Google pushed the May 2026 Pixel update yesterday morning, likely the last Android 16 build before Android 17 arrives at Google I/O later this month. The patch (build CP1A.260505.005) covers everything from the Pixel 7a through the Pixel 10a, and it fixes a handful of genuinely annoying bugs. But buried in the release notes is a warning for Pixel 10 owners who manually flash updates: the new bootloader blocks rollbacks, and mishandling it could leave your device unbootable.
The Pixel 10 series gets the most attention this cycle. Google fixed a camera freeze that hit when recording video while adjusting zoom, a bug that made the Pixel 10's flagship camera unreliable during the one thing phones are supposed to do well. The Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL also get fixes for a flickering white dot at the top of the display and a separate issue causing fuzzy screens, freezes, and noise lines. For users who might suspect hardware failure, these software fixes are a relief.
Wireless charging speeds were throttling between 75% and 80% battery on a wide range of devices, from the Pixel 7a up through the Pixel 10 series. Google patched that too. A framework fix addresses keyboard and input UI freezing or misalignment in certain apps, affecting the same broad swath of Pixel devices. The bootloader warning is the real headline for anyone who flashes their own updates. Google notes that the May update increments the anti-rollback version of the bootloader on Pixel 10, 10 Pro, 10 Pro XL, and 10 Pro Fold.
After flashing, you cannot roll back to older Android 16 builds. The risk: if the inactive slot still holds an older bootloader and the active slot fails to boot, the device falls back to a build that can't run, leaving it in an unbootable state.
Google recommends sideloading the full OTA after first boot to ensure both slots have a compatible bootloader. For most users taking the over-the-air update, none of this matters. The rollout starts today and phases over the next several weeks. But for the tinkerers. This is the kind of trap that turns a routine update into a bricked weekend.
