A third-party developer has a fix for stutter when scrolling on Pixel phones, but will Google implement it?

For over a year, Pixel users have been complaining about stuttering when scrolling through apps. Whether it’s Reddit, Gmail, YouTube comments, or Instagram, the issue has persisted across multiple Pixel models and Android versions. Google has acknowledged the reports but has yet to implement a fix. Meanwhile, a third-party developer has already pinpointed the problem and offered a solution, yet Google appears to be ignoring it.

The problem gained traction on the Issue Tracker in April last year, with reports of “micro stutters” while scrolling. One early post described the experience as “laggy” and “frustrating,” noting that competing devices like Samsung’s Galaxy S24 scroll smoothly.

Google’s initial response was to pass the issue to its development team, but updates were sparse. Over the following months, the company repeatedly marked complaints as duplicates of older reports, closed threads without clear fixes, and asked users to test newer Android builds. Well, newer builds came and went but there’s still no fix in sight. I still notice the problem on my Pixel 8 running on Android 16 beta 1, and I’m not alone.

But it appears that someone else has already done the work for Google. A developer named Sultan Alsawaf, known in the Android community for his custom kernel work, has found the root cause, as highlighted by a user on the Issue Tracker. According to his analysis, Google used the wrong function in the Tensor chip’s driver code.

A small but critical mistake — using btsdev->lock instead of btsdev->mutex_lock — led to display bandwidth calculations lagging behind real-time demands. This mismatch caused various processor components, including the display controller, to behave unpredictably, resulting in the scrolling stutter.

Alsawaf didn’t just identify the issue — he fixed it. He released a patch for Pixel 8 users in his custom kernel and even submitted a code correction to Google. Yet, there’s been no sign that Google has acknowledged or implemented the fix.

For now, Pixel owners are left with a choice: wait indefinitely for an official fix, or venture into the world of custom kernels. Though, messing around with custom kernels isn’t really a bright idea, especially for casual users.

We’ll keep track of the situation and post an update or a follow-up article if and when there are any further developments.

Thanks hehedejcmuse for the tip!