The Google Pixel 4a has reportedly bagged a surprise update

Google has started rolling out the November update for eligible devices, and surprisingly, the Pixel 4a has received a new build too. This year’s August security patch was expected to be the last update that would go live for the Pixel 4a models, but it seems Google’s business here was unfinished.

For those unaware, the Pixel 4a and Pixel 4a 5G aren’t the same device. The official announcement does mention that the new November patch is live for the Pixel 4a 5G. However, there was no word regarding any new build going live for the standard Pixel 4a.

The update was first noticed by the folks over at Droid-Life who report that it comes with the build TQ3A.230805.001.S1. However, I also came across a comment from a Redditor who confirmed that they received the update on their device too. According to them, the update weights just 9.73 MB.

Unlike its 5G sibling, the Pixel 4a was excluded from the list of Pixel devices that bagged the Android 14 update. So this new update is also based on Android 13 and is likely the final update for the devices. If you haven’t received the update yet, you can check for it manually. It may take a few days to go live for the device in your region too.

The November patch brings a fix for the multi-user bug that has troubled some users following the update to Android 14. It’s also the first update for the newly launched Pixel 8 duo.

That said, this new update may just be the last for the Pixel 5 and the Pixel 4a 5G too. According to Google’s official documentation, the Pixel 5 was only guaranteed to get the October 2023 patch whereas the Pixel 4a 5G was expected to get the November 2023 patch. So Google may have just decided to send out one final update to both units before it drops support for them.