Google Pixel software support: which models still get updates and when they end

Google begins the support window in the month a Pixel became available for purchase on the Google Store website in the U.S., according to Engadget, which cited Google's Pixel release date page. The Pixel 7 and 7 Pro will get their final update by the end of October 2027. The Pixel 6a will lose support after July 2027, and the Pixel 7a will cease updates after May 2028. The a-series phones are released on a different cadence, so their support windows differ from those of the flagship models.

The Pixel 8 and later are guaranteed seven years of support. The Pixel 8 and 8 Pro will stop receiving updates after October 2030. The Pixel 9 and 9 Pro, released in August-September 2024, will reach the same point after those months in 2031. The 2025 Pixel 10 and 10 Pro will get updates until after August 2032, and the new Pixel 11 and 11 Pro until after August 2033. Among the a-series, the Pixel 8a, released in May 2024, will see support expire after May 2031. The Pixel 9a, which shipped in April 2025 after a March announcement, will receive no further updates after April 2032. The Pixel 10a, released slightly less than a year later, will receive a final update around March 2033. Engadget noted that a discounted Pixel 8 still has years of support left.

Google made the seven-year commitment with the release of the Pixel 8 in 2023. The company said future Pixel phones would receive routine security patches and major OS upgrades for seven years. Engadget said this was a more robust promise than Samsung made in 2019, when it pledged three years of major OS updates for lower-end Galaxy devices and seven years for select flagships. Engadget also said a quick loss of software support had previously been a major reason Android phones failed to hold their value for long.

Once Google ends updates, owners have limited options. They can keep using the phone with its last software update, but Engadget said that will expose the device to security risks over time. Android phones generally receive security patches on a monthly cadence; after those stop, newly discovered security issues will not be fixed, leaving owners of older devices exposed. Engadget advised getting a new phone if possible, or at least upgrading to one that still receives security updates.

Custom ROMs or OS images may extend a Pixel's usefulness but do not provide full protection. Engadget said that whether users choose a locked-bootloader OS such as the privacy-focused GrapheneOS or an unlocked-bootloader ROM such as LineageOS, updates pushed to those projects will not benefit from original equipment manufacturer firmware, kernel and vendor code. LineageOS is described as the most well-supported ROM, but because it runs on an unlocked bootloader, apps that require stringent security on a verified boot, such as banking apps, mobile wallets and games with anti-cheat measures, will no longer work. LineageOS still supports the original Pixel from 2016 and nearly every other Pixel phone since, Engadget reported. On a deprecated Pixel, users receive LineageOS security patches for the Linux kernel and framework security, covering some but far from all security needs.