The Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro got off to a bit of a rocky start, with several issues reported, but after a series of software updates, it looked like both phones were out of the woods. However, at least one issue still appears to be affecting multiple users.
Starting in January, an increasing number of people reported seeing what appear to be clumps of ‘dead’ – i.e. black – pixels on their Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro screens. These reports have appeared on sites such as reddit (opens in new tab), twitter (opens in new tab)and the Google Support Forums (opens in new tab)and in most cases the pixels appear to be around the front camera, making the crop appear larger and jagged.
The dead pixels are clustered together, creating an ugly looking black hole and (more or less like a real black hole) some users claim it is expanding over time.
In a smaller number of cases, the black area appears elsewhere, such as in the upper right corner of the screen (opens in new tab), and it is unclear whether this is really the same problem or a different problem; but either way, it’s certainly a problem.
At the time of writing, there doesn’t seem to be a reliable solution to the problem unless owners send the phone in for repair or replacement. Some users claim that software updates fixed the issue and for some the issue is only present when their phone is in landscape mode while others have it all the time.
Restarting or resetting the phone doesn’t seem to help, so while it doesn’t hurt to try these things if you have this problem, you shouldn’t get your hopes up. It seems your best bet is to make sure your software is up to date, and if it is, and the problem persists, send your phone in for repair.
Hopefully a software update will resolve the issue more reliably in the future (if it’s a software issue rather than a hardware issue), but there’s no guarantee that this will arrive anytime soon, if at all.
Review: Don’t Let That Put You Off on a Pixel 6
While issues like this are certainly troubling, the reality is that any phone can have issues, including big-name handsets like the Samsung Galaxy S22 and iPhone 13.
In fact, a quick Google search will show that both devices have developed issues for some users.
The Pixel 6 lineup appears to have had more than its share of issues, but as noted, most of them have now been fixed, and in most cases it’s unclear how widespread the issues were in the first place.
A number of people have reported this latest glitch on various websites over the course of several months, but it’s still a drop in the bucket compared to the number of people who actually have a Pixel 6, so the chance of you experiencing this issue is likely low.
And out of any trouble, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are fantastic phones, with great cameras, sleek software, and eye-catching designs. So if you like the look and feel of a Pixel 6, we wouldn’t discourage you from buying one, as overall it’s one of our best phones.
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