Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
TL;DR Users are reporting that the latest Google Play system update reverts their version from January 2026 to November 2025.
Reports are largely from Google Pixel users, but the issue affects phones from other Android brands too.
The “downgrade” may be a mislabeled February 2026 update, and users are advised to stay on the latest available version for now.
Google Play System Updates (GPSU) allow Google to deliver modular components of the Android OS directly to your phone, bypassing the usual manufacturer and carrier delays. The system isn’t perfect, though, as manufacturers like Samsung have had delays that they eventually rectified. Users are now reporting more weirdness around Google Play System Updates, as it seems the newest update is downgrading users from the January 2026 GPSU to the November 2025 GPSU.
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Several Google Pixel owners are reporting (1, 2, 3) that they were on the January 1, 2026, Google Play System Update, but received a notification for an update. After updating, they were weirdly back down to the November 1, 2025 Google Play System Update.
While the reports are primarily from Pixel users across both the stable and beta release branches, the issue is Pixel-agnostic. Android Authority contributor AssembleDebug also noticed that their OnePlus 13R went through the same charade: Applying an “update” to the January 2026 GPSU dropped it back to November 2025 GPSU.
Google recently made it easier to uninstall Google Play System Updates. When AssembleDebug uninstalled the November 2025 GPSU, they were back to the January 2026 GPSU!
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