Key Takeaways
- Google is rolling out a minor new update for the Pixel 5a, three months after its software support ends.
- The update includes various fixes related to adaptive brightness, Bluetooth routing, and media player notification.
- Google has a history of releasing minor bug-fixing updates for Pixel devices a few months after they reach their end of life.
Google launched the Pixel 5a in August 2021, promising three years of Android updates and security patches through August 2024. Sticking to the timeline, Google did not roll out the September and October patches for its 2021 mid-range Pixel as it had reached its end of life. However, Google is seemingly pushing out the November 2024 security patch for the Pixel 5a, three months after the company officially ended its software support.
The AP2A.240805.005.S4 build is apparently still based on the August 2024 security patch, though it carries a newer November build date (via Droid Life). Google has not published a changelog for this build, and interestingly, it did not even mention the update in its November 2024 patch announcement for other Pixel devices.
One Redditor reports the following changes in the build:
As far as I can see in the open-sourced parts of the update, it includes:
– crash fix for control of adaptive / brightness and screen timeout settings when user restrictions against settings changes is involved
– when media player notification closed but not as a result of user interaction dismissing it, don’t tell the media app that it was the user who dismissed
– stability fix in Bluetooth routing when address not set
– apparently at one point they may have looked into including 2024-09-05 security patches in this sunset update too but later turned around and removed it from scope of the update
There may be additional changes in closed-sourced parts of the update.
Google has listed the Pixel 5a’s November OTA and factory image for download on its site. So, if you wish to, you can manually sideload the build on your phone.
Not surprising for Google to roll out an update after the cutoff date
This is not the first time Google has rolled out an update for a Pixel device a few months after it reached its end-of-life. It typically rolls out a minor bug-fixing update a few months after support ends.
The company did the same with the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a (5G), support for which ended in late 2023. However, Google rolled out a small update for them in February 2024, addressing some underlying bugs.
This is likely the final update for the Pixel 5a, and unless Google discovers a major vulnerability, it won’t receive any further updates.
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