The Pixel 6a finally receives the September update with a fix for the fingerprint sensor

Update (Sept 12, 05:30 pm ET): Google Pixel 6a also joins in with the September 2022 update.

What you need to know

• Google has begun rolling out the September Update for Pixel smartphones.
• The update includes several bug fixes addressing battery drain, biometrics, and more.
• The Pixel 6a will receive the update later this month.

Following the holiday weekend, Google is back on track with the September Update rolling out to its Pixel smartphones, bringing a few bug fixes for the Pixel 4/XL and up.

The update is available for (almost) all Pixel smartphones running Android 13, although according to Google, the Pixel 6a is left out, at least for now. As was often the case for Google's latest flagships following launch, it seems 6a owners will have to wait until later this month to receive their update.

For those receiving the September Update now, there are a few bug fixes in tow that users may appreciate, per Google's community post:

Battery & Charging

• Fix for issue occasionally causing increased battery drain from certain launcher background activities
• Fix for issue preventing wireless charging mode to activate in certain conditions

Biometrics

• Additional improvements for fingerprint recognition and response in certain conditions

Bluetooth

• Fix for issue occasionally preventing certain Bluetooth devices or accessories from connecting

User Interface

• Fix for issue occasionally causing notifications to appear truncated on the lock screen

It should be noted that the biometrics fix is exclusive to the 6a and appears to address the Pixel 6a fingerprint problems that started appearing ahead of the device's launch. Reports have shown that some users are able to unlock the Pixel 6a by using fingerprints that were not registered with the device. Our units have not experienced this, but it's still a problem that we hoped Google would address sooner rather than later.

Unfortunately, that fix will come later for the 6a, but it's good to know it's on the way. For everyone else, the update should bump the software version to TP1A.220905.004 and will continue to roll out over the next week.

Update

Google has silently released the September 2022 update to the Pixel 6a owners. It comes a week after all supported Pixel devices running Android 13 got the update last week. While it was anticipated to launch later this month, Google has listed the Pixel 6a with TP1A.220905.004.A2 firmware update number next to Pixel 4 XL and above.

While the conventional September 2022 update brings bug fixes and improvements to Pixel users, the Pixel 6a devices get updates to their Biometrics. The new update brings "additional improvements for fingerprint recognition and response in certain conditions." This might solve the earlier reported fingerprint sensor problems that occurred post the launch of the Pixel 6a.