Google's fix for Pixel bug where app windows get stuck on the screen after closing them to roll out soon

Some Google Pixel users are experiencing a strange bug that has been plaguing their devices since the Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2 update and somehow found its way to the stable April 2024 build. The bug causes apps to stay on the Pixel phone’s screen even after closing them. Sometimes these “ghost apps” show up on the lock or home screen, while other times they rudely overlay on top of the app a user is actively using.

While a temporary solution to clear these visual glitches is to turn the screen off and on again by pressing the power button, it’s a frustratingly repetitive process. Imagine having to power cycle your Pixel phone’s screen every time a YouTube window or other apps for that matter stubbornly refuses to fade away despite closing them. I wouldn’t want to deal with that every time, and we’re in luck that none of our Pixel devices has this problem.

Luckily, Google has recently acknowledged the issue, much to the relief of affected Pixel users. In late March, the company responded to a complaint on its Issue Tracker, stating that a fix had been developed and would be included in a future software build. Unfortunately, the April security update rolled out without a solution, leaving users to battle with ghost apps for a little longer.

While it’s disappointing that the fix didn’t make it into the April patch, the good news is that it shouldn’t be too long now. Pixel owners can reasonably hope that the May security patch, or a later update, will finally banish these bothersome apparitions for good.

This isn’t the only visual glitch affecting Pixel users. There are also reports of an issue where the Gboard keyboard pops up when you return to the home screen for those using the 3-button navigation. Hopefully, this will be fixed soon, too.