Here are some frustrating Android 16 glitches Pixel owners are talking about

The highly anticipated Android 16 update landed on Pixel phones recently, bringing with it a wave of excitement for new features and improvements. However, a chorus of frustrated Pixel owners is now reporting a series of annoying glitches. While I personally haven’t encountered all of these issues on my Pixel device, I have seen numerous reports across online forums and social media. It seems that for many, the “stable” update is anything but.

Google has acknowledged some of these problems, and the company is reportedly working on fixes. But for now, here’s a rundown of what Pixel users are grappling with.

Auto-rotate gone rogue

One of the most widely reported issues is with auto-rotation. Users are finding that their screens simply refuse to rotate for apps like YouTube or the camera. I saw one user on Reddit mention that restarting their phone temporarily resolves the issue, but it pops back up after a few hours. This makes for a pretty inconvenient experience, especially when you’re trying to watch a video or take a picture in landscape mode.

I tried testing auto-rotate at least 30 times on a Pixel 7a on Android 16 but I could not get it to falter even once. And even in my regular usage, I didn’t run into the problem. So it’s unclear if this bug affects all devices on Android 16 or if it’s only affecting some units.

Nevertheless, I also spotted a comment on Google’s support forums from a product expert who claims that the issue has been acknowledged and a fix is in the works. P.S. They also mentioned about issues with auto-brightness, but I couldn’t find very many complaints about auto-brightness to begin with.

The “At a Glance” weather woes

Many Pixel owners rely on the “At a Glance” widget on their home screen for quick access to information, especially the weather. But since the Android 16 update, reports are flooding in about the weather information disappearing from this widget. Even with location permissions granted and caches cleared, the weather just isn’t showing up consistently.

Some users have found temporary relief by giving the Pixel Weather app unrestricted battery access or by adding the Pixel Weather widget to their home screen. It’s a classic case of a seemingly simple feature turning into a headache.

‘Tap to Wake’ taking a nap

Another frustrating bug affects how users wake their phones. Several Pixel owners, from the Pixel 6 to the latest Pixel 9 lineup, are reporting that the “tap to wake” and even “lift to wake” gestures are not working reliably, as reported by Android Police. You tap your screen, and nothing happens. Or you lift your phone, and it stays stubbornly dark. Some users mentioned a significant delay of several seconds before the screen finally lights up. A quick restart often helps, but the problem tends to reappear after a day or so. This is a basic interaction that we all use constantly, and its inconsistency is a real pain.

Google Home app bug

It’s not just core system features feeling the heat. The Google Home app is also experiencing some odd behavior on Android 16, specifically with its Routines creator and editor. Pixel owners are seeing interface elements appearing underneath the status bar or navigation bar. This means buttons like “Remove action” or even “Save” can be partially or completely obscured, making it hard to interact with them. I read a report on 9to5Google about this, and it seems to stem from how Android 16 handles “edge-to-edge” displays, requiring apps to adjust their layout. Hopefully, a fix from Google Home is on the way soon.

The elusive back gesture fix

While Google has confirmed that the glitch affecting the back navigation gesture is fixed internally, users are still waiting for that patch to roll out. Many Pixel users, particularly on Pixel 8 and 9 series devices, have experienced the back gesture becoming unresponsive or the 3-button navigation bar freezing. This often forces a device restart to restore functionality. As I mentioned in my coverage of the bug recently, I haven’t been able to reproduce the problem on a Pixel 7a. That said, it’s good to know a fix is coming, but the waiting game is definitely frustrating.

Hopefully, Google will push out some comprehensive updates soon to iron out these kinks and bring back the smooth, reliable experience we’ve come to expect from Pixel phones.

If you feel like I missed out on any other potentially major bug with Android 16, feel free to let me know in the comments below. Thanks in advance!