A Critical Android Bug Leaves Millions Vulnerable
Google’s Pixel and Samsung’s Galaxy devices were among the first to receive an early taste of Android 16, which introduces new, thoughtful features and numerous enhancements over the previous major Android software release. However, these devices are also now at risk due to a major bug in the Google Play system update that is blocking them from receiving the latest patch, leaving them vulnerable to attacks.
Why Google Play System Updates Are Crucial
The Google Play system update is a vital function Google uses to deliver security patches, feature enhancements, and other important updates directly to a device’s core system components. This allows updates to be applied without shipping an entire software package or requiring a full device reset. Currently, this very mechanism is putting Android 16 users at risk, as a flaw exists that prevents devices from being updated to the latest Google Play system.
The issue appears to have persisted for weeks, with user reports dating back to early this month. Google has only recently acknowledged the problem and vows to release a fix as soon as possible, although no concrete timeline has been provided.
However, this gap in the version leaves many users with an outdated Google Play system, increasing their security and privacy vulnerabilities until the fix arrives.
Which Devices Are Affected by the Android 16 Bug?
Among the affected devices are Google Pixel phones, ranging from the Pixel 6 to the Pixel 9 series, that have been updated to Android 16 or an Android 16 beta build. Samsung’s Galaxy S25 models, which are running on One UI 8 Beta, are also impacted. Even worse, the latest Galaxy Z Fold 7 (test) and Galaxy Z Flip 7 units in our studio are also stuck on the May patch.
On my Pixel 9 Pro XL device, currently running on the stable Android 16, it shows May 1, 2025, as the version of the Google Play system. I tried to initiate the update, which requires a restart, but it stops or interrupts in the middle of the patching process and presents an error message stating “Failed to update.” Meanwhile, some users who updated to the June 2025 version before installing Android 16 are now experiencing problems updating to the July 2025 patch.
If you’re running Android 16 or an Android 16 beta and are unsure of your Google Play system update version, you can check it in Settings > About phone > Android version. This information is found below the Android security update section.
What version of Android are you running on your device? Are you also affected by this bug? Let us know in the comments.