Today, Google surprised everyone with the public release of Android 13 – now rolling out to eligible Pixel phones. Once updated to Android 13, the latest generation of Pixels: 6, 6 Pro, and 6a will not be able to revert to Android 12.
Warning: The Android 13 update for Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, and the Pixel 6a contains a bootloader update that increments the anti-roll back version. After flashing an Android 13 build on these devices you will not be able to flash older Android 12 builds.
The change is listed on the Android 13 Factory Images page for Pixel phones, but there’s no mention of the anti-roll back feature on older Pixel devices. Though the reason isn’t confirmed, it is presumed that the Pixel 6 lineup with its Google Tensor chip is enough for Google to protect its devices from future exploits. The anti-roll back feature is an intended security measure that is now starting to go into effect for Google Pixel phones.
Google Pixel 6
Android 13 brings a refined Material You theme with enhanced “Now Playing” card visuals and more granular app permissions controls such as allowing an app to access one item without giving access to all internal storage. There’s also support for Spatial Audio, Bluetooth LE Audio, and support for streaming sound to multiple devices at once.
