Some Pixel phones lock out users after September 2026 update

After the September Pixel Drop, some Pixel owners cannot get past the lock screen: the phone fails to recognize a pattern lock, and one user reported a PIN being accepted after a single digit. Google is responding to affected users on Reddit but has not commented officially.

• Issue affects Pixels using pattern lock, with one PIN complaint
• A Pixel 10 Pro XL owner had to factory reset the phone
• A Pixel 8a accepted the PIN after one digit and showed an error
• Google replies to affected users on Reddit but hasn't commented