Google offers great support for Pixels, but not all models enjoy the full timeline. With the release of the Pixel 8 in 2023, Google announced that Pixel phones would receive seven years of software updates — not only routine security patches but major OS upgrades. This was a more robust promise than Samsung, which had pledged three years for lower-end Galaxy devices and seven for select flagships in 2019.
A quick loss of software support had previously been a major reason why Android phones failed to hold their value, so this commitment was crucial for the future. With the release of the Pixel 8 in 2023, Google announced that Pixel phones would receive seven years of software updates — not only routine security patches but major OS upgrades. This was a more robust promise than Samsung, which had pledged three years for lower-end Galaxy devices and seven for select flagships in 2019.
A quick loss of software support had previously been a major reason why Android phones failed to hold their value, so this commitment was crucial for the future. Newer Pixel phones get five to seven years of software updates. All Pixels from the original model through the Pixel 5a are obsolete and no longer receiving updates.
If you have a phone in the Pixel 6 or 7 families, or the original Pixel Fold, it will receive updates for five years from the month it went on sale. That means the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro will get their final update by the end of October 2027, while the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are currently reaching their end of support in October 2026. The Pixel 7a will cease updates after May 2028, while the Pixel 6a will lose support after July 2027.
The Pixel 8 and later are guaranteed to get seven years of support, meaning the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro will stop receiving updates after October 2030. It is thus still worth picking up a discounted Pixel 8 with the life it has in it. The Pixel 9 and 9 Pro (released in August-September 2024) will do the same after those months in 2031, the 2025 Pixel 10 and 10 Pro after August 2032, and the new Pixel 11 and 11 Pro after August 2033.
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. Lastly, the Pixel 10a, which released slightly less than a year later, will receive a final update around March 2033.
If you want to keep your Pixel phone alive after Google ends the update schedule, you have few options. You can keep using it with the last software update it receives, but this will expose your phone to security risks in the long run. Once security patches stop, new security issues that get discovered won't be fixed, leaving owners of older devices exposed.
You should get a new phone if possible, or at least upgrade to one that still receives security updates. Installing a custom ROM or OS image onto your old Pixel would not give it new life after Google abandons it. Whether you go for a full-scale OS with a locked bootloader like the privacy-focused Graphene OS, or opt for a ROM with an unlocked bootloader like Lineage OS, you won't be fully protected from security threats.
Any updates pushed to those projects will not benefit from original equipment manufacturer firmware, kernel and vendor code.
Source: Engadget · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing