(Credit: Steven Winkelman)
UPDATE 11/7: A fix for this is rolling out now.
Original Story:Google is working on a fix for Pixel owners who are locked out of local storage.
The problem affects those with a Pixel 6 and above who upgraded to Android 14 and have multiple users set up on their device. As Google notes in an update on its IssueTracker site, "multiple users include guests, restricted profiles, and child users. However, it does not include having more than one Google account within the primary user or work profiles."
Those affected may be unable to access media storage, or they'll be prompted to reboot from a factory reset message. "If this message is accepted, data that is not backed up can be lost, and if it is declined, the device repeatedly reboots with the 'Pixel is starting' message," Google says.
"We’re continuing to work on fixes for impacted devices, and have already pushed out a Google Play system update that will help prevent this issue from being triggered on additional devices," Google says. (Here's how to check if the Google Play system update is available for your device.)
"We anticipate a system update will repair the issue and restore access to media files without requiring a factory reset," according to Google, which is "investigating methods that may be able to recover some data" for those stuck in that Pixel reboot loop. "We’ll provide more information as soon as it is available."
As Ars Technica notes, however, the problem is "pretty similar to getting hit with device-encrypting 'ransomware' malware."
Using Google Play is also "interesting," Ars says, because "Play system updates don't aggressively apply themselves or even let you know they have been downloaded. They just passively, silently wait for a reboot to happen so they can apply."