Essential Phone October Android security update brings back notch support

There might be some things about the Essential Phone that dissuade you from buying it. But one thing you can't complain about is the handset's software support. Just a few days after the Pixel handsets received Android 9 Pie in early August, the Essential Phone also received the latest Android build. That made it at the time, the only non Google phone to receive the update.

Today, on October 1st, the Essential Phone has started to receive the October Android Security update. You can't get it any earlier than that. Besides bolstering the phone's defense against hackers and malware, the update returns notch support to the phone. This was introduced to the device back in April when it accompanied the update to Android 8.1 Oreo. The aforementioned update to Android 9 Pie removed this feature, setting off a loud yell by Essential users that was heard by the company.

The returned notch support allows Essential users to choose one of three options. They can decide to let the notch appear or disappear depending on the app currently on the screen. They can choose to always display the notch, or choose to always hide the notch.

The update carries software build PPR1.181005.034. When it arrives on your Essential Phone, there are a couple of things you need to do before starting the updating process; make sure that your phone is connected to a Wi-Fi signal or has a strong cellular connection, and fully charge the battery in your Essential Phone.

source: @essential