After the storage access issue in October with the initial Android 14 and multi-user release, Pixel devices may face another issue with the January 2024 Google Play system update.
After updating to the Google Play January 2024 System Update (which is different from the January 2025 security update/patch), users reported being unable to access data stored in internal storage across all apps. This results in several cascading issues, such as not being able to play downloaded audio/video files or take new photos, while the Files app looks empty. Other applications refuse to work.
This seems similar to an issue last year that affected devices with multiple users enabled. However, today the reason appears to be the installation of a Google Play system update.
However, the January 2024 update has not been widely rolled out, as most Pixel users (and other Android devices) are still on the November 2023 release. (You can check the Settings app > Security & privacy > System & updates.) Hopefully, this will limit The problem spreads to new users where only Google can stop the rollout.
All Pixel 8, 7, and 6 series owners have reported this issue.
It remains to be seen how Google solves the problem for those who have it installed. Last time, a system update was needed. If your device is not stuck in the “Pixel starts” boot loop, it is possible to recover data using the OTA mentioned above.
We’ve reached out to Google for more information.
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