The Pixel 6 launch has been relatively smooth so far, but one weird issue has popped up: A handful of reports started showing up on Reddit (via Android Central) shortly after the phone officially went on sale last week claiming that the Pixel 6 Pro’s screen flickers when the phone is turned off, but only when you press its power button.
Following initial reports of the residual light bug, Google has since updated the Pixel 6’s help forums with more information on the issue, including tips on how to avoid the bug and a promise to fix the issue next month as part of the Pixel 6’s December software update.
According to Google: “Pixel 6 Pro users may notice slight, transient display artifacts when the device is turned off, and when they press on the power button with slight pressure but not enough [pressure] to turn it on.”
In order to sidestep the bug, Google says Pixel 6 Pro owners should avoid cycling the power button by not pressing it hard enough, and instead just hold the power button down until the phone turns on.
Google claims the residual light bug is not a hardware issue, and therefore shouldn’t pose any long-term risks to the Pixel 6 Pro’s performance or durability. Gizmodo has not experienced this bug in our testing, and with the issue only presenting when the phone is off combined with the relatively small number of people claiming to have encountered the bug, Pixel 6 Pro’s residual light issue doesn’t seem to be a widespread problem.
The flickering display isn’t the only early issue that’s been reported; a small number of users claim to have seen a green tint on the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro’s display, which may be attributable to small differences in the Pixel 6’s quality control or its factory screen calibration. Issues with colour calibration have been a problem going as far back as the Pixel 3, though we haven’t observed any noticeable differences between our Pixel 6 reviews units thus far. The number of reports about a green tint have been limited, so it seems that, like the residual light bug, issues with the colour calibration on the Pixel 6 may only affect a small number of devices.
However, between Google’s aggressive pricing and high demand for the Pixel 6, it will be increasingly important for Google to prevent as many bugs or defects as possible if Google wants to truly compete with Apple and Samsung when it comes to premium phones.