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We’ve already heard that some Pixel 4a units have started showing touchscreen issues with Android 11, and it looks like a similar issue spread to the Pixel 4a 5G after the December security patch. Many owners have taken to the Google Support Forum, Google IssueTracker, and XDA Developer Forum to complain about the issue, but it still hasn’t been resolved.
The touchscreen bug mainly affects the lower part of the phone screen and is most prominent when using three button navigation instead of gestures. The problem is very pronounced in the video below, shared by a member of the XDA forum. This shows that the lower portion of the screen responds well to horizontal swipes and touches closer to the edge of the screen, but input directly to buttons is often ignored. There are also a lot of people who conversely say that touching the edges doesn’t work for them and the middle is as responsive as it should be, so there could be several issues at hand here.
Our own Ryne Hager could confirm the same behavior on his Pixel 4a 5G running the December security patch, so it’s possible that the only reason complaints aren’t that widespread is because most people are using their phones. with gesture navigation by default.
The XDA forum member suspects that the issues stem from some form of palm rejection or accidental touch prevention, and it’s certainly possible that they have something to do with the potential tweaks Google may have introduced. with the December patch to improve gesture navigation. But that shouldn’t affect those who use buttons rather than gestures, and the issue still hasn’t been resolved after the January update.
Screen protectors can amplify the problem, which is happening on the Pixel 4a, but reports suggest removing them doesn’t solve the problem. Some people have tried turning on the touch sensitivity option as well, although that also doesn’t remedy touch issues.
One of our tipsters even went so far as to trade in his phone under warranty, but the replacement unit behaves the same way. It shouldn’t be surprising if the problem is indeed software.
In a Google Support Forum thread, a community expert acknowledged the issue on Christmas Eve, promising that a fix was in the works. He shared the following statement with a few tips that should help in the meantime:
Hello Pixel Community,
We are aware of this issue and a fix will be included in a future software update. In the meantime, you can improve the responsiveness of your device with the following tips:
- When you tap icons on the edge of the screen, tap the center of the button or the side of the button / icon furthest from the edge of the screen.
- When tapping icons, including navigation buttons at the bottom of your screen, use your fingertip or thumb instead. This will help improve tactile recognition.
With the issues persisting during the January patch, we can only hope that Google will finally fix them once we get the February update. Switching to gesture navigation may be an option for some in the meantime, but many just prefer the old way. Then there are the people who rely on buttons for accessibility, which was one of the reasons Google left them in the first place, so the issue could also affect those who might not even be. able to change at all.
We reached out to Google for comment, but did not receive a response until publication.
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