Is your Google Pixel 9 screen flickering or are the haptics a lot more intense? You aren't alone, and thankfully there's a fix

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(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Google Pixel phones are experiencing a few bugs
They seem to have been caused by the recent security patch
There's no official fix, but a few possible workarounds

It’s not a great time for Google at the moment. Its Chromescasts are having casting glitches, Google Maps is seemingly deleting timelines, and now Google Pixel phone users are reporting screen, sound and, haptics bugs following the rollout of the most recent security patch.

Users have taken to the Google Pixel subreddit to complain about random brightness fluctuations, sound glitching when using third-party EQ apps like PowerAmp EQ, and feeling like the haptics are a lot more intense after the update (spotted by 9to5Google).

Thankfully there are a couple of suggested fixes, though we’re still waiting on an official patch from Google itself.

A few possible solutions

Pixel 9 Pro teaser — (Image credit: Google)

On the haptics side of things Google has said (via Reddit) that it’s “looking into reports from some Pixel users about changes to haptic intensity” with it also offering advice on how to change haptic intensity on your Pixel device by going into Settings, Sound & vibration, and then Vibration & haptics.

As for audio, you might have to make do without your third party equalizers for now.

We’re not experiencing the issues ourselves so we can’t test these tactics out, but affected users are saying that the solutions work – so they’re something to try while waiting for a more permanent solution if the glitches are bothering you.

As for the few of you who may have somehow put off installing the latest security update because of these glitches, you might want to reconsider. Glitches can be frustrating, but not everyone who updates has been affected, and not installing essential security patches can put your device at risk – which could lead to problems a lot bigger than your screen brightness flickering.

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Hamish is a Senior Staff Writer for TechRadar and you’ll see his name appearing on articles across nearly every topic on the site from smart home deals to speaker reviews to graphics card news and everything in between. He uses his broad range of knowledge to help explain the latest gadgets and if they’re a must-buy or a fad fueled by hype. Though his specialty is writing about everything going on in the world of virtual reality and augmented reality.