Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro get what is likely their final update

Google started rolling out its October 2026 update for Pixel phones on October 6. As in September, the older models are included, after the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 received no August patch. According to Google's announcement in the Pixel Community, the Pixel 6, 6 Pro, 6a, 7, 7 Pro and 7a get build CP3A.261005.002.A1. Google says the rollout will continue over the next week in phases, depending on carrier and device.

The Pixel 6 is likely at the end of the line

For anyone still using a Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro, this is likely the last monthly update. Google promises the models up to the Pixel 7a five years of OS and security updates, counted from when each phone first became available on the Google Store in the US. Google lists October 2021 for both phones, so that window closes this month. Android Authority expects a November update to arrive after the cutoff and calls this release the likely final one, while Google itself has not named a date for the last patch. According to Droid Life, Google already said in July, when it announced the Android 17 QPR2 beta, that both phones would reach end of life. At launch, the phones were promised only three major Android upgrades, and the later extension to five took them to Android 17.

What the October patch includes

The update brings no new features to the older Pixels. The three bug fixes Google lists only apply to the Pixel 8 through Pixel 11 series. It is still worth installing because it raises the phones to the October 5, 2026 security patch level. The October Android Security Bulletin lists several critical vulnerabilities. The most severe one affects the System component and allows local privilege escalation without additional execution privileges or user interaction. Google does not mention any active exploitation this month.

How to check your patch level

To see whether the update is available, open Settings, then System and Software update. If the Android security update shows October 5, 2026, your phone is up to date. Pixel 6 and 6 Pro owners who plan to keep their phones should install this patch, since monthly fixes will most likely stop after it. The phone keeps working without updates. Newly discovered vulnerabilities stay open, though, and that becomes a growing risk for banking and other sensitive apps.

Support dates for the other older Pixels

The Pixel 6a went on sale in July 2022 according to Google and will get updates until July 2027. The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are covered until October 2027, and the Pixel 7a until May 2028. From the Pixel 8 onward, Google promises seven years. Owners of the older models should not count on a strict monthly rhythm, though, as Google has left them out of several monthly releases this year.