Android 14 bug shows why backups are important before major updates

It has not been smooth sailing for all Google Pixel 6 owners who got the Android 14 update. Last month, some Pixel 6 users realized that they could no longer use their phones after installing the Android 14 update because of a bug that disabled access to the internal storage, effectively rendering the phones unusable.

Those who had multiple profiles or user accounts set up on their device were the ones affected for the most part, though Android 14's wider rollout revealed that the issue wasn't just limited to Pixel 6 owners and was affecting other Pixel smartphones as well.

Google acknowledged the bug late last month and promised a fix, and that fix is now rolling out through the November 2023 security update for Pixel smartphones. But it won't help everyone, as the fix doesn't apply to devices that are stuck in a boot loop or get stuck at the “Pixel is starting…” when they're turned on. For those devices, a factory reset is the only solution, which is far from ideal.

Samsung phones are safe, but don't take that for granted

Does this bug affect Samsung Galaxy smartphones updated to Android 14? It doesn't seem so, as there have been no reports of users being locked out of their phones after either installing the Android 14-based One UI 6 beta or, in the case of the Galaxy S23 series, the stable update that started rolling out on October 30.

Samsung not offering an option to have multiple user accounts on phones might be part of the reason why Galaxy phones are not affected by this Android 14 bug, though the more likely reason is that Samsung's customized version of Android is not the same as what you find on Google smartphones.

But, in general, losing access to the device and the data on it is a issue that can crop up on devices from any manufacturer. It has certainly happened on Galaxy devices with some previous versions of Samsung's yearly One UI beta program, and it could very well happen again. And it's a good reminder of why making backups before installing a major operating system update is so important.

It's pretty rare for modern smartphones to run into device-breaking issues when they are updated to a new version of the operating system, but considering how phones are used in so many facets of people's lives, even one bad update is too many. And no matter how much effort is put into an update before it is rolled out, serious bugs can always slip through.

You can make backups using a variety of tools

So, if your Galaxy smartphone is eligible for Android 14 and One UI 6, remember to take a backup before proceeding with the installation once the update is available for your device. You should also do so if you're trying out the One UI 6 beta, especially if you're using the beta on your primary phone.

There are many ways you can make backups. The best method for a backup that includes everything from apps and system settings to your home screen setup and media files is Samsung's Smart Switch app. On your phone, you can use Smart Switch to back up data to an external USB drive or a microSD card. If you want to save data to your PC, Smart Switch is available for Windows and MacOS as well.

You can also use Samsung Cloud to save everything online (Samsung lets you store unlimited data on Samsung Cloud for 30 days, but this is only available on devices already running Android 14/One UI 6). This can be done from the device's Settings » Accounts and backup menu, where you will also find the option to back up some data to your Google account.

There are a few other things you can do to make sure your device makes the jump from Android 13 to Android 14 without issues, which we have detailed here. Already running the new version of Android and One UI? Check out our extensive roundup of all the new features and improvements and also watch the video below.