Android 14’s rollout has been relatively smooth for Google, with many Pixel 6 and 7 ownersreporting longer battery life and better thermal performance after the update. But it was not exactly perfect, asAndroid 14 locked some Pixel owners out of their phone’s storage. The issue primarily seemed to affect users with multiple user or guest profiles. Google has acknowledged the problem and confirmed a temporary fix is rolling out.
In a post onGoogle’s support forum, community manager Cami V. confirmed the storage bug affects Pixel 6 and newer devices and is being caused by multiple user profiles. The issue can prevent users from accessing files on their phone’s internal storage. Third-party apps are also unable to access the device storage, causing them not to work properly and crash randomly. Worse, in some cases, Pixel phones can get stuck in a “Pixel is starting” boot loop.
Google is working on “fixes for impacted devices.” To prevent further damage, the company has pushed out a Google Play system update to ensure the bug does not affect more devices. This move ensures the fix is immediately available to all Pixel 6 and 7 owners worldwide and is faster than rolling out a new Android 14 build. You can grab the latest Google Play System update on your Pixel by navigating toSettings > Security and privacy > System and updates > Google Play system update.
What if you are already locked out of your Pixel’s storage after installing Android 14? Google is working on a “system update [that] will repair the issue and restore access to media files without requiring a factory reset.” If your phone is stuck in a boot loop, the chances of recovering your data without a factory reset appear slim. Google says it is “investigating methods that may be able to recover some data.” There’s no fix available right now, and the company will provide more information later.
If you have alreadyfactory reset your Pixel, Google recommends not to create a guest or secondary user profile until an OTA update is available.
Sadly, Google’s response to the problem is not enough, as it has only acknowledged the issue. The fix available today will benefit Pixel users who have not been impacted by the bug. But what if your phone is affected and semi-broken because you can’t access the internal storage? Google’s recommendation is to wait as it works on a fix. That’s not a great solution, especially since reports of the bug popped up soon after Android 14’s release in early October.
You can wait for Google to roll out a potential fix and hope it will help recover your locked files. But if you don’t have any important files on your Pixel, it’s better to reset the phone and start over.
