After months of beta testing, Google released Android 13 to AOSP and started rolling out the update for all compatible Pixel phones from August 15. If you are a Pixel owner, you are first in line to receive the OTA update on your device. However, if a new software shows up on your Google-branded phone, don't get too excited thinking it's the latest version of Android. Many Pixel users report that instead of Android 13, Android 12 is showing up for download on their device.

Twitter and the r/GooglePixel subreddit are filled with reports from Pixel users who have received a 2GB Android 12 update on their phones. It's not a case of Google pushing the wrong changelog with the latest release of Android, though. Some Pixel owners who were brave enough to download and install the update report that their phone re-installed Android 12 instead of the latest release of the OS.

Some users also report that the Android 13 update first appeared on their phone, but when they went to download it a few hours later, Android 12 was pushed instead. In some cases, Android 13 appeared for download after reinstalling the older version of the OS. Primarily Pixel 6 users seem to be affected by the issue, though some Pixel 4a and 5a owners are also being seeded the accidental Android 12 build. The problem does not seem to be widespread, but it affects many Pixel owners.

After publication, Google released a statement explaining the issue: "On August 15, Pixel devices running an old version of Android 12 received a notification about a previously released Android 12 update with bug fixes. The messaging in the notification was confusing with the timing of Android 13, and is currently being changed for clarity.

This update is separate from the Android 13 release that started to roll out to all supported Pixel devices yesterday and will continue over the next few weeks, depending on the carrier. Users will receive a notification once the OTA becomes available for their device. We encourage users to check their Android version and update to receive the latest software when it is available for their carrier."

Basically, the update was issued to Android 12 users on older versions of the operating system to bring them up to a newer version, but it coincidentally coincided with the Android 13 release. If you want Android 13 now, you can sideload it, or if you want to wait for an OTA, read our exhaustive Android 13 review to get an idea of everything new in the latest release of the OS.

UPDATE: 2022/08/16 22:14 EST BY DANIEL BADER

Updated with Google statement