Reports so far cluster around three models, according to Notebookcheck<\/a> and Android Authority<\/a>: <\/p>\n Pixel 10 Pro XL, where the unlock pattern resets after only two dots <\/p>\n Pixel 8a, where the phone treats one digit as a full PIN and rejects it <\/p>\n Pixel 8 Pro, where owners report similar PIN failures <\/p>\n One Pixel 10 Pro XL owner tried rebooting, Safe Mode, a connected mouse, and reinstalling the same software. Only a factory reset worked, and it erased the phone’s local data. <\/p>\n A Pixel 8a owner got back in after waiting out the “too many attempts” lockout timer. Google is contacting affected users in Reddit threads but hasn’t commented publicly, Android Authority said. <\/p>\n Most of your files sit in encrypted storage that opens only after you unlock the phone, and its keys can’t be released without your PIN, pattern, or password, Android’s security documentation<\/a> explains. Nobody, Google included, can skip the lock screen to pull out your photos. <\/p>\n That’s why Google’s advice is blunt. “If you can’t unlock your phone, you’ll need to erase it,” Google’s support page<\/a> reads. <\/p>\n More Technology: <\/p>\n An erase removes the apps, photos, and music stored on the phone. You can restore data backed up to your Google Account, but only if you know the PIN or pattern that was set when the backup ran, Google added. <\/p>\n The hardware isn’t the expensive part. The Pixel 10 Pro XL launched at $1,199, but unsynced photos and the authenticator codes guarding your bank and brokerage logins can be far harder to replace. <\/p>\n How Pixel owners can protect their photos and bank logins right now <\/p>\n If you haven’t installed the September update, back up your important data first or hold off until Google formally addresses the bug, Notebookcheck<\/a> advised. <\/p>\n Either way, a short checklist helps: <\/p>\n Confirm your photos have finished backing up to Google Photos. <\/p>\n Turn on cloud sync in your authenticator app, or save backup codes for your financial logins. <\/p>\n List which apps hold payment cards so you can re-add them after any reset. <\/p>\n If you’re already locked out, try waiting out the lockout timer before you erase anything. It worked for at least one owner, and an erase can’t be undone. <\/p>\n Security updates still protect your money, so don’t swear them off. Just make sure a five-minute backup check comes first. <\/p>\n Related: Google is about to make a major change to every Pixel device<\/a> <\/p>\n This story was originally published by TheStreet<\/a> on Sep 29, 2026, where it first appeared in the Retail<\/a> section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Your phone is now the front door to your money. It holds your banking apps, your two-factor codes,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":615711,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[106921,367,19837,111,139,303238,69,48117,145],"class_list":["post-615710","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-android-authority","tag-google","tag-google-photos","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-notebookcheck","tag-nz","tag-pixel","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/615710","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=615710"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/615710\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/615711"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=615710"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=615710"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=615710"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/a> Google’s September update is locking some Pixel owners out of their phones.TIMOTHY A. CLARY \/ Getty Images Why Google can’t bypass a locked Pixel for you <\/p>\n