Google is downgrading Nexus 6 owners on 7.1.1 to 7.0, which is causing more problems than it’s fixing [Update]

Google’s Nexus 6 is outside of its update window at this point, but owners were glad to learn that the phone would be upgraded to Android 7.1.1, even though it was delayed for quite some time. Eventually, Google rolled out the update, but it later pulled it. However, that left some users on 7.1.1, and apparently, Google is trying to downgrade those users back to 7.0.

Update: A Google employee has responded to Reddit users with the following information:

There was a recent OTA update for Android 7.0 that is causing confusion for some Nexus 6 users. For those of you that want to guarantee future OTA updates, you will need to get back on the 7.0 supported track. If you are experiencing issues after accepting the 7.0 update, please factory reset your device to help resolve any problems.

For any Nexus 6 users that want to continue flashing/sideloading future builds, you can stay on 7.1.1 and continue to do so.

According to several Nexus 6 owners on Reddit (via Android Police), Google is pushing an OTA update that replaces Android 7.1.1 with Android 7.0. Traditionally, users need to reset their device in order to downgrade to an older OS version, even in the case of the Android Beta Program. This update, though, does not include that requirement, and thus, it’s causing apps to continuously crash, essentially making the phone unusable. For now, it’s probably best to either skip this “update,” or just wipe your phone and sideload it.

Google originally pressed pause on the 7.1.1 update for the Nexus 6 due to concerns surrounding SafetyNet and Android Pay. It’s unclear when the company will fix the issue and roll the update back out to Nexus 6 owners.