Admins, maybe pin this one:

Open the Gemini app

1. Tap your profile pic up in the top right corner
2. Tap settings.
3. Personal intelligence
4. Instructions for Gemini.
5. Enter instructions something like this:
   1. You are acting as a direct, no-nonsense Google Assistant interface.
   2. Brevity First: Give short, immediate, and direct responses. Omit conversational filler, greetings, pleasantries, polite sign-offs, and unnecessary transitions.
   3. Home & Timers: For smart home operations, timer setups, or routine commands, acknowledge completion in 1 to 5 words (e.g., "Timer set for 10 minutes.", "Turning on the lights.", "Done.").
   4. Concise Information: When answering quick questions, provide only the factual answer in 1 or 2 clear sentences. Do not offer unprompted follow-ups or extra context unless explicitly asked.
   5. Spoken Style: Format outputs so they sound natural when spoken aloud via text-to-speech: avoid markdown formatting, bullet points, or tables for simple queries.

I fucking hate that they forcibly switched my phone from Assistant to Gemini with no way back. The worst part is that I use the held power button to quickly set timers and such, and now Gemini talks back to me. Is there any way to make it shut the fuck up and stop talking over my music or videos? I hate this nonsense.

I loved my pixel 4 so when it died I thought the 8 would be a reasonable replacement. It's pissed me off since day one and with the switch from Google assistant to Gemini eliminating literally everything I used the Google assistant for, I would like to know what phones other people have switched to that have a similar UI and some sort of halfway decent assistant feature to use voice commands (particularly while driving, as Gemini is completely useless with Android Auto). Any suggestions?

The slowdown on my pixel 8 is starting to feel progressively worse. Any time I pick up the phone it's just incredibly laggy.

Has Google acknowledged the issues? Is there a place they comment on these sorts of things?

Does anybody know when this custom widget 'feature' will actually arrive to Pixel phones, or Android in general? After the announcement which came with Android 17 (I think) however many months ago, it seems that this was just another carrot being dangled by Google with no real time frame on releasing it with Android 17. It's getting pretty frustrating hearing about new and upcoming features, only for them to fade off into the never never. I can locate some junk blogs about a Chromebook app or something, but that's about it.

When opening an application that requires biometric authentication, such as banking apps, it's problematic when face unlock is enabled because it's likely to fail in low light conditions, and you have to wait for it to fail before you can use the fingerprint scanner.

Is it possible to enable fingerprint scanning concurrently with face scanning? This feature is not available within apps, as the lock screen unlock is seamless and I've never encountered any issues with it since it utilizes both methods simultaneously.

Edit: I'm using Pixel 9 pro

I haven't used one since the early days of Android, but I got a free one with my phone case, I'm thinking about using it, although my previous three Pixel phones were just fine within one.

Is there a better replacement for Assistant than Gemini? I just need a basic tasks manager and reminder. I can't set a basic reminder with Gemini.

Device: Google Pixel 11 Pro

Android Version: 17

Security Patch: September 1, 2026

Play System Update: September 1, 2026

Build Number: CD1A.260905.001.B1

Hi everyone,

Over the last couple of weeks, my Pixel has been hitting heavy lag spikes and push notification delays:

Delayed Notifications: WhatsApp and other push alerts consistently arrive 5–10 minutes late, or only trigger when I physically unlock the screen or open the app.

General UI Stutter: Significant delay opening apps, pulling down the quick settings shade, and switching between tasks.

Severe Lag While Charging: When plugged into a charger, performance tanks noticeably- typing latency spikes, animations stutter, and app launch times double.

Troubleshooting already done:

Reset app preferences (Settings > System > Reset options > Reset app preferences)

Cleared System UI cache

Device rebooted

Is anyone else on the September 2026 build (CD1A.260905.001.B1) seeing aggressive background thermal throttling while charging or FCM/Doze notification delays?

Any known fixes before I resort to a full wipe? Thanks!

On this day ten years ago (October 4, 2016), Google announced the Pixel, a brand new flagship phone and successor to the long-running Nexus line. It launched with the Google Assistant (which was just sunset last week), a fresh take on Android, the best camera ever seen in a smartphone at that point, and unlimited Google Photos at original quality.

There were a couple other things launched around the same time that didn’t quite make it (Daydream… Allo 😬) but let’s skip those.

