If you’re a Pixel user that’s looking to upgrade to Android 17, you might want to hold it off.
It’s not entirely uncommon for bugs to sneak into new software builds, but Android 17 is proving to be especially rocky.
Android 17 is headed to Pixel phones now, and it’ll change the way you multitask
The biggest OS release of the year has started
We’ve already reported on Android 17’s Wi-Fi connectivity bug and the home screen widget bug. Now, an even more disruptive bug has started making the rounds.
No Wi-Fi is annoying, but it can be countered with mobile data. Home screen widgets vanished? Your phone still functions fine. The latest issue, however, breaks the very foundation of the smartphone experience: the touchscreen.
The issue was reported by users on Reddit, via Android Authority, suggesting that “strange touch screen issues” started only after updating to Android 17. This includes the device registering more touches than intended, registering fewer touches than intended, and registering top-to-bottom swipes as bottom-to-top swipes (and vice versa).
It also includes the device not registering touches outright. The bug appears to be affecting the entire Pixel smartphone lineup.
The bug has made its way to Google’s IssueTracker, and Google reportedly knows about it too. The company replied to a post about the bug with troubleshooting steps.
According to the company, heading to Settings > Apps > See all apps > Pixel Launcher app > Storage & cache > and clearing cache should solve the issue. Users, however, report otherwise.
At least one user said that disabling ‘Smooth Display’ fixed the issue for them, and it remained fixed even after re-enabling the feature. The fix has gotten mixed reception, but it’s worth trying if you’re facing touch issues as well.
Considering the severity of the bugs already found, if you haven’t already updated to Android 17 yet, you might just want to hold off on it.
