Google has dropped another Pixel update you might want to skip because of a frustrating bug

Updating your phone usually brings you improvements and new features, but in Google’s case it often means new bugs. The company has a growing history of Android updates riddled with various bugs. Staying true to that trend, the March 2026 update may have introduced a fresh issue for Pixel owners.

Pixel owners report freezing lock screens after the March Pixel Drop

Multiple Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro owners are reporting on Reddit that their phones are freezing on the always-on display. This started happening after installing the March 2026 update and Pixel Drop, which Google launched earlier this month.

Some of the reports claim that the freezes are also happening on the lock screen of the devices. Users of the Pixel 9a and Pixel 8 Pro may also have been affected by the bug, according to an Android Authority report. The first reports date back to about two weeks ago, though the latest are from the last few days.

The issue seems to be persistent, and there doesn’t appear to be a fix. Once a device has frozen, the only way to unfreeze it is through a forced reboot. One Reddit user factory reset their device, but that didn’t solve the problem. 

Google is aware of the problem

While there’s still no word on when the problem could be resolved, Google knows about it. The company’s PixelCommunity account posted a comment on Reddit that it had contacted some of the affected users, but it hasn’t issued further updates on the situation.



Google had a similar issue around the release of Android 16, which was resolved in a matter of days. Hopefully, the company will release a fix just as quickly. Meanwhile, you may want to stay on the February 2026 update, which is still working just fine.

That happens too often

Major software releases are very frequently plagued by bugs, which are usually squashed within several minor updates. Apple’s iOS 26 is a great example of that, with one of its most annoying bugs getting fixed with the iOS 26.4 update. However, Google is launching too many buggy minor releases, which is worrying. I hope the company improves its quality control, as such bugs are more than just annoying.

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