Eric Zeman / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google has acknowledged the display flickering issue experienced by some Pixel 6 Pro users.
- The company confirmed that it’s not a hardware fault.
- A software fix will arrive alongside the December 2021 Pixel update.
“Pixel 6 Pro users may notice slight, transient display artifacts when the device is turned off,” explains Google in a support post (h/t 9to5Google). The problem is only noticeable when users “press on the power button with slight pressure but not enough to turn it on,” which is what we experienced with our review device, too.
Our verdict: Google Pixel 6 Pro review
From our experience, the problem doesn’t affect the everyday use of the phone. But some users, who may use the power button as a fidget toy, might find the issue annoying.
As a reprieve, Google has provided a workaround for those experiencing the flickering. “To avoid seeing this, when the power is off, do not cycle the power button,” it explains. “When you want to use the phone, hold the power button down long enough to turn it on.”
Google Pixel 6 Pro display flickering fix: When will it arrive?
Despite the involvement of the power button and display, Google believes the problem is not due to faulty hardware. However, you’ll have to wait a while for the company to issue a software fix. Google confirmed a remedy would land alongside the “December software update for Pixel 6 Pro,” which suggests you’ll have to deal with the problem for at least another month.
This isn’t the first display-related Pixel issue we’ve seen. In 2019, it was discovered that the Pixel 4‘s display only refreshed at 90Hz when screen brightness was above 75%. Google rectified the quirk in a subsequent update.
