Google has recently released its security update for Pixel users, which includes over a dozen functional patches to improve performance and early bugs in the Pixel 3 and 3 XL. Most notably, the patch should fix the poor memory management that until now has caused the phones to prematurely close background apps like Instagram and others.
You should be able to multitask without abruptly having your music or podcasts stop after installing the patch. That annoying problem put an ugly spotlight on Google’s decision to leave the Pixel 3 with 4GB of RAM.
The update also contains numerous other optimizations and fixes. Several are related to the camera: Google says it has “adjusted auto focus behavior” and “improved camera shutter performance” on the Pixel 3 and 3 XL. But both the Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 will get “improved camera capture performance,” which might be Google’s way of saying your photos won’t disappear anymore.
Other functional patches relate to the Pixel Stand with better keyword detection and improvements to the always-on display and Android Auto. Google says Android Auto compatibility has been improved for Pixels 2 and 3. There’s one fix that dates back all the way to the original 2016 Pixel. Google also said that all generations will now experience improved unlocking performance over Bluetooth devices.
The December patch is now available to install it go to our Pixel’s settings menu and follow.
