What you need to know
- Android 16 is throwing tantrums, with gestures and nav buttons freezing, lagging, or ghosting users.
- Some Pixel 8 Pro owners report delays up to 30 seconds just to swipe or go back.
- Meanwhile, Pixel 9 Pro XL owners are saying the swipe-up gesture is bailing too.
Google's Android 16 update is giving Pixels a serious case of the Mondays. Users are flooding forums with complaints about a frustrating bug that leaves navigation gestures and buttons unresponsive or stuck.
As reported by Android Headlines, a number of Pixel users are chiming in on Reddit about weird issues with their navigation buttons and gestures. Some say there's a serious lag when trying to go back or switch screens — and for others, those actions just flat-out stop working.
At times, both the buttons and gestures just lag out, with one Pixel 8 Pro user stating that it took over 30 seconds before things started moving again. Meanwhile, folks with the Pixel 9 Pro XL are also seeing the swipe-up gesture flake out.
Who’s affected?
This glitch doesn’t seem to care which Pixel you’ve got — from the Pixel 6 to the 8 and 9 series, it’s hitting across the board. Nonetheless, some users say everything is running smooth, while others are stuck fighting their phones just to move between apps or menus.
3-Button Navigation on Android 16 is broken from r/GooglePixel
Android Police founder Artem Russakovskii jumped in and posted a screen recording on X to show just how bad the Android 16 bug can get.
Why this sucks extra hard
Navigation is your phone's muscle memory. When those swipes and taps start failing, it's not some niche feature breaking—it's like your device forgot how to device. Suddenly, apps feel broken, menus fight back, and your expensive Android phone becomes a source of daily frustration.
What should feel effortless now takes conscious effort. And that's the ultimate tech fail: when using your phone feels like work instead of second nature.
Right now, Google is staying suspiciously quiet about these issues. If your Pixel is acting up, your best move is to hit up Google's bug report tool and add your voice to the pile. The louder the outcry, the faster we'll likely see a patch.
