Should Pixel 6 Owners Wait to Install the March Update?

After an initial rollout to older Pixel handsets, Google’s is now pushing the March update to the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. This update promises to improve fingerprint reader accuracy and resolve all the bugs that were introduced with the February update. That said, I suggest waiting a few days to install it.

Update, 3/23/22: The March update reduces vibration intensity for calls and notifications on the Pixel 6. Oddly enough, this probably isn’t a bug.

Google has dropped the ball with every Pixel 6 update. The long-awaited December update was recalled because it led to unresponsive touchscreens and networking problems. When the January update rolled out, it made some customers’ cameras unusable. And last month’s update screwed up the Pixel 6’s Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

In my opinion, customers who aren’t experiencing any major problems on their Pixel 6 should avoid the March update for a few days. That will give us plenty of time to figure out if the March update introduces new bugs—I’m not very hopeful here, as the March update screwed up the fingerprint sensors on older Pixel phones earlier this month.

https://youtu.be/nvXR–VSosE

But what’s included in the March update? According to Google, the update introduces type-to-text for phone calls, which may help nonverbal customers contact banks and other companies that are best reached by phone. Google’s also added Bluetooth and battery info to the At a Glance widget, plus YouTube co-watching for Google Duo video chats.

As for bug fixes … well, there’s a lot, so I’ll just cover the most important stuff. The March update should eliminate Wi-Fi and Bluetooth problems, audio playback issues with streaming apps, unresponsive keyboards, and broken picture-in-picture controls.

Additionally, Google claims this update will improve Pixel 6 fingerprint sensor performance. I previously outlined how software updates could make the Pixel 6’s fingerprint reader more tolerable, but software can only do so much. Don’t expect any miracles.

The March update may take a few days to reach your Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro. To check if the update is available for you, go to Settings, open System, and select Update. You should (hopefully) see an option to install firmware version SP2A.220305.013.A3—this version number is the same regardless of which Pixel 6 you own.

Source: Google, Android Security Bulletin