We’ve already heard that some Pixel 4a units with Android 11 have started showing touch screen issues, and it seems that a similar issue has spread to the Pixel 4a 5G to the December security level. Many owners have gone to the Google Support Forum, Google IssueTracker, and XDA Developers Forum to complain about this issue, but it has not been fixed yet.
The touch screen error usually affects the lower part of the phone’s screen and is most important if you use the navigation with three buttons instead of gestures. The issue is very much expressed in the video below, shared by a member of the XDA Forum. This shows that the lower part of the screen responds well to horizontal swipes and gets closer to the edge of the screen, but the input to the right of the buttons is often not allowed. There are also many people who say conversely that typing the edges does not work for them and that the remedy responds as it should, so here may be several problems.
Our own Ryne Hager can confirm the same behavior on his Pixel 4a 5G that uses the December security solution, so it’s possible that the only reason complaints are not very widespread is the fact that most people use their phones with standard gesture navigation .
The member of the XDA forum suspects that the problems are caused by some form of palm rejection or accidental touch of the touch, and it is quite possible that it has something to do with possible adjustments that Google may have with the December introduced patch to improve gesture navigation. But that should not affect those who use gesture buttons, and the issue is still not fixed after the January update.
Screensavers can aggravate the issue, which is happening on the Pixel 4a, but reports suggest that removing it does not fix the issue. Some people have also tried activating the touch sensitivity option, though it does not make the touch difficult either.
One of our tipsters even went to exchange their phone under warranty, but the replacement unit shows the same behavior. This should not come as a surprise if the problem is caused by software.
In a Google Support Forum thread, a community specialist acknowledged the issue on Christmas Eve and promised that there was a solution. He shared the following statement with some tips that would help in the meantime:
Hello Pixel Community,
We are aware of this issue and a solution will be included in an upcoming software update. In the meantime, you can improve the response of your device with the following tips:
- 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.
As the issues persist during the January patch, we can only hope that Google will finally fix them as soon as we get the February update. Switching to gesture navigation may be an option for some in the meantime, but there are many who simply prefer the old way. Then there are people who rely on the buttons for accessibility, which was one of the reasons why Google left it in the first place, so that the problem could also affect those who might not even switch at all.
We asked Google for comments, but did not receive a response before publishing them.