The Pixel and Pixel 6 Pro are the latest smartphones from Google. The new Pixel devices not only feature Google’s operating system, which is Android; they also come with Google’s processor, which is the TensorFlow chip. Unfortunately, this new chip and the operating system Android 12 have been having some compatibility issues, leading to bugs in the new phone. For example, recently, while installing a march security update on my Pixel 6. The steps of downloading and installing went through, but it got stuck on “Optimizing your device: this may take a while.”
This issue is prominent in devices with loads of apps being restored from backup on a new phone. It also happened to me on my Pixel 6 when I moved to the new Pixel and restored a backup from Google.
So if you are trying to install the OTA Android update on your Google Pixel or Pixel Pro running on Android 12 and it gets stuck on “Installing Security Update: Optimizing your device, this may take a while.”
Fix Pixel 6 stuck on installing security update:
On the optimizing step while installing security updates on your new phone. The operating system recompiles all the apps present on your phone to check for errors in the apps. As the process is optimized for the performance of your phone. If you are using the phone while the update is going on. The update uses minimal resources, so you can still use your phone seamlessly.
In the previous operating systems, the phone undertook this process at the reboot time after the update.
So the process will take time, depending on the number of apps. It might even take hours. So the best solution is to let it happen overnight. If you think it’s stuck or your phone is not responding to the update. Do not pause the update or try to install it again. Let it be. Maybe let it install and optimize the apps overnight. As I said, if it’s the first time after restoring the backup, it might take some time, considering the number of apps on your phone.
If you want to avoid this waiting time, you can first download and install the security update on your phone while starting the phone as new (without restoring the backup) and then once you have installed the latest security patch on your Pixel 6. After that, factory reset it and restore the backup from your Google drive.
Remember that restarting the device during this update or pausing and restarting it will only prolong the process.
Sideloading the OTA Update
If there is literally no way, you can install it. For example, you think there is some problem with the security update. You can download it, move it to your phone, and sideload the update using the recovery menu. Another way is to use the Android flash tool to install the latest security update on your Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro. You can find a comprehensive guide on the process here.
I hope this guide helped you to fix the Pixel 6 stuck on installing a security update. If you have any questions or queries regarding the guide above. Feel free to contact us via social media or write us an email.
