Google has started the rollout of the February software update for its Pixel smartphones, and among the issues it fixes are the random reboots frustrating Pixel 6 users while using the cameras. The Pixel 6 series, especially the vanilla $599 model, has received acclaim for the no-compromise flagship experience it brings to the table, with particular praise going towards the upgraded camera hardware and the fresh design. However, the journey so far hasn’t been without its fair share of hiccups.
The slow in-display fingerprint sensor was one of the first issues that Pixel 6 users reported, followed by slow charging woes and cable compatibility problems for quickly juicing up the phones. Then there was the issue with the Pixel 6 phones randomly starting a call in the middle of the night, an anomaly that was later fixed via an update. Finally, a botched app update removed the cool Magic Eraser feature from Google Photos, and after a flurry of complaints, Google had to push a new build of the app to bring it back.
But new issues kept raising their heads, with Pixel 6 users eagerly awaiting the February update to address at least some of them. Well, the wait is over, as Google has finally released the Feb. 2022 software update for the Pixel 6 and its Pro version. The update is also being pushed out simultaneously for the Pixel 5, Pixel 5a, Pixel 4, Pixel 4a and Pixel 3a. It resolves Bluetooth connectivity issues during audio playback and also quashes a bug that caused the keyboard to appear over the input text in certain scenarios. But the most critical fix is about the random reboots plaguing Pixel 6 users.
A Lingering Problem
Google’s changelog page mentions that the software update brings a “fix for issue causing device reboot when using camera in certain conditions.” A quick look at Twitter and Reddit suggests that the random reboot problem affects a healthy number of Pixel 6 users and manifests in multiple ways. For some users, the phone reboots or crashes while using the camera. However, it appears that random reboots have been giving Pixel 6 users nightmares for at least the past three months. For some users, the device simply performs a reboot while sitting idle. A few users tried uninstalling all the apps, doing a factory reset, and then re-installing those apps afresh to solve the reboot problem, but that didn’t work.
As for the link between reboots and the Pixel 6’s default camera app, user complaints suggest that the app makes the phone run hot, freezes the UI, leads to screen glitching, and performs a system reboot on its own. A few users who tried fiddling with ISO files suggest that the issue might have something to do with memory leakage, but Google hasn’t confirmed that yet. Another user reports seeing abrupt “System UI Not Responding” notifications on the device, giving them reboot issues. Many users facing the reboot issue claim to have received a replacement unit to address the issue. But it appears that the February update doesn’t solve the problem. One Pixel 6 user wrote on Reddit that the camera app continues crashing after installing the update, and the phone still goes on a reboot bender.
Sources: Google, Reddit
