you do, don’t factory reset for now

The issue was first reported on the Pixel Phone Help support forums, with users chiming in that their Pixel 6 phones weren’t working anymore after a factory reset (via The Verge). Tech Issues Today was one of the first news outlets to pick this up, but this problem seems to have been occurring as far back as June 24.

As far as what happens, when users go to factory reset their phones, they are met with a message, letting them know that an error has occurred, which leaves the phone in a non-usable state. Sadly, it appears that this wasn’t a one-off or isolated incident, and Google is aware of the problem, and it is currently “under investigation.”

Sadly, this is the kind of thing that you don’t want to experience when owning a Pixel device. And while we’d like to say that it’s just a rare occurrence, Pixel users have long been facing a variety of software issues for some time now, which tends to leave a bad taste in some Pixel users’ mouths.

Again, if you’re trying to reset your Pixel 6 phone right now, we recommend against it. While things could end up alright, there’s the off chance that you might end up with a bricked phone that can’t be fixed as of now. If you’re doing a trade in, it might be better to wait until the last minute, when there might be a fix, or reach out to customer service to figure something out.