Android 16 Update Makes Some Pixel Phones Unusable: What Happens Now?

Google released the stable Android 16 update earlier this month but it seems the version is not without its issues. Some Pixel users who’ve managed to install the Android 16 update have noticed that the phone has become unusable because of bugs and the unresponsive navigation buttons on the device. These issues have mostly been cited after installing the latest Android 16 OTA version which is available for Pixel 6 and later models.

The problem seems to have a limited effect and not all Pixel units are showing these signs but even then for a stable version it sounds like a major bug has passed through during the testing phases. 

Android 16 Update Issue: What Pixel Users Saying  

The complaints from Pixel users have made their way to Reddit who noticed the gesture and navigation buttons not working on the Pixel phones. Some of them have seen the bug in effect for a few minutes while others have pointed out about the delayed response of their touch on the display.

While others say switching to a different launcher app might fix the issue and others have suggested rebooting the device, which is probably not working as planned. Even though the issue is not widespread it seems to be linked to the Pixel AI ecosystem. 

What Google Has Said 

Google seems to have acknowledged the issue and is reportedly working on a fix that should be rolling out to all the affected devices via a public update in the next few weeks. The report here claims Google’s internal team has worked out a fix for the navigation bug and we expect that to be available in the next update for the Pixel users. 

Talking about Pixels, Google has warned Pixel 6a users about a major issue with the battery that can be only fixed by reducing its charging hold and capacity. The company is going to roll out an update that will throttle the battery usage on the Pixel 6a model and this will be mandatory for most users.

Google has started the process of reaching out to the affected Pixel 6a owners and they will be informed about the next steps in July and helping them address the issue.