Google will bring critical security patches with the March update to Android phones

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Google has a tradition of dropping monthly Android updates on the first Monday of every month. While Pixel and some premium phones get new features and security patches, others get only the latter.

However, this time (March 6), Google hasn’t rolled out any patches yet, but has revealed what will come with the March Android update.

The new firmware patch has been confirmed to fix around 32 known critical vulnerabilities. Some of them can allow attackers to remotely execute code on your system. Simply put, hackers can hijack your phone and steal information.

“The most serious of these issues is a critical security vulnerability in the system component that could lead to remote code execution without requiring additional execution privileges. User interaction is not required for exploitation. The severity rating is based on the effect that exploiting the vulnerability could have on an affected device, assuming the platform and service mitigations are turned off for development purposes or if successfully bypassed.” Google Android – March 2023.

According to the chipset brand specific vulnerabilities listed in the bulletin, there are 21 related to Qualcomm, four to Unisoc and three to MediaTek.

There’s no official word on when the software roll-out will start, but we expect it to start in a few days. Android phone owners are advised to update to the latest version whenever it becomes available.

Pixel phones will get new features via March Android update In addition to the security patches, Google, as mentioned above, is expected to release new features to Pixel phones.

Also, very importantly, Google had promised to bring 5G support to the Pixel 6a, Pixel 7 and 7 Pro via the March Android update in India.

People have already started questioning the search engine giant on social media platforms like Twitter and asking for the ETA (estimated time of arrival). Almost all budget and premium models of the phones sold in India now support 5G, but the Pixel phones have yet to receive the update.

According to the leaked changelog of the March 2023 update from Google, Pixel phones are expected to have Health Connect integrated within the operating system and with this, users can connect all health related stats under one roof and have the check to sync with third-party party health and fitness apps related to their smartwatch. Also, users will be able to disable/enable the permission for tracking body health metrics.

Also, older devices like the Pixel 4 and 5 series are expected to get the Direct My Call feature, which offers a direct text interface menu for navigating customer support calls. This will avoid the annoying voice waiting system, which also requires pressing multiple numbers on the keyboard to finally speak to the customer service manager.

Plus, older Pixel phones will soon be able to capture low-light images faster than ever before. The new photo algorithm will allow Tensor-powered Pixel phones to process the photo taken with Night Sight mode on.

However, some new features will be limited to certain global regions.

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