Pixel 5 owner claims to have received the April security update a week early

You might remember that the March security update and the March Feature Drop for most eligible Pixel devices showed up one week late on March 13th instead of the expected date of March 6th. However, Pixel 6 series models had to wait an additional week until March 20th to install the latest security patches and new features. And while this was going on, an extremely serious flaw in Samsung's Exynos modems left the Pixel 6 series in desperate need of the March security update which patched the vulnerability.

While some Pixel 6 series users on Verizon say that they have yet to receive the March update, a Reddit subscriber with a Pixel 5 says that he received the April security update today, March 27th, and sent a screenshot as proof. The screenshot shows that the Redditor's device sports the April 5 security patch. The build number is TQ2A.230405.003. Usually, Google releases the monthly updates on the first Monday of each month which would leave April 3rd as the next date to expect such an update. Ironically, one Reddit user said that his Pixel just received the March security update today.

If you want to try and see what update might be available to your Pixel 4a (5G), Pixel 5, Pixel 5a, Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, and Pixel 7 Pro, go to Settings > System > System update. Most likely you'll be informed that your phone is up to date.

If you are skeptical, keep in mind that some Samsung phones have received the coming month's security update even before the calendar changed to the new month and thus received it before eligible Pixels did. On the other hand, Google's developer website shows the March 2023 security update as the latest build available for all Pixel phones. If you own a Pixel and have received the April security update, drop a comment in the comment section below.

Sometime during April, we should see Google kick off the Android 14 Beta program. Currently, the Android 14 Developer Preview 2 release has been available for developers looking to optimize their apps with the upcoming Android 14 build. For the record, Android 14's dessert name is "Upside Down Cake."

Assuming that Android 14 Beta 1 is released in April, by June the Android 14 Beta program could be in Platform Stability. At that point, developers assume that there will be no more changes impacting their apps making it a less risky time for Pixel users to join the Beta program. The final version of Android 14 could be released in August or September.