While the best features of Android 16 will only arrive later this year, it’s still a big update, packing plenty of changes. As with most major Google updates, a few bugs in Android 16 appear to have slipped past its quality control. One bug makes the back gesture unresponsive, while another temporarily breaks the 3-button navigation for no clear reason, frustrating Pixel users.
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Since updating to Android 16 early last week, multiple Pixel owners have noticed the back gesture randomly stops working as intended. Android Police co-founder Artem Russakovskii posted a screen recording on X showing this Android 16 bug in action.
Over on Reddit, Pixel users are also complaining about the 3-button navigation not working as intended. Both navigation issues appear to affect all Pixel devices, including the Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 lineup.
The “buttons are completely unresponsive or there are delays of over 30 seconds. My 8 Pro has become almost unusable. Sometimes the buttons work fine for 30 minutes but then the problem starts again, for no apparent reason,” reports one frustrated Pixel user on Reddit. Some users also complain about UI glitches, with the 3-button navigation overlapping the bottom of the app.
Try these quick fixes until Google rolls out a fix
A restart only temporarily appears to resolve the problem. The bug also seems more pronounced when using a third-party launcher. So, you can go back to the Pixel launcher to see if that solves the issue. Alternatively, if you are already using the stock launcher, try clearing its data to see if that helps.
Some users report not facing any such issues on Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2. So, if you are frustrated by the bug, try your luck and upgrade to the newest QPR beta to see if the issue persists. Or as a last resort, do a factory and start from scratch, though this is easier said than done.
Mixed reports from Pixel owners on the Reddit thread indicate the bug may not be widespread and affecting everyone. Still, given that the issue affects the core Android experience and can be extremely frustrating when it happens, Google should hopefully roll out a fix sooner rather than later.
