Android users unable to access their storage after Google admits major error – important upgrade you need to make

GOOGLE has issued out a quick update to fix a ‘bug’ after Android owners reported being locked out of their media storage.

The ‘bug’ follows the roll out of Android 14, Google’s biggest update of the year, which became available to download in early October.

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Google is working on a bigger system update that it hopes will “repair the issue and restore access to media files without requiring a factory reset”[/caption]

Alongside Android 14’s sparkly new features is a less-than-ideal ‘bug’ that has left some customers unable to recover some of their precious stored memories, such as old images and videos.

A Google spokesperson told 9to5Google last night: “Depending on the device, this issue can result in the primary user being unable to access media storage.

“Alternatively, the issue can reboot the device with a ‘Factory data 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.”

The issue is currently only affecting Pixel owners with the Pixel 6 and later models that “have both received the Android 14 update and have multiple users (other than the primary user) set up,” according to Google.

The tech giant has already rolled out a Google Play system update to “help prevent this issue from being triggered on additional devices.” 

To install, open Settings > Security & privacy > System & update > Google Play system update. 

The current fix is just a quick update.

Google is working on a bigger system update that it hopes will “repair the issue and restore access to media files without requiring a factory reset.”

But according to Android expert Mishaal Rahman, for Pixel users stuck in the so-called ‘reboot loop’, then they will be locked out of their storage until Google properly resolves the issue.

“After updating to Android 14, some users with a Pixel 6 and later who have multiple users or profiles set up have been unable to access any of their media storage on the primary user,” Rahman wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

“Unfortunately, if your device is “stuck in a ‘Pixel is starting’ boot loop”, which happens when the device repeatedly reboots and the user declines factory resetting their device when prompted on the Android recovery screen, then there currently isn’t a fix.”

A spokesperson for Google told Rahman in an email that the current Google Play system update will help prevent the problem from being triggered on additional devices.

In the email, a spokesperson added that Google anticipates that a future “system update will repair the issue and restore access to media files without requiring a factory reset.”

The company is also “investigating methods that may be able to recover some data” for devices in the so-called ‘reboot loop’.

For all other users, including those that factory reset their device, Google says to avoid “creating or logging into a secondary user on the device until the OTA update is available.”