Android March Security Now Available for Nexus 6P Smartphones, Update Patches Major Security Flaw
Google has now begun to roll out its much awaited Android March Security Update to Nexus 6P smartphones. The update itself has already been made available on Google's latest flagship devices, the Google Pixel and Pixel XL, as well as on some Nexus devices such as the Nexus 5X.
According to 9to5Google, the company may have delayed the release of the update due to a problem with its SafetyNet feature, which essentially disabled Android Pay and other apps. Several users complained directly on Reddit, in which Google immediately responded that they were looking into the problem.
The issue basically affected Nexus 6P devices that did not pass the SafetyNet API due to unlocked bootloaders or uploaded custom ROMs. If the device failed the check, several apps were rendered unusable. Fortunately, the original factory image for the update has now been re-uploaded by Google with the SafetyNet API disabled.
Following the fix, the update itself has also now been made available to generally all Nexus 6P devices. The update will be rolled out as an over the air (OTA) update that will show an "N4F26T" build number. The Android March Security Update reportedly contains over 60 security issue fixes, with most only be minor security problems. The download itself will only be a mere 39MB, which shouldn't really take that long to download and install.
Additionally, Android Police reports that the update also fixes one big security issue that apparently allows hackers to remotely access the device via MMS, email, and through web browsing. There has fortunately not been any reports of people being directly affected by the security flaw, but it is still good to know that the specific problem has been nipped in the bud with the latest Android March Security Update. The update itself is being released systematically and at random, so those who have yet to receive the notification to update on their Nexus 6P may have to wait a bit.