A severe storage bug in Android 14 is causing significant disruptions for users, particularly those using the “multiple profiles” feature.
The bug has rendered devices virtually unusable, locking users out of device storage and eliciting comparisons to ransomware attacks. Initially thought to be limited to Pixel 6 devices, the bug now appears to be affecting a broader range of devices, including Pixel 6, 6a, 7, 7a, Pixel Fold, and Pixel Tablet, reports ArsTechnica.
Google’s issue tracker for this bug has received over 350 replies but remains unaddressed by the company. The bug is currently categorized with a medium “P2” priority and is unassigned, indicating that, as of the latest update, no one is actively investigating the issue. Users have posted log files containing alarming messages such as, “Failed to open directory /data/media/0: Structure needs cleaning.”
The consequences of being locked out of device storage are pretty bad. Affected users experience a range of issues, from boot looping to persistent error messages. Applications like the camera claim to be “out of storage,” and even basic functions like taking screenshots are disabled. The file manager shows 0 bytes for all types of files, and these files are also not accessible from a PC via USB.
The bug seems to specifically target users who utilize Android’s multiple profile feature, which allows for separate “home” and “work” profiles. Reports indicate that the primary profile, usually the most important one, gets locked out. Several users have reported data loss, and some even claim that their phones are automatically performing factory resets, erasing all data and eliminating any chance of recovery.
Despite Google’s established “roll out” strategy designed to catch such bugs early on, the company has not halted the Android 14 update.
Google has remained silent on the issue for approximately 10 days, without issuing any statements or responding to the numerous reports on their bug tracker. This lack of response raises questions about Google’s handling of what is clearly a critical issue affecting a significant number of users, says ArsTechnica.
Are you dealing with the issue being described above on your Pixel device running Android 14?
