Pixel 9 screens showing vertical lines — is a hardware fault returning?

It seems like a possible major display issue with the Pixel 9 series has mostly flown under the radar. We’ve spotted a number of reports from Pixel 9 users who are finding bright vertical lines cutting straight through their screens, and honestly, it feels like deja vu all over again.

What’s showing up looks familiar to anyone who followed the Pixel 8 saga last year: thin pink, green, or white stripes that can start intermittently, vanish after a restart or screen off, and then settle in as permanent lines that only a screen swap seems to fix.

On Reddit, u/HessiPullUpJimbo wrote, “Never dropped, not even a scratch… the screen got the pink line of death… does not go away on restart (including into safe mode) or reset,” adding they’d pursue a warranty replacement after six years of sticking with Pixels.

Another user, u/Geplosauz, described a progression from one pink line to multiple green lines and found that pressing the lower right of the phone, near the SIM area and just right of the USB-C port, could reproduce the issue before more lines became permanent. They shared the following screenshot as evidence:

Over on Google’s support forum, a thread titled “Pink Line on Google Pixel 9 Display after Android 16 update” captures similar reports, with one poster noting a pink vertical line appearing shortly after updating and temporary relief from reboots before the line returned.

Heck, even someone with a Pixel 9 Pro Fold shared an image in that thread showing a pink line running across the screen on top.

Another support thread flags “vertical green lines” on a Pixel 9 Pro XL purchased in 2025, again pointing owners toward repair routes under warranty.

Then there are even complaints about the issue on X. For instance, @D3ntheman posted, “Happy Google day with my pixel 9 pro that decided to randomly just gain a pink line.”

A user from India also shared a video of their Pixel 9 Pro XL showing a green vertical line:

There’s a running theory in community posts trying to “explain” the pink line across Pixel 8/9 units, suggesting loose screws under the panel can create pressure marks that evolve into vertical lines, which is why squeezing or pressing certain areas may make them appear or vanish. That aligns with multiple anecdotes where power-cycling offered only a short reprieve, and the issue progressed from occasional to permanent stripes. In short, if a line shows up, basic troubleshooting might buy time, but a proper fix usually means a display replacement.

Repair outcomes vary, but there’s precedent from the Pixel 8: Google introduced an extended repair program covering vertical lines and flickering for that model, enabling one free screen replacement for eligible devices for up to three years after purchase.

That said, lines appearing on the display aren’t exactly a problem exclusive to Pixel phones. We’ve seen OnePlus, Apple, Samsung, and just about every other smartphone brand with devices that ship with OLED screens show similar issues.

Complicating the picture is the Pixel 10’s early “snow” glitch, where fresh units threw colorful static and bands, making screens unreadable for some owners. Early community chatter leaned toward software or display driver issues rather than outright panel failure. And within weeks, an OTA arrived that addressed display glitches on the Pixel 10 and 10 Pro. Even so, those reports highlight how screen troubles can straddle hardware and software, and they show Google moving quickly when a fix is clearly on the software side.

For users dealing with this right now, the fix seems straightforward but inconvenient: warranty replacement. Most people are getting their screens replaced at no cost, though some report being offered refurbished units instead of new ones. The lines typically progress from intermittent to permanent, so acting quickly when you first notice them makes sense.

The bigger question is whether Google will acknowledge this as a widespread issue like they did with the Pixel 8, potentially launching another extended repair program. Given the number of complaints building up across Reddit, X, and Google’s own forums, it feels like only a matter of time before this becomes another official problem Google has to address.