According to several consistent reports, the Pixel 4a 5G is suffering from reliability issues due to last month’s software update. In addition to unregistered taps, those using three-button navigation are particularly affected.
Update 2/1: The February security solution starts with a solution to this problem. Google explains how there are “further tuning and enhancements for touch experience” on the Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5. This update will be fully available in the coming days. Those who want to sideload should pay attention to the three different buildings, depending on your (US) service provider.
Update 1/15: Google updated its original December recognition to explain how “Improvements to this release will be available in the February software update on Pixel phones.”
Original 1/12: The problem (via Android Police) appears to have been set with the December security level, as there were no issues before the update or during launch. Tap buttons and other UI elements on the sides of the screen are not always registered and require several presses before they are recognized. This is not a hardware issue, as finger dragging is consistently recognized in one shared video.
This is especially problematic for those who use three-button navigation. The ‘back’ button is especially affected for those who do not use gesture navigation, preferring the old system or accessibility reasons. Meanwhile, problems also occur in full-screen programs with corner or edge buttons.
Google acknowledged that this was a problem on December 23 and said that a “solution would be included in an upcoming software update.” However, it was not addressed by the January patch and there has been no further communication since. The company does offer two tips on how to improve touch recognition:
- When you tap the icons on the edge of the screen, tap the center of the button or on the side of the button / icon furthest from the edge of the screen.
- Instead, use the tip of your finger or thumb to tap icons, including the navigation buttons at the bottom of your screen. This will help improve touch recognition.
Meanwhile, the only solution is to roll your phone back to the November security level. It’s a difficult process, but one of the only 3 – button navigation users plagued by touchscreen issues on their Pixel 4a 5G.
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