The Pixel 3A gets its first security patch, making it eligible for Android Q beta

If you’re one of the people who bought the new Pixel 3A that was announced last month at Google I/O 2019, it’s time for your first security patch. Google today released an update that addresses 11 issues, with vulnerabilities ranging from high to critical.

One of those notable issues is a security vulnerability in the media framework, which enables a remote attacker to run arbitrary code disguised as a regular file. Other patches fix a bug where information could be disclosed remotely without expressed user permission.

Regardless of these severities, you should still update your Pixel 3A as soon as possible given that the device shipped with only the March security patch out of the box. Another incentive to update is that the June security update now makes the new Pixel up to date for installing Android Q beta. While we don’t recommend trying this out on your personal device, the Pixel 3A is a better phone to test it on given it’s the cheapest Pixel where you can try Q beta. (You can, of course, also try it on even cheaper Androids like the Asus Zenfone 5Z or the Nokia 8.1, if you don’t have spare Pixels lying around.)

If you haven’t gotten the update yet, you can find a link to download it for the Pixel 3A and Pixel 3A XL here.