What You Need to Know:

Pixel phone users are facing an unexpected screen brightness glitch that emerged after the March software update, particularly affecting video playback in fullscreen mode. Reports indicate that this problem extends to various models, including the Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro, raising concerns among a growing community of affected users.

The glitch manifests as a frustrating flicker in brightness while streaming videos on platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and YouTube. Users have described the screen oscillating between overly bright and too dim, leading to a less enjoyable viewing experience. Interestingly, one user pointed out that this issue only seems to occur with subtitles enabled on Netflix, hinting at complex bugs tied to content viewing.

A key piece of feedback from users revolves around the March Pixel Feature Drop. While this update introduced useful features and patches, several users are attributing the brightness issue directly to it, noting that their devices functioned correctly prior to the update. Even turning off the adaptive brightness feature has not resolved the problem, confirming that it's not just a settings error.

One user with the Pixel 9 Pro XL highlighted a bizarre visual inconsistency: wallpapers appear dim even at maximum brightness, while app icons maintain their brightness level. This has led to suspicions that a broader display glitch is affecting multiple Pixel models, from the Pixel 6 series up to the Pixel 9.

Despite the frustration, there is a temporary workaround. Disabling the Smooth Display functionality alleviates the flickering issue, but at the cost of reduced refresh rates, dropping from the desirable 120Hz to 60Hz. This downgrade results in less fluid scrolling and animations, a trade-off many find hard to accept.

As users continue to voice their experiences on platforms like Reddit, it has become clear this is not an isolated issue. With the community rallying around the claim that the March update is the culprit, many are eagerly anticipating a response from Google, who has yet to issue a statement addressing this widespread concern.

Stay tuned as we monitor this situation and provide updates on any fixes or comments from Google regarding this troubling glitch affecting Pixel devices!