I used a different account back then, but I remember all the hype and excitement around the phone, and Google making a real push to take on Samsung and the iPhone. OGs will remember the Unicorn user flairs, for the people who modded 128 GB of storage into the 64 GB–only Really Blue Pixel. I didn’t get that one, but did end up getting the successor.

Ten years later, and so much has changed. Google now designs their own chip, expanded into folding phones, swapped out the Assistant, and for people in the US, isn’t a Verizon-exclusive anymore. They’ve managed to solidify themselves as the third phone manufacturer in North America (I see so many in the Toronto area) and haven’t abandoned it like their other projects. The legacy of HTC, the original Android phone maker, lives on in the Pixel line.

And yet some things haven’t changed. Google still promotes the Pixel as the smarter smartphone. “Ask more of your phone” was the slogan of the Pixel 2, long before it was revived in recent years. I still don’t think any phone can lay claim to it like the Pixel can.

So here’s to ten years of #teampixel and the entire Made By Google lineup, and to what’s next 🔵🔴🟡🟢

In case you’re wondering, this was not LLM-generated. Back in 2016 I was a high-schooler with a shitty $200 phone, bit of an Android zealot, and this phone was like, the pinnacle. I was ecstatic when I saved up enough to finally get one the next year, and I still have it in my desk (with its volume rocker taped-in). So even though I have an iPhone now, I’m still a bit sentimental for the Pixels I carried for nearly a decade.

Hi all!

I used to listen to a customized list of medias audio sort of headlines by asking Google assistant "tell me the news". I can't find anything equivalent with Gemini now.

Anyone knows a workaround?

My battery was swollen up! I had to get it removed, costed me alot my money. I bought this phone just 2-2.5 years back in 2024!! What kind of manufacturing is this! I thought pixel was reliable.. My previous phone lasted 6-7 years, it was slow and everything but I have seen such a defect in such a short amount of time.

So my pixel 9 a year old, which I left in charging randomly switched off and I took it to the service center to get it fixed. They told the motherboard was fried rand I fixed the motherboard and now they are saying that the display is gone too 🤡

It happened. Just 3 days after my warranty ended so I can't even claim warranty. What the f*** bro 😭

I updated my phone a few days ago, and Bluetooth volume control has been a complete mess. Sometimes Bluetooth volume is relatively normal and I can hear things well at ~1/3-1/2 volume, and other times I need to go to 100% volume to hear anything. Disconnecting and reconnecting sometimes changes this. This happens both in my car and on my ear buds, so it's not just one device.

This is not only obnoxious, but if I accidentally leave a device at 100% volume just to hear anything, it will blast my ears the next time I use it.

Does anyone know a fix? Or is this classic Google being stupid?

I enjoy my pixel, so please don't come for me🥹

I do have this problem though when using sliders or cropping photos where removing my finger causes the item being manipulated to move substantially off of the position I was intending.

Because my finger is obviously not a perfect stylus that I press perfectly perpendicular to the screen, it reads the uneven release of my finger as a gesture. Typically to the right and it's very frustrating.

I'm wondering if anybody has experienced the same issue and has found a way to counteract it?

I have a Pixel 9 Pro and I read books on the Kindle app on it a lot. I'm finding the reflections might be triggering my migraines.

I'm looking for a screen protector that will reduce the reflections and ideally doesn't have a cutout for the front camera.

So I am currently using an iPhone 16 pro max but still have my 8 pro laying around and I wanted to transfer my eSIM (I’m pretty sure the 8 has an eSIM option) because I genuinly love the pixel still, mainly for the camera.

The option on the pixel is greyed out though. Not sure why. Any thoughts? I got this phone from Best Buy unlocked a few years ago so I wouldn’t think it’s carrier related.

I've owned a Nexus, pixel 5a, and currently a pixel 10 pro xl, having switched between android and iPhones over the years. I've never had a cell phone drop my sims connectivity as often as this 10 Pro XL. I have both an AT&T and a Visible SIM in my device, so I can't blame my carrier(s). It is resolved by rebooting or turning the sims off and on, depending on what kind of mood the phone is in that day. This happens more than once a day when it does happen.

Is anyone else dealing with this? How did you resolve it, or have you not? I think this is my Pixel forever. It's one of those "you have ONE JOB" things. Without consistent carrier connectivity this is a worthless device. I still have a T-Mobile Samsung A29 that has never once done this lol pixel has fallen all the way off.

Hey everyone,

I’m facing a strange UI lag on my Pixel 11 Pro XL and wanted to check if anyone else can reproduce it.

