NIXSolutions: Pixel 9 Pro XL Privacy Experiment Results

The authors of the Cybernews portal recently conducted a revealing experiment to assess Android privacy in a real-world setting. They purchased a new Pixel 9 Pro XL, created a new Google account, and began monitoring all incoming and outgoing data traffic. The findings from this test were unexpected.

Data Shared Every 15 Minutes

To monitor the data, the researchers obtained root access using Magisk, which resulted in the disabling of Google Gemini and Pixel Studio features. Unfortunately, this prevented them from seeing what data these applications might exchange with the cloud. However, even without these functions, the smartphone communicated with Google every 15 minutes, sending the following information:

NIXSolutions

  • Phone number
  • Email address
  • User location, even with GPS turned off (via Wi-Fi access points)
  • Google account information

Additionally, every 40 minutes, the device sent a more detailed report, including:

  • Firmware version
  • Whether the SIM card slot was occupied
  • Name of the telecom operator
  • Status of data transfer functionality

Additional Findings and Privacy Concerns

Besides the regular reports, the Pixel 9 Pro XL also shared data such as the device’s uptime since switching on, the number of reboots, and the list of applications downloaded from Google Play or other sources. Notably, the Photos app, which had never been launched, still accessed the face grouping feature in photos and sent this information to Google.

The researchers made no adjustments to the privacy settings that were enabled by default during the initial setup of the device, notes NIXSolutions. This leaves the possibility that with minor manual adjustments, the amount of shared data might be reduced. We’ll keep you updated as more information becomes available about this ongoing privacy discussion.