Pixel 6 owners face a critical storage bug with Android 14
What you need to know
Pixel 6 owners are reporting a crucial storage bug following an Android 14 update, resulting in many wiping their devices and losing their data.
The problem appears to be tied to those using multiple profiles on their Pixel 6.
Others have encountered a similar problem with the Pixel 6 Pro after updating Google Play systems following Android 14.
A couple of weeks after Google's latest major OS launch, owners of its two-year-old smartphone are encountering terrible problems.
After receiving a tip, The Verge cites a Reddit thread where a few owners of a Pixel 6 Pro have discussed problems with the device, Android 14, and multiple profiles. The Redditor stated that after the OS' most recent update, they had received a persistent "storage is full" message on their phone. The update is also apparently not applying, as restarting the phone still displays the progress bar for installation.
The user adds they have 250GB of the Pixel 6 Pro's 512GB storage remaining. However, the bug doesn't realize this.
Further digging seems to have unearthed a possible reason for the trouble: multiple profiles. The post states they have an additional four profiles on their device, which could be causing some sort of conflict between Android 14's latest patch.
Unfortunately, the user was left with no other option but to factory reset their device, effectively losing all of their data in the process.
Additional users on Reddit with more than one profile on their Pixel 6 have reported similar storage lock-out problems resulting in factory resets, as well. Hopefully, there will be some sort of resolution soon as the problem has gained traction on the community forums, turning it into a "trending issue."
Another user commented on the thread, encountering a similar problem after updating Google Play systems following Android 14. They are using a Pixel 6 Pro, much like the thread's owner, but are unable to access their internal storage files. The existing files do not appear for backup, either. Every app is delivering a similar "storage is full" message despite the fact that they have around 50GB remaining.
Right now, the only option users are facing is to manually back up their most important data, such as photos, videos, and the like, to a computer before initiating a total reset.
With regard to the initial problem, The Verge attempted to recreate the problem on a Pixel 6a. After creating another account on their phone (running the latest beta), the storage issue never appeared, but the device continuously crashed with a UI message to boot.
Google released Android 14 on several Pixel devices simultaneously with its launch of the Pixel 8 series two weeks ago. While not the flashiest or most action-packed update, Android 14 is more focused on smaller, modest upgrades to the OS, with customization and cosmetic updates among the highlights.
