If you own a Google Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, or Pixel 6a smartphone, it’s advisable to refrain from performing a factory reset on it. Why? Reports from Tech-Issues Today, as discovered by The Verge, suggest that doing so could potentially brick the phone. Google is currently investigating the issue, as mentioned in the Pixel support forums.
Users on the forum have shared experiences of attempting to reset their phones, only to have them fail to boot up. Instead, an error message appears stating, “Cannot load Android system. Your data may be corrupt. If you continue to get this message, you may need to perform a factory data reset and erase all user data stored on this device.”
Following this message, users are given the option to try again, but unsuccessful attempts have been reported. Subsequent factory resets may result in error messages indicating a missing “tune2fs” file or an “Unable to enable ext4 verify” message. The tune2fs file is said to be a Unix command-line tool commonly used to set file system parameters.
While most complaints of bricked Pixel 6 devices stem from failed factory resets, some users have encountered errors after software updates as well. Reddit also has several posts about bricked Pixel 6 phones following factory reset attempts. Unfortunately, even Google’s tools like the Android Flash Tool or Google Pixel Update and Software Repair have been unable to recover the devices. It’s a challenging situation.
According to a forum comment, Google is aware of the issue and is working on a fix. However, there is no confirmed timeline for when the solution will be available. Therefore, if you currently own a Google Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, or Pixel 6a, it’s recommended to avoid updating or resetting the phone for now to prevent dealing with a bricked device. Unless, of course, you’re up for the challenge.
