If you have a Google Pixel phone in your pocket, you should be used to the perks of owning a phone from the company that also makes Android. One of these boons is getting monthly feature and security software updates first, before these Android-wide changes roll out to other phones from the likes of Samsung, OnePlus or Honor.

Alongside a general Android security update that all supported Android phones get each month, Google also offers specific software updates that only apply to its Pixel phones. Google has just announced the fixes it is bringing to a slew of Pixel devices this month, with all Pixel phones released since May 2023’s Pixel 7a getting the update.

“We have started to roll out the monthly software update for January 2026,” Pixel Community Manager Kush M posted on a Google support page. “All supported Pixel devices running Android 16 will receive these software updates starting today, and the rollout will continue over the next week in phases, depending on carrier and device.”

Fixes for all supported phones include an audio bug caused noise in Webex calls, and a wallpaper bug where deleting certain wallpapers could make the phone unusable until rebooted.

Pleasingly, Google says the update should issue a fix for an issue that caused battery drain on Pixel 8 and later, but the biggest update for those Pixel owners with the newest phone is a GPU boost to the Pixel 10 series.

Users have complained of a lack of GPU oomph on Google’s newest phones, which can affect app performance, especially in graphically intense mobile games. As vague as it is, Google says the update brings: “General improvements for GPU performance in certain conditions”.

Pixel 10 phones should also get a fix to a reported flickering problem that affected the always-on display and a bug for Adobe Lightroom app users who might have been seeing “noisy lines flashing on the screen when editing HDR photos”.

This might seem like a niche fix, but it goes to show how granular these software updates can go to ensure all apps and services are running smoothly.

Notably, Google said Pixel 7a and later would get the update, but that could be for Pixel owners in the US only. Only Pixel 9 and later are slated for this update in EMEA, which is Europe, Middle East and Asia, and this even excludes the Pixel 9a, which came out last year.

Meanwhile, updates for owners of Pixels in Japan include the 9a but exclude the rest of the Pixel 9 line up.

It points to the inherent fragmentation of Android. Even when Google makes Android and makes Pixel phones, it cannot push out blanket updates globally to all compatible devices. This is unlike Apple, which can update iPhones globally with the latest iOS version no matter the region.

Apple currently supports iPhones back to and including 2019’s iPhone 11 with the latest iOS 26. Though Google promises seven years of updates with its current crop of Pixel 10 phones, the firm still lags behind Apple when it comes to consistency of software updates.