- Software support for Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro ending soon
- Android QPR1 will be the definitive update for these phones
- Google first launched them in October 2021.
If you have a Google Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro, released in October 2021, then your five years of software updates are coming to an end: Google has confirmed that these devices will not have access to the latest version of Android QPR2 Beta 1.
“Pixel 6 and 6 Pro users will not receive this OTA as the device will reach end-of-life and the Android 17 QPR1 beta series will be the last for these devices,” Google says in the latest beta release notes, via Android Police.
That means there will be no more beta updates for the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, with the final stable software release officially Android 17 QPR1, which will be part of the September Pixel Drop. This should arrive just before the fifth anniversary of these phones in October 2026.
As with all end-of-life situations like this, your phone won’t suddenly stop working. However, you will no longer receive new features or security updates – the more time passes, the more vulnerable you will be to bugs and malware attacks.
Apps may start to slow down and misbehave, and the recommended course of action is to update them as soon as possible. Google is set to unveil the new Pixel 11 series on Wednesday, August 12, so maybe you can treat yourself to one of those phones.
There is still life in the old phone
You have options about what to do with your old phone. Your network operator can recycle it for you and even give you some cash back (check the website for details), but if not, you can find numerous third-party services that will do this – just do a web search.
You can also reuse your old Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro and turn it into something else. All of these ideas will work without the need for regular Android software updates:
- Dedicated e-reader: Get the Kindle app (or something similar) on your old phone and you can keep it exclusively for reading your e-books.
- car dash camera Mount your old phone on the dashboard of your car and plug it in, install an app like Droid Dashcam and you have a dash cam.
- Alternative webcam: Sticking with cameras, your old phone probably offers higher resolution and better angles than your current webcam. Here’s how to set it up.
- Portable power bank — Both the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro can function as chargers for other phones when connected via USB-C (they can also charge smaller devices wirelessly).
- Wi-Fi Extender — If part of your house can’t get Wi-Fi, use your old Pixel as a Wi-Fi extender for your router via the hotspot option (on Network and internet in Settings).
- PC console – With an app like Touch Portal installed, you can get a Stream Deck-like experience for gaming and streaming with your old Android phone.
There’s no excuse for leaving it collecting dust in a drawer or simply throwing it in the trash (and adding to our growing e-waste problem). And you still have a couple of months to decide what you would like to do.
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