Yesterday, Google stunned Pixel users by releasing the stable version of Android 13. The latest Android build wasn’t expected to arrive until October or September at the earliest. But not every Pixel user who was due to receive Android 13 received the latest version of the operating system. For some reason, Google ended up sending some Pixel users an update to Android 12 instead of Android 13.
Redditor receives update for Android 12 instead of Android 13
Others swear that they originally received the Android 13 update only to find that by the time they were ready to download and install the update, it was Android 12 that was loaded instead. Some say that after installing Android 12 even though it was already on their phone, the Android 13 update then surfaced.
To see which version of Android your Pixel is running, go to Settings > About phone and scroll down to the Android version heading. The number you see directly under the heading is the version of Android you are running. Most of the Pixels involved in this faux pas are Pixel 6 models with others having this issue using the Pixel 4a and Pixel 5a models.
We also want to reiterate something important that we stressed yesterday and want to repeat. If you are a member of the Android 13 beta program and want to return to the stable releases without having to wipe your phone, you have a limited time to do so. But you must have Android 13 installed on your device before opting out of the beta program. Otherwise, you can remain in the beta program with the Quarterly Pixel Feature Drop beta starting next month. Or, you can opt out and have your phone wiped.