Android 12L beta breaks Google Pay function on Pixel phones, returns 'rooted or running uncertified software' error

With the release of Android 12 on Pixel devices, Google adopted a new design lineup that significantly changed the UI. During the Android Dev Summit held this October, the Mountain View-based company introduced Android 12L.

Noting the increase in screen sizes in the last few years, Android 12L brings in a polished UI optimized for large screens such as tablets, foldable, and Chromebooks. A few days ago, Google released the first beta of Android 12L on supported Pixel devices.

Since it is still in beta, users were expecting some features to be broken. And now according to recent reports from Pixel users who upgraded to Android 12L Beta, Google Pay is not working.

Users say whenever try to use Google Pay, it says that the device they are using is either rooted or uncertified. This is really inconvenient for those who make payments using Google Pay on a daily basis.

With over 100 million users worldwide, Google Pay is one of the most popular forms of payment methods in some countries like India. And with the COVID-19 pandemic still going on, many businesses had adopted the service in favor of cash-based transactions.

I let the upgrade to 12L go ahead on my Pixel 5, but it has broken Google Pay so I opted out of the beta. I haven’t received an OTA update after 18 hours though the status page says I’m not enrolled. I tried sideloading the December update of Android 12 but get an error that says the datestamp is earlier than the existing build on the phone. It fails, though the phone does reboot. How to I reinstall Android 12 ASAP? Thanks for help/suggestions! 🙂
(Source)

To add insult to injury, I got a notification this morning saying “Your phone doesn’t meet software standards. You can’t pay contactless with this device. It may be rooted, or running uncertified software. Contact your device manufacturer or visit Google Pay Help for more info.” It looks like the 12L beta team forgot to do something to certify the beta release!
(Source)

A few hours ago, Google said that they had fixed the issue, but with reports still flowing in after the announcement, it looks like the issue is not fixed for some.

Hi all, Appreciate the reports – we have fixed the issue with Android Pay. Please let us know if you’re still seeing issues.
(Source)

That being said, it is still unclear how long users will have to live with Google Pay not working. Rest assured, if and when they do fix the Google Pay issue with Android 12L Beta once and for all, we will let you know so stay tuned.

Note: We have more such stories in our dedicated Android Section so be sure to follow them as well.

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