Google has recently released a new update for its Android Beta program, which allows Pixel device owners to test the latest features and improvements of the upcoming Android 13 Quarterly Platform Release 3 (QPR3).

The update, dubbed Android 13 QPR3 Beta 2.1, is a minor one that focuses on providing ‘modem updates’ for Pixel devices.

Android 13 QPR3 Beta 2.1 bug makes screen unresponsive

However, there seems to be an issue with Android 13 QPR3 Beta 2.1 that makes the Pixel phones screen unresponsive (1,2,3,4,5,6,7).

Android 13 beta
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The affected users say that when they receive a notification on their phone, they unlock it and pull down the notification bar to see what it is.

Then they try to do something with the notification, such as swiping it left or right to dismiss it, tapping on it to open it, or swiping up the notification bar to close it.

However, none of these actions work. The screen does not respond to their touch at all. It seems like the touch functionality has stopped working.

This problem also occurs when users try to interact with a notification from the lock screen, without unlocking the phone.

The system completely freezes with the exception of the power button to turn off and on the screen but notifications shared pull down reverts to inaction again. If using the phone normally is fine, but as soon as the notification shade is pulled down touch isn’t actionable.
Source

Screen touch not working when the user swipes down to open the notifications. The user needs to lock and unlock the phone again to make the phone function as usual
Source

This issue affects all Pixel smartphones in the Android Beta program, beginning with the Pixel 4a and subsequent variants. The bug appears at random and prohibits users from accessing notifications or quick settings.

The only way around this issue is to click the physical power button, then click the physical power button again, and then unlock the phone. In some cases, users have to restart the device to use it again.

Issue escalated

Fortunately, this issue has been escalated for further investigation to Google’s product and engineering team.

Android 13 screen unresponsive issue
Source

Users who are affected by this bug can report it, or opt out of the beta program and revert back to the stable version of Android 13.

That said, we will keep an eye on the bug in Android 13 QPR3 Beta 2.1 that makes the screen unresponsive and update this story with new information.

NOTE: You can also check our Google Section for more such stories.

PiunikaWeb started as purely an investigative tech journalism website with main focus on ‘breaking’ or ‘exclusive’ news. In no time, our stories got picked up by the likes of Forbes, Foxnews, Gizmodo, TechCrunch, Engadget, The Verge, Macrumors, and many others. Want to know more about us? Head here.

Karanjot Sidhu
966 Posts

A computer science engineer who loves tech and won't stop talking about it. Here at Piunikaweb, I mostly cover Google Pixel deals and how-tos, though you may find me covering Pixel news as well sometimes. Apart from being a nerd, i love gaming and watching movies in my free time.

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