Pixel 10 users are facing another major display bug after the December update

The December Pixel Drop, which arrived exactly a week ago, was primarily aimed at eradicating a punch list of issues troubling users of the Pixel 6 and above. But in fixing those bugs, Google may have triggered a handful of new ones. After we learned about a relatively less bothersome snag with single-handed mode or an unsightly glitch with the always-on display, we’re learning of a major issue that could potentially impact a broader set of Pixel 10 users.

Reddit user tstrmr recently posted about the display on their Pixel 10 Pro XL becoming unresponsive randomly. The issue specifically occurs when the phone is locked and sat down for a certain duration, following which the display stops registering touch at all.

According to the post, the interface is seemingly functional, and the user can turn the display on or off by pressing the power button. Moreover, double-pressing the power button also launches the Camera, indicating that the phone isn’t unresponsive but rather that the display is.

The only workaround for the issue has been to reboot their Pixel 10 Pro XL or wait for a few minutes for the phone to become responsive again. Apart from these measures, the user has been getting around it by using Android’s location-based Extended Unlock feature, but it doesn’t work when they’re away from home.

Notably, the issue does not occur when the phone is kept in the pocket, and the user is moving around with it. They suspect that keeping it stationary for a specific period may trigger it. Several other Pixel 10 users replied to the Reddit thread, confirming they had to go through the same issue with their devices, so we know it’s not limited to the Pro or XL models.

There does not seem to be a concrete fix at the moment, though some replies on the thread suggest turning the always-on display off entirely.

Notably, this isn’t the first time we’re encountering complaints about display issues with the Pixel 10 series. After the October update, a few people complained about their phone’s display turning “fuzzy”. However, this was subsequently addressed in an update.

Given the scale of the latest issues, we hope Google doesn’t wait until January to patch them. But hope is all we can.