Multiple owners of Google Pixel 6 series phones (6, 6a, 6 Pro) have been reporting in the past week that their devices were "bricked" after they performed a factory reset.
Factory resets wipe the device of all personal data, apps, and settings and are typically performed when the device owner prepares it for resale.
The Pixel 6 series, released in late 2021, is approaching the typical upgrade cycle for many original buyers, and issues with the factory reset process have become significantly more impactful.
Starting last week, users reported getting an error about a missing 'tune2fs' file during boot up, leading to a recovery screen reading "Cannot load Android system. Your data may be corrupt."
The Android recovery screen prompts the user to perform another factory reset, creating an endless loop that doesn't resolve the issue.
Source: Imgur
The inability to configure the bootloader due to OEM locks prevents using Android flash tools or other troubleshooting methods, while efforts to sideload updates via ADB fail after the process stops midway.
Some users report participation in the Android 15 beta program, but since this is not a common denominator in all reports, the cause of the "bricking" remains undetermined.
Google's response
Users report mixed responses from Google, and with many facing this issue just as their devices went out of warranty, getting proper support is complicated.
Reports on Reddit mention that Google's repair services claimed it was a motherboard issue and wanted a high price for fixing a device no longer under warranty.
Volunteer mods on Google forums stated that the company's engineers acknowledged the issue and are currently investigating, but no specific instructions on what people should do to devices have been provided yet.
BleepingComputer has contacted Google to learn more about the nature of the problem and the company's plans to resolve it, but we have not heard back by publication time.
Until the situation clears up, Google Pixel 6, 6a, and 6 Pro owners should not perform factory resets and take regular backups on a separate device.
This is not the first time that Google Pixel device owners have faced serious software/firmware errors that cause basic usability problems this year.
The January 2024 Android system update for Pixel phones caused the inability to access internal storage, launch the camera app, or open any app across a range of Pixel models.
The solution to that problem, which came nearly a month later, was a complex and time-consuming multi-step process requiring familiarity with software tools and additional hardware (a computer).
Update 7/3 - Google has confirmed it's working on a fix, and shared some tips for Pixel owners here.
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Comments
DyingCrow - 8 months ago
Noted, thank you. I have a 6a, so no more updates for the next 2000 years.
b1k3rdude - 8 months ago
Er thats why they should install GrapheneOS.. no Google b$ then..
But I digress, the whole point of owning a Pixel is that you are free to downgrade and upgrade, so yet again the media are being dramatic and reporting a non-story.....
Trevorwinns - 8 months ago
This suggests the phones were updated since purchase probably why the factory reset weren't scooby doo.
TDMPro2K - 8 months ago
There support is claiming no knowledge of the issue...
Hi Richard,
Thank you for contacting Google Support.
This email is in reference to the concern you raised. My name is Tessa, one of the floor supervisors. I understand that you are concerned about the device being stuck on the boot loader after updating the device.
I certainly understand your concern in this regard and we apologize for the inconvenience caused to you.
We have checked the details and would like to inform you that we don't have any official information regarding the same issue coming in our Pixel 6 models. There are several open Forums available on the internet, it must have been posted randomly, however I'd like to assure you that if there is any known issue regarding this you'll surely be notified from our authorized resources.
However, as the issue is coming on the device and we don't want you to keep facing the issue hence we suggest you to get the device repaired from our Google Store repair option. With Google Repair, we run a full diagnostics on the device and our engineers will repair all the issues with the device. The device will also go through a rigorous quality assurance process to check if there is any other issue and that will be fixed too and then we will finalize the device for fulfillment.