Google Pixel Users Report Black Screen Issue After Overnight Charging

A new issue in Google Pixel devices has reignited the common argument that Google hardware isn’t worthy of the $999 price tag.

Several users on Reddit reports facing a black screen on their Google Pixels after trying to unlock the device following an overnight charge. The problem appears to have hit all Pixel smartphones.

According to a user complaint, the screen turns black, and the device becomes unresponsive. That being said, few device owners say they can still hear notifications arriving or alarm going off.

In fact, some are even able to access the camera app using the power button shortcut. Users write that restarting their phone fixes the problem, however temporarily.

I’ve had the 3XL since launch. $1000 for this thing… this thing which has been nothing but a constant series of issues, one after the other. The latest, that has been going on for 3 weeks now, is that after I restart my phone the god damned screen won’t turn on for up to a minute after I push the power button to unlock it. It will just randomly fix itself after a few hours and start functioning as normal again.

A bunch of Pixel users report that their device goes back to normal after showing the black screen for about ten seconds. However, the phone becomes unresponsive to touches, which leaves restarting the only option.

Several Redditors believe the problem arrived after updating their Google Pixel to the May security patch. But a few say that the problem was there before the update as well

Possible solutions

Other than reporting to Google, techies have tried to narrow it down by uninstalling several apps, turning off Google wallpaper, but haven’t hit the nail on the head.

A Google Pixel 3 user claims that the factory resetting the device didn’t solve the issue. Meanwhile, a handful of Pixel owners report the problem is not that frequent.

A factory reset is always the first thing to do, but since it appears to be a software issue, we believe it will most likely come back. A possible solution (via OhGawDuhhh) could be “Hold(ing) down the power button for 45 seconds. It simulates a battery pull.”

Since a lot of users have reported the issue, Google will likely roll-out a fix in a few days.

Last month, Pixel owners mostly running Android 10 faced another bug. It froze the entire UI after opening a few apps. Despite the similarities, the new Google Pixel issue appears to be unrelated to the previous one.

You can also read more about why the power button on your phone is not working in our detailed post here!