Google pushes the September 2022 security update to Pixel phones

Google has a tradition of releasing new updates for its Pixel devices as well as publishing a new Android Security Bulletin on the first Monday of each month. However, given that yesterday was Labor Day in the U.S., the company delayed this month's announcement until today. The Android Security Bulletin for September 2022 has now been made public, and a new security update is rolling out for Pixel phones.

September 2022 Android Security Update Bulletin

The Android Security Bulletin for the month of September 2022 details multiple security vulnerabilities ranging in severity from high to critical. The 2022-09-01 security patch level addresses vulnerabilities discovered in Android components, including the Android runtime, Framework, System, and several Project Mainline modules. Meanwhile, the 2022-09-05 security patch level addresses vulnerabilities discovered in not only Android’s kernel but also in some SoC-specific components.

As we’ve seen in the past, many of the disclosed vulnerabilities don’t offer additional documentation that explains what is affected and how the patch addresses the issue. You can read up on how monthly Android security updates work here.

Pixel Update Bulletin/Functional Update

In addition to providing information about vulnerabilities in the general Android Security Update Bulletin, Google has also patched additional vulnerabilities in the security update rolling out for Pixel devices. Unfortunately, this month doesn’t coincide with a new Pixel Feature Drop. All in all, the latest monthly update is comparatively less exciting than last month’s update, which brought Android 13 to the stable channel.

The full changelog is below:

September 2022 Google Pixel Update Changelog

Battery & Charging

Fix for issue occasionally causing increased battery drain from certain launcher background activities
Fix for issue preventing wireless charging mode to activate in certain conditions *[1]

Biometrics

Additional improvements for fingerprint recognition and response in certain conditions *[2]

Bluetooth

Fix for issue occasionally preventing certain Bluetooth devices or accessories from connecting

User Interface

Fix for issue occasionally causing notifications to appear truncated on the lock screen

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Device Applicability

Fixes are available for all supported Pixel devices unless otherwise indicated below.

*[1] Included on Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 5, Pixel 6 & Pixel 6 Pro

*[2] Included on Pixel 6a

You should be getting the September 2022 security update starting today on your Pixel device, so long as you own one of the currently supported models. That includes the Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5, Pixel 5a, Pixel 6, and the Pixel 6 Pro. The update is rolling out for these devices with the build number of TP1A.220905.004. The Pixel 6a, however, won’t be updated until later this month.

If you don’t want to wait for Google to push the update to your Pixel phone, or can’t update normally since your phone is rooted, then check out our Android 13 download article for the latest OTA files and factory images.

Source: Android Security Bulletin, Pixel Update Bulletin, Google Pixel Help Community