GoKawiilRita El Khoury / Android Authority
TL;DR Google’s May 2026 update for the Pixel 10 series blocks downgrades to older Android versions by updating the bootloader.
Users say devices can become unrecoverable if they enter certain recovery modes without access to Google’s internal tools.
The issue has been raised for years, but Google has yet to provide a solution for affected users.
Google has rolled out the May Pixel update, bringing with it a change to the Pixel 10 series that prevents users from downgrading their devices to older Android versions. This was expected to happen, and now it’s officially in place.
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A warning on the company’s developer page confirms that the update includes a bootloader change that increments the anti-rollback version. This means that after installing the May update, Pixel 10 series devices can no longer flash and boot older Android 16 builds.
The move builds on Android’s existing anti-rollback protection, part of the Verified Boot framework, which is designed to prevent devices from running potentially harmful or vulnerable software. While this isn’t new for Pixel phones, the rollout has once again highlighted a long-standing issue for developers and advanced users.
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