Unable to setup phone past Google Assistant setup screen, bug?

[andygray]

On a Oneplus 6 phone, I have performed a factory reset/wipe and attempted to setup the phone via the initial setup process, however I seem to be stuck at the Google Assistant setup screen where it seems there is some sort of bug or problem specific to my Google account. When I get to the Assistant screen I get a message saying "You don't have any linked devices", and at that stage the "More" button does nothing, and all I can do is hit the back button.

A video showing this is here: youtu.be/RRV9wjsfLfA?t=297

I also notice that this behaviour seems specific to my account (because other Google accounts can setup fine), but I don't know why or how this is the case.

NB I contacted OnePlus support who had an engineer re-flash my phone with the factory OS again via a remote support session, but the problem persisted after that and the engineer said they would need me to send the phone to a repair centre for inspection, but I don't think that's the problem since other accounts can get past that screen just fine. Weird!

So why does this inability to get past Google Assistant in phone setup happen, and how can I resolve it?

Andy

 

[VidJunky]

Well obviously it isn't the phone, since you stated that other accounts work, not sure what you expected OnePlus to do for you by reflashing...? Anyway, I think the OP6 is a new enough device that one would think it could handle 2-Step verification, which has in the past been a hang-up with signing into some devices. Since you said that you've recently factory reset the device, it sounds like you've already had it set up once so here are just a couple of basic questions;

When you set it up originally did you have 2-Step verification at that time?

Have you in the interim started using 2-Step verification?

Do you remember having to do anything special when you originally set up the device? I'm guessing not but maybe you don't remember or haven't thought about it...

Since you had the system reflashed, I would assume that would include factory resetting the device again, more or less. Also since you've stated that other accounts work I would assume that you've looked at your Google security settings, perhaps even going though the security checklist they provide. If you do the checklist there is a portion where you can see your connected devices. I have seen something in my security settings that said I had too many connected devices and was asked to reduce this number... I'm not sure what I was doing at the time but it wouldn't hurt to clear this list out of anything old. So your last 2 device that are sitting in a drawer or donation center and this device from previous log-ins. Even though you are signing into the same device Google sees it as a new device. I'm not sure why but it does. So if you factory reset this device one or two times in the past, each one of those will show up as its own device. If you're issue isn't related to 2-Step, I'm going to guess this is it.