Joe Maring / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Some Google Pixel owners are reporting lock screen issues after updating to Android 16.
- Problems include tap-to-wake not working, the screen not turning on after hitting the power button, and more.
- Affected users are advised to restart their phones to mitigate the issue, but Google is apparently working on a fix.
Google Pixel phones were the first to receive an update to the stable Android 16 software. This update brings features like an Advanced Protection Mode, anti-scammer measures during phone calls, and more. Unfortunately, it looks like the update has also brought lock screen woes to some users.
Some people on the Pixel Phone Help forum and Reddit (h/t: 9to5Google) have reported various lock screen issues on their Pixels after the Android 16 update. These problems include tap-to-wake not working, the screen not turning on (or being slow to turn on) after hitting the power button, extreme variations in brightness, and fingerprint scanner problems. A few people also report a slow UI and app crashes when they are eventually able to unlock their phone screen.
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Affected users have tried several workarounds to mitigate this problem. One prominent workaround is to restart the phone, but this only seems to work for a few hours before the lock screen issues pop up again.
A product expert on Google's forum also suggested that users reset their adaptive brightness as a workaround for the brightness issue on the lock screen. This can be done via Settings > Apps > All apps > Device Health Services > Storage and cache > Clear storage > Reset adaptive brightness.
Unfortunately, these problems seem to have persisted for almost a month now. Thankfully, the product expert confirmed that Google is aware of these lock screen problems and is working on a fix. There's no word on a release timeline just yet, but we hope it's sooner rather than later.
