Google Pixel 'stuttering when scrolling' issue persists even after November patch for some

For months now, some Google Pixel users have been reporting a stuttering experience when scrolling through their devices’ UI or apps. Now, new reports suggest that this issue is still present even after the latest November patch, although there could be a glimmer of hope for December.

When people talk about ‘stutter scrolling’ they are usually referring to the lag resulting from occasional frame drops while you scroll through the UI. The effect can negatively impact the user experience and is something you would not want to see on powerful smartphones.

Sadly, it seems that the problem occurs even in recent generations of Google Pixel devices, as I came across a couple of dozen reports within the past few weeks from the Pixel 7 and Pixel 8 series, while the main thread on the Android issues tracker has raked in over 230 claims from people who are impacted by the bug.

In some cases, stutter scrolling occurs in some apps, while in others it is present even when navigating the OS UI. There are some severe situations where users coming from very old devices (like the OnePlus 7t) find the scrolling experience ‘janky’ on a much more modern Google Pixel 8.

One of the main reasons for purchasing a Google Pixel device is the fluid user experience, so facing these types of experiences can be quite frustrating.

There is a related issue where those affected are unable to swipe normally on the screen while the device is charging. In those cases, many times the swipe gestures stop working or are unresponsive.

This last issue could be due to the Android 14 update, as we covered in October. In those days, many users began to report a loss of responsiveness in swipe gestures after installing the latest Android version.

On the other hand, issues related to scrolling smoothness have existed since last year on the Pixel 7 series. Sadly, it seems that these problems are still present even after the latest November patch.

Having said all the above, it seems that there is a small glimmer of hope, since some reports agree that the ‘janky scrolling’ issue was fixed (or at least very minimized) in the latest Android 14 QPR1 Beta 2.2 version. So, those affected could finally have a fully smooth experience as soon as the stable update rolls out, or they could even try installing the beta if they know how to do it.

More specifically, those scrolling smoothness improvements could be available to everyone with the next Google Pixel December patch. However, it is not known if it will also include the fix for the swipe gestures bugs that are still present today.

Also, the fact that the smoothness issue was escalated to the Android dev team this month gives more hope that the improvements will be implemented in the next update.

Let’s hope that affected users will finally enjoy a completely fluid experience after installing the Google Pixel December patch.