Google Working to Reduce OTA Installation Times on Pixel Devices

Google has been continuously improving the way software updates are installed on its Pixel devices. Seamless Updates, introduced with Android 7.0 Nougat, made it possible to install updates in the background on a secondary virtual system partition, reducing the total downtime to just a few minutes. However, the install process can still take up to 20 minutes, and Google is now looking to speed things up even more.

Recent submissions to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) gerrit suggest that Google is developing a compression technique designed to quicken the installation process of OTA updates for devices equipped with virtual A/B partitions. This could potentially reduce the total install time by up to 10 minutes. The patches are still in the early stages, but if they are successful, they could be a huge benefit for Pixel users.

In addition to the compression mechanism, Google is also looking to improve the overall reliability of the OTA update process. The company is introducing a new verification system that will ensure that the update is installed correctly and that no data is lost during the process. This could help prevent any issues that may arise from an incomplete update.

Google constantly seeks enhancements to the OTA update mechanism for its Pixel lineup. The new compression mechanism and verification system could significantly reduce the installation time and improve the reliability of the update process. It remains to be seen when these changes will be implemented, but it's clear that Google is committed to making the update process as smooth as possible for its users.