Pixel XL devices accidentally receive ‘Googlers-only OTA’ of next Android security update

Google frequently uses their employees to dogfood updates before they are released to the public. Earlier this evening, a “confidential Googlers-only OTA” appears to have inadvertently been pushed to some Pixel XL devices.

Spotted by Android Police, several Pixel XL owners noticed they had received an unexpected OTA notification. Checking on our Pixels does not yield a similar result, so it seem that not all devices were pushed this update.

Explicitly labeled as “CONFIDENTIAL INTERNAL ONLY,” Google employees are instructed to “not discuss or comment on this update externally.” The OTA message also makes references to the company’s internal communication system to send feedback.

This is not the first time we’ve seen a similar situation. Last year, one Nexus 6P owner received an internal build of Android 7.0 Nougat before its official launch.

Given how 7.1.2 was just released, this update likely does not feature any notable features beyond the latest May 2017 security patches and other fixes. This OTA will probably be pulled once Google catches on, but those who already installed it are unlikely to face too many issues.