Google to fix Pixel 6 ‘residual light’ issue with December update

It isn’t clear if the issues are widespread or affect only a small number of units.

Update, Nov 1 (06:45 ET): A fix is incoming

What you need to know

• A few Pixel 6 users are experiencing weird screen flickering issues.
• The flickering happens when the power button is pressed while the phone is off.
• Some owners are also complaining about a green tint on the screen.

Some customers who received their Pixel 6 and 6 Pro phones earlier this week have noticed a weird screen flicker problem on their phones.

According to complaints from owners on Reddit, the display flicker issue appears when pressing the power button while the phones are switched off. For now, It doesn’t look like Google’s best Android phones of 2021 exhibit the same behavior when they are turned on.

A few Pixel 6 and 6 Pro owners are also reporting a green tint on the display. While the flickering issue hasn’t been reported on previous Pixel phones, some Pixel 5a and Pixel 4 XL devices were also affected by the green tint issue. Samsung’s Galaxy S20 Ultra and OnePlus 8 owners experienced similar tint issues as well. In both cases, the issues were “fixed” by the manufacturers with a software update.

Since Google began shipping the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro pre-orders just a few days back, we’ll have to wait a little longer to find out if these issues are widespread. In case the issues aren’t limited to just a small number of Pixel 6 and 6 Pro units, Google will likely roll out a new software update to fix them very soon.

It isn’t the first time that users are reporting issues with their new Pixel phones. Last year, early Pixel 5 owners started noticing gaps between the screen and body, which Google later said was a “normal part of the design.” A small number of Pixel 5 users also experienced some volume level problems and a proximity sensor flicker bug.

The Pixel 4 series, on the other hand, was affected by battery discharge and random shutdown issues. Some Pixel 3 and 3 XL units were also affected by the random shutdown problem, while some other units suffered from EDL issues.

Update, Nov 1 (06:45 ET) ― Google says the issue will be fixed with the December update for the Pixel 6 series

Google has acknowledged the screen issue affecting some Pixel 6 and 6 Pro units on its Pixel Phone help page. The company says the issue will be fixed with a software update that will be rolled out to the two phones in December. Google has also confirmed that the flickering “does not represent an issue with the phone hardware. “