Pixel 6/Pro Stuck in Recovery/Bootloops after December OTA [Fixed]

In this guide, we will show you various methods to fix the issue of Pixel 6 Pro stuck in recovery or bootloops after installing the December OTA update. The flagships from the Silicon Valley giants didn’t have the best of starts. The excessive battery drainage, Bluetooth sudden disconnection, and fingerprint issues lead ruined the user experience. So a lot was dependent on the December OTA update, and when it arrived, it did manage to rectify most of the underlying issues. But along with that, it bought in some of its own bugs as well.

The network issues resulting in the inability to make calls or send and receive messages, device crashing after connecting to Bluetooth, and rooting related problems (though we can’t blame Google for this one) are just some of the most documented ones. And as of now, there has been another unwanted entry to this list. Many users have reported that after installing the December update and restarting the device, when they type in their PIN to unlock the device, it takes them straight to the stock recovery.

Then they are greeted with the error message that the system cannot be booted and are provided two options- either to retry or perform a factory reset. Users have already tried restarting their device but that doesn’t do any good as they are straightaway taken back to stock recovery. While this issue is no doubt quite infuriating, but there does exist a workaround that has been known to fix the issue of Pixel 6 Pro stuck in recovery or bootloops after installing the December OTA update. So without further ado, let’s check it out.

How to Fix Pixel 6/Pro Stuck in Recovery/Bootloops after December OTA

Since the issue starts after entering enter the PIN, so we wouldn’t be interacting with the PIN in the first place. So this then leaves us with just one section of the device- the Notification Panel/Quick Settings. And we will be using this option itself to rectify this issue. Apart from that, you could also consider downgrading to November update, though it has a few caveats attached, as listed in the second method below.  Follow along.

Via Airplane Mode Tweak

1. Boot up your smartphone and reach the PIN entering screen (but do not type in your PIN).
2. Then bring up the Notification Panel from the top menu.
3. After that, enable Airplane Mode (compulsory).
   
4. Likewise, also enable WiFi and Bluetooth (optional but recommended).
   
5. Now type in your PIN and your device will be unlocked. This time you wouldn’t face any issues.
6. You may now turn off the Airplane Mode (and Bluetooth and WiFi if not needed).
   
7. This should fix the issue of Pixel 6 Pro stuck in recovery or bootloops after installing the December OTA update.

However, this fix doesn’t survive a reboot. So you will either have to perform the same steps every time you boot up or remove the PIN from your device for the time being. As far as the latter one goes, here’s what you need to do.

1. To begin with, head over to the Settings menu on your device.
2. Then go to Security > Screen Lock.
   
3. After that, type in your current PIN to verify the credentials.
4. Now select None from the list of options. That’s it.

Downgrade to November OTA

Well, you could indeed downgrade to the November OTA to rectify this issue. However, this will come at a cost. You cannot use the Sideload method to perform this downgrade, rather you will have to do so via the Fastboot Mode. And this would require an unlock bootloader and a factory reset. So if that’s well and good, then please refer to our guide on How to Downgrade Pixel Devices via Android Flash Tool.

With this, we round off the guide on how you could fix the issue of Pixel 6 Pro stuck in recovery or bootloops after installing the December OTA update. Most of the issues seem to be arising out of the Japanese and German units as of now. Moreover, removing the screen lock might prove to be a risky bet for some of you. So in that case, you will have no choice but to use the Airplane Mode tweak as listed above. Apart from that, if you have any other queries, then do let us know in the comments section below.