Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google recently pushed out its March update for Pixel devices running on Android 15.
- Pixel owners are noticing that the haptics feel stronger after the update.
- Users are complaining that the haptics are now too strong for their liking.
Update: March 7, 2025 (5:42PM ET): Google has now released a response regarding the haptics issue. On Reddit, the company states:
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.
Original article: March 5, 2025 (11:04AM ET): Yesterday, Google announced it was starting the rollout of March’s software update for supported Pixel devices. The update includes a number of bug fixes and improvements like better camera stability, a fix for call volume on Bluetooth headsets, and so on. It also appears the update may have inadvertently increased the strength of haptics and some users are not a fan of the change.
There are multiple reports on Reddit questioning whether the March update has changed the vibration on Pixel phones. These users claim that the haptics feel stronger than before and not necessarily for the better. While there are some differing opinions, the general sentiment seems to be negative.
One user says, “Yes it does feel different. I think I preferred it before. This feels looser to me, less precise.” Another user states, “I really don’t like it. It feels like a spring instead of a thump. It feels a bit cheap. I hope they revert to the original.”
March’s software update is available for the Pixel 6 and above, as well as the Pixel Tablet. However, it appears that a majority of the complaints are coming from those who have a Pixel 7 series or Pixel 8 series device.
If you feel that your phone’s vibrations are too strong now, you can adjust the strength or turn them off in Settings. To do this, go to Settings > Sound & vibration > Vibration & haptics. This should hold you over until Google rolls out a fix. We have reached out to Google for comment.