Whenever I pull down the notification/Quick Settings panel and tap the Wi-Fi/Internet tile, the panel takes around 2–3 seconds to fully open. There’s noticeable stuttering while it opens, and sometimes I briefly get an almost blank/dark panel before the Wi-Fi networks and controls finally appear.

The actual Wi-Fi connection works perfectly fine, so this seems more like a System UI / Quick Settings performance issue rather than a connectivity problem.

I’ve attached a screen recording showing exactly what happens.

Could anyone with a Pixel 11 Pro XL try this and let me know:

- Does your Wi-Fi/Internet panel open instantly or is there a delay?

- Do you notice any stuttering/lag in the opening animation?

- Does it occasionally show a blank panel for a moment before loading?

- If you had the same issue, did you find any fix?

I’ve already reported it to Google Pixel Support, but I’m trying to figure out whether this is specific to my device or a wider Pixel/software issue.

Thanks!

I've been on the Google phone train for a while. My first Google device was the Nexus 7 (boy did I love that tablet), with my first phone being the Pixel 2XL once Google acquired HTC (the HTC One is still my favorite phone ever). I'm currently on the 9 Pro XL.

I can't remember everything clearly, but I remember there being non-OS benefits to owning a Google phone, such as free unlimited photo storage, which has since gone away. Are there any remaining reasons like this to continue owning a Pixel?

I find myself here because I'd like to game more on my phone, and Tensor just isn't supported well, nor is it very performant.

The Pixel 8 Pro Wi-Fi/Bluetooth megathread is archived now, so I'm posting a follow-up. My Pixel 8 Pro (Android 17) has the exact same problem: Wi-Fi "disabled" even with the toggle on, drops during normal use, and Bluetooth crash-looping. Android even kept rolling back Google Play system updates because it blamed them. Factory OTA, network reset and clearing app data didn't help, and it's out of warranty. So I went through the bugreports.

What the kernel logs show

Every single failure is the Wi-Fi chip's PCIe link failing to come up:

Link is not up, try count: 10, linksts: DETECT QUIET
pcie link up fail
hang reason: PCIE_RC_LINK_UP_FAIL

The processor literally can't reach the chip, which is why the HAL can't see the interface. Bluetooth goes down with it because the Wi-Fi driver creates the "coex" device that the Bluetooth HAL needs.

It really is temperature

The megathread noticed it works when cold. I logged the phone's temperature sensor on every boot:

The threshold is around 29–30 °C, which is "normal, not hot" in your hand. That points to a heat-sensitive physical connection (a cracked solder joint or similar), so it's hardware rather than the update itself.

Why it drops during use

The driver puts the chip to sleep after only 0.5 s without traffic (DHD Idle state!! idletime: 5), so the PCIe link is torn down and re-established thousands of times per hour. A marginal link eventually fails on one of those wake-ups, and once it's down it won't come back without a reboot.

The workaround: don't let the chip fall asleep

I built a small free, open-source app, Wi-Fi Guardian:

• 🛡️ It sends a 1-byte packet to your router every 0.2 s, Wi-Fi only, so the chip never goes idle and never has to wake up again. Think of keeping an engine idling because the starter is weak. No root, and it doesn't touch the driver or the system.
• 📊 It detects drops (including at boot), logs temperature and tells you when the phone has cooled enough to restart.

Since then my Wi-Fi has stayed up during normal use.

If your Wi-Fi is dead right now

1. Power off completely.
2. Let it cool for 15–20 min: no case, no charger, in front of a fan. Please not the freezer: condensation forms inside the phone when you take it out.
3. Power on, open the app, turn on Wi-Fi.

Honest limits: it's a workaround for a hardware fault, not a repair. It can't prevent a failure at power-on (cool it down first), it adds a little power use, and so far it's tested on one phone. Someone in the megathread had the same issue on a regular Pixel 8, so it may help other models too.

Source and APK (MIT): https://github.com/Tournique80/wifi-guardian

If you try it, please report back with your model and whether it helped. Since the megathread is archived, this can be the place to keep collecting data.

Made in Chile 🇨🇱 · by Totihue

I‘m want to buy a new/unused Pixel 10 Pro, preferably in Moonstone with 256GB. However in every official tech store that I’ve seen they seem to be sold out or only have the 128GB versions. Will there be another wave of production for this model? In the past I always used to buy phones a year or two after they’d been released when they were cheaper. To end production for a phone from 2025 in 2026 seems very early to me.
Does anybody know something about this?