The Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are some of the best phones available – each received a four-star review from us and is the phone of choice for several members of our team – but unfortunately they suffered from a surprising number of issues.
Fortunately, Google has resolved most of the issues with the Google Pixel 6 and Google Pixel 6 Pro through updates to the Android OS, or at least offering a workaround when it finds a better solution.
Below is a list of potential issues you may encounter with your Pixel 6 as well as some potential fixes if any.
Unbelievable Google Fingerprint Scanner
One of the most common complaints about the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro is its fingerprint scanner, with reports that there are several ways it can stop working. Users have said that the scanner can break if the battery runs out or the screen is repaired, and the fingerprint reader is simply unreliable.
The good news is that most scanner issues have been fixed with the update – and there are some best practices you can follow to avoid issues.
If you’re having trouble with the scanner, clean your phone’s screen first and make sure you’re using your right finger and part of your finger – depending on how you’ve calibrated it, it may not recognize your digit if you put it in a corner. You can also make sure the screen protector doesn’t cause any problems if you use it, as some security features can affect the performance of the scanner.
The only issue that Google hasn’t addressed yet is that repairing the screen may cause the fingerprint scanner to stop working as well. Since even Google-approved professionals have struggled to effortlessly replace the screen, we advise against undertaking any home repairs; instead, if your phone’s screen really needs replacing, send it to a good repair shop with a solid track record of repairing Google Pixel 6 smartphones.
Dead pixels
Speaking of phone screen repair, this may be the only solution if you notice clusters of black pixels on your screen.
It’s not uncommon for phones to show up with dead pixels – especially if you’re not careful – and unfortunately, if they’ve appeared on your Pixel 6, screen replacement may be the only solution. That said, we recommend that you check that your Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro is running the latest version of the Android OS before you send your phone in for repair; some users found that dead pixels were brought back to life simply by installing a software update.
Other Pixel 6 screen issues
Users have also reported a number of other screen issues on the Pixel 6 series, with some reporting that the screen flickers when pressing the power button while the phone is turned off and others reporting a green tint to the display.
While there is no news on how to fix the greenish tint, Google confirmed the flicker (opens in a new tab)saying that the problem can occur if you don’t press the power button hard enough to turn on the phone.
The company released a fix for this issue in the January software update, but if you’re still having issues, just hold down the power button until your Pixel phone turns on to avoid the problem.
Auto rotate doesn’t work
Some users are complaining that the auto-rotate feature that adjusts the phone screen to the portrait or landscape orientation of the phone stops working even though it should still be enabled.
Unfortunately, there is no permanent fix from Google yet, but we and others have found that restarting the phone is the best solution; doing this seems to have fixed any issues with the accelerometer and it should start working normally again.
Auto brightness is too dark or too weak
Some Reddit users are also reporting that their Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro will adjust the brightness of the screenno change in ambient lighting.
Apparently, this is the result of the auto-brightness algorithm learning how bright your phone is, so if you manually adjust the brightness when it changes to a level you’re not happy with, it should eventually learn how you want it to.
Additionally, the January 2022 software update included “general improvements to the adaptive brightness response under certain conditions,” which can hopefully mean it learns your habits less invasively.
Not so fast charging
Despite initially claiming that Google’s Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro smartphones could regain half their power in 30 minutes with a 30W charging cable (which was sold separately), Google has since confirmed that no device supports 30W charging – instead reaching around 21W and 23W for the base and Pro models respectively.
As such, if you’re used to using a phone that supports faster charging, you may feel that the Pixel 6’s battery charges at a snail’s pace in comparison.
That said, you may also find that there is a problem with the power cable. Since the Google Pixel 6 does not come with a charging cable, you have to rely on third-party options; if the one you choose isn’t as fast as the minimum 21W speeds your device is capable of, the charging time may take longer than expected.
Broken wifi connections
Some Google Fi customers are stating that Wi-Fi Calling doesn’t work on Pixel 6s, but posting on Reddit suggest that in many cases this problem seems to fix itself over time, so patience may be needed here.
In the meantime, you might have some luck if you toggle Airplane Mode on and off.
Google has also released a software update that includes “a fix for an issue that was disabling calling features on some devices or under certain conditions”, so this may be related to that.
- Want to upgrade your Pixel 6? You might want to check out the Google Pixel 7