YouTube video causes Pixel phones to instantly reboot

So in other words, a feature flag? Widely used trick - if you want to call it that - in software

Google's remote capabilities and control over your Android phone extend well beyond a "flag".

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/google-force-...

Pixels are the easiest phones to slap a different image on. Get LineageOS on there, or whatever random and shady software you download off of XDA-Devs.

Or even better: grapheneos

Modern pixels only got the ability to run lineageos a week ago.

https://www.knowyourmobile.com/news/lineageos-20-finally-add...

That's only true if you continue to use their software

Which means it is true in the overwhelming majority of cases.

Personally, I use e/OS/.