Google’s support for both devices Pixel 6 and Pixel Pro ends in October 2026, meaning security patches, Android OS updates, and Pixel Feature Drops all stop within the next few months. For phones that launched in October 2021, that’s a five-year run longer than Google originally promised.
When the Pixel 6 series launched on Android 12, Google committed to three years of OS updates and five years of security patches. In December 2024, Google revised that policy and extended Android OS support to five years for the Pixel 6 lineup, bringing both update tracks in line with each other. The result is that Pixel 6 owners got two extra years of Android upgrades they weren’t originally promised, with Android 17 expected to be the final major version these phones receive before the curtain comes down.
After October 2026, the phones keep working but stop getting any official attention from Google. No security patches means newly discovered vulnerabilities go unaddressed, which becomes a real concern for anyone using their phone for banking, email, or storing sensitive information. App compatibility will also gradually decline as developers move on to newer Android versions.
The natural upgrade path from here points toward the Pixel 8 series or newer, which carry Google’s current seven-year update commitment, a significant jump that changes the long-term value calculation considerably. The Pixel 7 series has until October 2027 if you want something more affordable with a bit of runway left.
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