“Google does not own your phone,” Android users are warned, as a controversial new update suddenly becomes real. “You own your phone. You have the right to decide who to trust.” That may be true. But ...

This update decision comes as a surprise. Updated on Dec. 6 with a more detailed Android threat assessment and the news that Google has issued attack warnings for targeted users around the world.

Google’s latest Android rollout for Pixel phones is not just another monthly patch, it is a sweeping attempt to clean up a long list of bugs that have frustrated owners across several generations of ...