A few weeks ago, we learned that Google acknowledged one of the most annoying problems with the Google Pixel, explaining that the sound issues some users experienced will be fixed after a software update at some point. That was certainly good news for affected owners, as it meant the sound problems were not the result of any sort of hardware issue. Google promised a fix, without actually offering a release date for the update. Now, it seems that Google may have already included the fix in the February security update that has already been released.
As Phone Arena notes, there’s no mention of the bug in the update’s change log, but many people on Reddit are saying that the audio problems they’ve been experiencing since first purchasing the phone have vanished following the installation of this new update. But don’t get too excited just yet: the static and popping sounds some Pixel users complained are gone for some people. Others, meanwhile, are still affected by the problem, which seems to suggest that Google has not actually fixed the issue, and it may be just a coincidence.
The video below shows a sound comparison before and after the update. It’s clear that the sound distortion issue has disappeared for this user, but Google has yet to announce anything official on the matter.
That said, if you haven’t updated your Pixel yet, you should do it right away and hope your phone’s audio playback problems are also gone.