There's a bizarre bug that exposes Private Space on your Pixel phone. Private Space is a sandboxed, secure space inside your Pixel phone so you can keep apps, sensitive documents, and folders away from prying eyes. But a simple switch between light and dark mode exposes the hidden space.
Switching between light mode and dark mode exposes Private Space on Pixel phones
The bug was first reported on Google's Issue Tracker back in May, even though the original report didn't mention light mode and dark mode specifically. The original poster described the bug as the Private Space "interface not working perfectly," showing apps that should remain hidden after an app search.
This specific issue was marked as "fixed" by Google representatives on May 28. However, just a day later, another user commented on the same Issue Tracker post that the issue was "Not fixed yet, the private bar and app shows."
There's a big gap until the next post, which dates from October 24, and it mentions specifically that "Private bar shows after switching between light and dark mode."
There hasn't been any reaction from Google since this one, and the issue hasn't been fixed, as it popped up on Reddit just a few days ago.
Recommended For You
Poll
0 Votes
Have you experienced the Private Space bug on your Pixel phone?
No fix with the latest Android 17 QPR2
The Private Space issue hasn't been fixed with the latest November Android update. | Image by Reddit
In a Reddit thread asking about users' experiences after the November Android update, one of the first comments mentions the Private Space bug. "Still have the bug where Private Space shows up in my app drawer if I toggle dark mode, while private space is set to be hidden in the app drawer (can anyone confirm the same?)" writes Pixel 9 user AccumulatedFilth.
Two commenters confirmed the issue was still there on both the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro. Our colleagues at Android Authority were able to replicate the bug and record it on video (embedded below).
What's even more annoying is that you don't need to manually switch between light mode and dark mode. If you've set the mode to change automatically depending on the time of day, Private Space will start to show up after the first switch.
Google has been aware of this bug and working on a fix since October 9. | Image by Issue Tracker
There's a separate Issue Tracker post titled "Private space not hidden" where Google has finally chimed in and acknowledged the issue. The post is from October 9, and a Google rep posted the usual reply: "Thanks for reporting this issue. We have passed this to the development team and will update this issue with more information as it becomes available."
It's been more than a month since that post, and obviously, Google didn't fix this with the November update, as the video our colleagues recorded involved a Pixel 8 device running the latest update.
What does that mean for your Pixel phone security?
Is your Pixel phone compromised?
Your Pixel phone might not be as safe as you think. | Image by PhoneArena
Not necessarily. This bug just shows your deepest, darkest phone secrets. Jokes aside, if you live alone or don't have anything sensitive or divorce-worthy in your Private Space, you should be fine.
But if you're a parent letting your kid play with your phone from time to time, this Private Space bug could lead to unnecessary and potentially dangerous complications.
Have you experienced the Private Space bug on your Pixel phone?
Read more about strange Pixel-related issues here:
Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts:
New accounts created within the last 24 hours may experience restrictions on how frequently they can
post or comment.
These limits are in place as a precaution and will automatically lift.
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
Things that are NOT allowed:
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts: