See which Pixel bugs Google exterminated with today's update
It's the start of a brand new month and if you own a Pixel, you know what that means. Google disseminated the March security update for the Pixels today and the most important part is the list of functional updates. These are essentially bug fixes or enhancements to certain features that Google includes with the monthly update. This is not to be confused with the quarterly feature drop that also was pushed out today.
The functional update list is unusually long
The list is pretty unusually long, so let's get started. The update gets rid of a bug that causes overlays from certain apps to get stuck on the home screen. Phones affected include the Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL, Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL. And all eight handsets are also getting a bug fix that removes crackling static noise from audio captures.
Another fix heading to Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL, Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL units will improve the connectivity between these handsets and certain fitness trackers. What good is a fitness tracker if it can't pair with your phone? The same models will see an improvement with the autofocus for the camera and the quick switch animation for gesture navigation will look better. This feature allows someone using an Android 10 powered Pixel to quickly switch between open apps by swiping the thin white line on the bottom of the display to the left or the right.
The 2017-2019 Pixels are receiving their monthly security update today
Pixel 4 owners should notice an improvement in how audio sounds coming from the bottom speaker after improvements are made to the driver via the update. Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL users will get a fix for a camera crash that occurs when the camera is set on video mode. Don't you hate when that happens? Remember the strange color tinting that showed up in some photos snapped by the 2019 Pixel models? This is one of the issues taken care of by today's update.
The latest Pixel models also received a fix to repair an issue that prevents USB accessories from being recognized on the phones and a fix for another issue that results in the lock screen sticking after using Face Unlock. The update also improves the visual feedback for hand gestures used in Motion Sense. The latter is the feature that uses the radar-based Soli chip to allow Pixel 4 owners to dismiss a call, dismiss an alarm, and skip streaming content via a wave of the hand over the screen.
The mid-range Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL have a problem with broken wallpaper that this update takes care of, and another issue with corrupted video when using picture-in-picture mode. A similar problem with corrupted video that happens after locking the screen is now repaired for the Pixel 3, Pixel 3a and Pixel 4 lines.
The last few functional updates fix bugs on the Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL, Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL. One gets rid of "undismissable" emergency notifications while another eliminates "undismissable" location access notifications after an emergency call. Another update improves the notification icon display in dark theme. Owners of these eight handsets should see better performance in the playback of 4K videos once the monthly security update is installed. And lastly, the update contains a fix for a bug that loses the configuration of a Pixel's Wi-Fi network.
The March 1st security update comes with a large number of security patches. You can check them out right here. Remember, the 2016 OG Pixel and Pixel XL no longer are supported by Google.
To install the update, go to Settings > System > Advanced > System update.
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