Pixel’s March update causes some phones to load endlessly, and no one knows why

What do you do when you update your phone in hopes of gaining access to new features? This is the problem that several Google Pixel users have been facing after their phones have been restarting continuously since the new launch. March 2026 Pixel Drop.

we met a few reports various Google Pixel phones get stuck in download loop after upgrading to March 2026 update, also known as stable Android 16 QPR3. These reports cover multiple generations, starting with the Pixel 6 all the way up to the newest Pixel 10 series.

Users report slightly different effects on their devices. For some, the phones refuse to turn on, while for others, it either keeps rebooting into recovery mode or shows the initial boot screen with the Google logo. The warning message on the phone screens of some users also says “Android system” or data “may be corrupted”.

Some people, at least those who put their devices into recovery mode, have the ability to factory reset them. Doing so will cause users to lose their data, which may not be convenient.

Google has also been informed about the issue through an official person Issue Trackerand an active thread shows dozens of people reporting similar problems on their devices. However, there’s no clear indication of what exactly is causing this or why it’s only affecting a small number of Pixel users. Owners in the thread also reported that they were able to boot into fastboot mode and sideload the latest firmware, but to no avail.

Here they can help

Interestingly, a few users managed to boot their Pixel phone by booting it in Safe Mode while keeping it connected to the network. While this allows them to back up, the phone soon reboots into a boot loop.

If you’re having the same problem, here’s a potential break solution based on advice from some users:

• Keep your phone connected to the charger and set it aside for about 30-40 minutes.
• After that, try to download Safe mode
• To do this, press the button Power button On the Pixel.
• Once the Google logo appears, press the button The volume increases and Reduces the volume hold the keys together until the boot animation appears.

Once the animation is complete, your phone will enter Safe Mode, which will be indicated by a logo at the bottom of the screen.

Hey, Google! What’s next?

In the Issue Tracker thread linked above, Google noted that the issue has been shared with the engineering teams, but there is no update on a fix yet. We have also written to Google and will update this post once we receive a response.

Meanwhile, for at least one userThe March update caused random crashes, although their phones seem to be working fine. Not sure if this is an extension of the issue or something unrelated.