Google's Pixel 6 Android version update guarantee ending this year also doesn't necessarily disqualify the phone from future feature updates. Google's support docs specify that the Pixel 6's full five-year update lifespan "may also include Pixel drops" that can add new functionality.

It looks like the Pixel 6’s official Android support may not be quite over. Despite the fact the phone was scheduled to get 3 years of Android updates, which expired last month, the phone has been included in the newly-released Android 16 developer preview — suggesting that it may be getting a surprise Android 16 update sometime next year.

Following up the massive Android 15 update from last month for all of Google’s still-supported Pixel devices, we have the Pixel update rolling out with the latest Android security patches. As for which devices are getting the Pixel update,

Google has released an Android 16 DP1 build for the Pixel 6 series, suggesting it isn’t out of Android version updates yet

Despite receiving all its guaranteed OS updates, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are getting Android 16 Developer Preview 1.