Latest Google Pixel 6 problem finally has a fix via a new update

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After months of troublesome bugs theGoogle Pixel 6range is in fairly good shape now. But witha recent software updateGoogletook two steps forward and one step back, adding various new features but changing haptic feedback in a way that users didn’t like. Now though, it seems that change is being rolled back.

TheMay 2022 Google Pixel updateis now rolling out, and one of the changes is listed as “improvements for haptic feedback under certain conditions and use cases.” This change applies specifically to the Google Pixel 6 and thePixel 6 Pro, so it’s clear that it’s designed to address the issue Google itself created with a recent update.

Presumably, this new update will make the vibrations stronger, as users found they became too soft with the March feature drop, but the changelog doesn’t specify.

In any case, this isn’t the only change that’s included in the May 2022 update. All supported phones (meaning theGoogle Pixel 3aonwards) are also getting a fix for an issue that would occasionally make the display wake on its own, and a fix for a bug that could cause the launcher to crash after restarting the phone.

Beyond that, there are also security fixes that are always worth grabbing, but there aren’t any new features included here.

The update is rolling out now, so keep an eye out for it – but it might take days or more to reach every Pixel phone.

Analysis: an unwanted feature, not a bug

One interesting aspect of the vibration change is that Google lists it as “improvements” rather than a fix, suggesting the company doesn’t see the previous change as a bug.

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At the time there was lots of speculation over whether the weaker haptics were an intentional change or not, with some users even liking the change, noting that it felt more “naturalistic.”

Given the wording in this May update, it seems the weaker vibrations may well have been intentional, and that Google is just responding to user feedback (the overwhelming majority of which was negative) in changing them back. Either that or it was a bug, and the company isn’t owning up to it.

ViaGSMArena

James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.

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