Google Finally Fixes Pixel Pocket Touch Bug After Years of Complaints

Google has at last given a sign of development in a Pixel issue that has been irritating for a long time and that many users know very well: the phones waking up in pockets and turning on flashlights, dialing contacts, or opening apps without the user's consent.

An engineer from Google, whose name was not mentioned, has marked the accidental touch issue as fixed on November 29, according to the public issue tracker of Google. The update was not very informative, but it did say directly that the issue was fixed and that users should keep an eye open for future releases. Although the comment lacked details, it implicitly indicates that Google has done its internal work on the proper solution.

Accidental screen activity has been a problem with Pixel smartphones for several generations. The complaints started when Pixel 6 series (which was launched in 2021) and lasted through the next models, which include Pixel 7, Pixel 8, and Pixel 9 devices. Users have repeatedly posted on forums and social networks about their phones being activated while locked and kept in pockets or bags.

Unintentional screen activity has shown no signs of disappearing on Pixel devices, and even the regularity of software updates could not help in the fight against this problem has lasted for years becoming the most viral Pixel frustration.

Just a few days after the update of the issue tracker, Google unveiled its December 2025 Pixel update. More than one hundred bug fixes and system improvements were included in that release, but the issue of accidental touch prevention was not one of them.

It appears that the timing suggests the fix is most probably planned for a forthcoming rollout, with January 2026 being the soonest realistic time frame. It might also be delivered along with a later Pixel Feature Drop rather than through a standard monthly patch.

For a long time, almost all Android manufacturers have had pocket detection or pocket mode features in their phones. Samsung, Xiaomi, and OnePlus are some of the brands that use the proximity sensors to prevent touch when a phone is placed in a pocket or covered. Pixel devices, which were considered as a showcase for Android, lacked a comparable system-level safeguard.

Hence, Pixel users were left with no choice but to use compromises. Common workarounds involve disabling “Tap to check phone,” switching off lock screen shortcuts, or reducing notifications. Though these measures lessen accidental touches, they also take away some useful daily functions.

There have been a lot of posts in the online forums discussing the problem, so it is clear that it has not only affected one certain phone or software version. There are also signs through Reddit threads and support posts that practically every modern Pixel generation has suffered with this problem, and reports about it still come up from users quite often up to 2025.

An occurrence of bizarre pocket behavior has been one uncomfortable fault for the devices that marketed themselves as being polished and intelligent flagships, particularly during phone calls or meetings, or while traveling.

Over the years Pixel phones have faced a number of other software problems such as display issues and camera bugs. However, nothing quite like the prevention of accidental touches issue stands out because it looks so basic and so easily avoidable in hindsight.

Google’s confirmation may be late, but it is definitely a turning point. If the fix goes smoothly in early 2026, it can finally put end to one of the longest quality-of-life complaints in Pixel history. For many users, the real relief will happen when their phones stay quiet, dark and locked where they are supposed to be — that is, in the pocket.