Weeks late, Verizon finally releases the battery fix Pixel 6 series users needed

On the first Tuesday of this month, September 6th, Google released the monthly September update for its Pixel phones. As far as monthly updates go, this one was eagerly awaited since it included a fix for a bug that was causing the Pixel 6 series to run as hot as a Miami sidewalk in July, causing the battery to drain. The update also contained an important fix for the pitiful under-display fingerprint sensor on the Pixel 6a which was unlocking the device for every Tom, Dick, and Harry with a finger.

Some Pixel users received the update on September 6th or the next day or so. But when yours truly hadn't received it for the Pixel 6 Pro a week and a half later, it seemed that something was amiss. On September 17th, we told you that Pixel owners on Verizon never were sent the monthly update. We suggested that Verizon customers waiting for the update could receive it by joining the beta program for the December Quarterly Pixel Feature Drop known as Android 13 QPR1 Beta.

Of course, you will have to opt-out of the beta program once Google drops the stable version in December. The penalty for early withdrawal from the beta program is a data wipe. Ouch. We have more to tell you about the beta program below.

Even though Verizon supposedly released the update on September 12 (it never did, apparently), Reddit users reported this past Friday that Verizon finally delivered the September update to its subscribers using the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. To install the update on your Pixel 6 series handset, go to Settings > System > System update.

Here is what happened to one Pixel 6 Pro user with the Reddit handle of  Adventurous_Mind_775. He wrote, "I was traveling across the US while using my P6P for navigation. I had to pull over a few times due to battery drain. I got the update towards the tail end of my trip and it worked great after that."

It isn't clear why Verizon waited so long to disseminate the update, which is build version TP1A.220905.004.A1 for your information. If you are still having problems pulling the update from Verizon, or you just want to join the Android 13 QPR1 Beta, here is how you can do it. Go to www.google.com/android/beta or click on this link. Tap the rectangle that says "View your eligible devices" and you'll be sent to a page that shows an image of your Pixel 6 series model.

Underneath the image is a box that says Opt-in. Tap it. Within the next 24 hours (although it is usually immediate) you will receive the beta update. Go to Settings > System > System update and follow the directions. Just keep in mind that beta software is unstable but there shouldn't be much of a problem because of the nature of the update. As Google states, "Android 13 QPR1 beta is now available and offers Quarterly Platform Releases (QPRs) for the current stable platform that include feature drops, bug fixes, and performance improvements ahead of the public release schedule."

One of the more interesting things found on the Android 13 QPR1 Beta is an animation showing a woman staring at her Pixel phone to help set up Face Unlock. The dream is still alive for Pixel 6 Pro users thanks to the front-facing selfie snapper's Sony IMX663 image sensor. This sensor uses dual-pixel auto-focus which has been used by Google to create depth maps for Portrait mode using just one lens.

With the ability to create depth maps, the Pixel 6 Pro can produce secure maps of users' faces. This prevents some bad actors from using a photograph of a user to unlock his/her phone. The only question is whether this implementation of Face Unlock will consume too much battery power.

By the way, the monthly October update for compatible Pixels should be released on Monday, October 3rd.