What you need to know
- A host of Google Pixel users are reporting annoying issues following the latest March security update.
- Pixels ranging from the 7 series to the 9 are met with strange brightness fluctuations, audio issues, and vibration woes.
- Google rolled out its March security patch last week, shortly after its major feature drop went live.
Google’s smartphones are dealing with some annoying issues following its latest monthly security patch, per its users.
Bug reports appeared like wildfire on Google’s Pixel subreddit over the weekend as users voiced frustrating problems after the March security update (via 9to5Google). Users reported a “random brightness drop” issue after watching a video on their Pixel 8 Pro. According to the post, their 8 Pro’s display would being flickering and they’d suffer an “abrupt brightness drop” roughly “every 10 seconds.”
They add that this issue is occurring every time they watch anything concerning videos, think Netflix or Prime Video, as the post states. The user notes other reports on the subreddit involve devices ranging from the Pixel 7 series to the latest Pixel 9.
Another user’s report breaks things down a little more, but begins by reiterating a similar “brightness fluctuation” during a Netflix session. However, the user highlights another issue, one that’s plaguing their Pixel’s audio. There’s reportedly a strange issue appearing with the device’s EQ is enabled. The user has noted odd audio shifts, i.e, songs are much louder than videos, making balance hard to come by.
For now, there’s no fix on any of these issues, but one user clocked a potential remedy. If your Pixel display is bugging out, the post suggests dropping your screen’s fresh rat to 60Hz, instead of leaving it at 120Hz.
Multiple bugs after March feature update from r/GooglePixel
Aside from display woes, Android Authority noticed Pixel users reporting problems with unusually strong device vibrations. These issues started appearing shortly after Google’s March security update last week, so it seems this can be lumped into the ongoing problems, too.
The publication cites a statement from Google about the issue, which says, “The Pixel team is actively looking into reports from some Pixel users about changes to haptic intensity. To adjust your vibration settings, you can go to Settings > Sound & vibration > Vibration & haptics.” Seems like another temporary fix to hold users over for the time being. It’s expected that Google will rollout a secondary patch to solve these problems, but when that will happen is anyone’s guess.
Google rolled out its March 2025 security update last week shortly after its major feature drop for Pixels. Users may want to exercise caution, considering the recent wave of problems plaguing a host of devices. The patch includes bug fixes for the entire Pixel lineup, including its foldables and tablet, for networking communication, camera, and audio problems.
Of course, this update came second to Google’s massive March feature drop for Pixels. The company rolled out enhanced scam detection for phone calls and text messages and finally dropped Loss of Pulse detection on the Pixel Watch 3.