Google’s March update may have opened doors for annoying network bugs
Google released the first April build on the second day of the month. They made the update to address issues with the biometric and camera functionalities. A black screen would appear during screen unlock under certain conditions.
With cameras, there were challenges in zoom transitions and re-exposing images after tapping on the screen. The update rolled out for every Pixel device running Android 14, with slight delays across mobile carriers and regions outside the USA.
Shortly after the rollout, users took to the Google community, Reddit, and other online forums to make complaints. Their calling and messaging functionalities were acting wonky. Calls went straight to voicemail or didn’t ring out, and texts stopped coming or reached them in batches. Some users said that they noticed the problem since the previous March update drop. Ironically, it was supposed to fix over 30 different bugs.
Google has released a second build to fix network issues
Google rolled out a second build on April 18 to address the widespread network issue with calls and messages. They didn’t make any official statement. Instead, they quietly uploaded the OTA images for affected Pixel phones on their developer portal, and then rolled out the update to supported devices.
Only Verizon customers in the USA have received it over the air, and the mobile carrier indicated it on their changelogs. The update itself is small at 7MB, and it’s limited to the Pixel 7 and 8 phone series. Older models will just have to wait for another update.
The current software update provides performance improvements for LTE call/data and network issues.
Verizon
If you can’t wait for the official update to hit your device, you can manually sideload it.
Dangers of manual sideloading in desperate times
Although Google itself has provided official OTA images for sideloading the April build, you need to be aware of the risks. There’s a chance of downloading the incorrect file for your specific Pixel model or carrier. Flashing the wrong software can cause further problems, or even brick your device. It’s not the same as faulty app that will only cause crashes or performance issues.
That said, Google isn’t leaving you for dead. It’s slowly but surely working on a wider rollout. It’s annoying to wait this long, but worth it for the right fix to come along.
