If you own a Google Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, or Pixel 6a phone, it’s advisable to refrain from performing a factory reset on it. Recent reports from Tech-Issues Today and The Verge suggest that doing so could potentially brick the device. Google is currently investigating this issue as confirmed in the Pixel support forums.
After encountering this error message, some users have attempted to reset their phones, only to find that the device fails to boot up and displays the error message: “Cannot load Android system. Your data may be corrupt. If you continue to get this message, you may need to perform a factory data reset and erase all user data stored on this device.”
Further attempts to reset the device may result in error messages indicating missing files or system errors, such as the absence of a “tune2fs” file or an “Unable to enable ext4 verify” message. The tune2fs file is a Unix command-line tool commonly used to set file system parameters.
While most complaints of bricked Pixel 6 devices stem from factory reset attempts, some users have experienced error messages after software updates. Various posts on Reddit also highlight instances of bricked Pixel 6 phones post factory reset attempts, with recovery proving unsuccessful even with Google’s proprietary tools like the Android Flash Tool or Google Pixel Update and Software Repair.
Google is aware of the issue and is expected to release a fix in the near future. However, the exact timeline for the fix remains unknown. As a precaution, it is advisable for Google Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, or Pixel 6a users to refrain from updating or resetting their devices until the issue is resolved to avoid the inconvenience of dealing with a bricked phone.
