Google’s Pixel 3 is a great device, but it is not without hardware and software problems. Although Google has fixed many of them, new issues keep popping up. Now we’re hearing about a Pixel 3 microphone issue that’s spoiling the phone experience for some users.
Here’s what users say about the Pixel 3 microphone issue
Affected users say on Google’s Product Forum that the Pixel 3 microphone issue makes listening during calls very uncomfortable. Specifically, users say they are experiencing unstable sound or echos during calls, making it difficult to listen to what the other person is saying. Users also report instances in which words lag and then “stack up” on each other.
“….. Symptoms include choppy audio, words being cut off, extreme echo and tinniness, periods of complete silence, words being ‘stacked’ and more. This issue is now present on 100 percent of calls,” one affected user said.
Users report the problem both while making and receiving calls.
“Almost every call, the other person complains they can’t hear me,” one affected user said on the Issue Tracker thread. “It lasts for a few seconds and the voice comes back, but it is very frustrating to still have this issue months after the phone has been released.”
The issue is evident on Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL devices and arises while making calls to both mobile numbers and landlines. Some users say they are experiencing the issue constantly, while others say the issue is intermittent. Users have been reporting the problem for the past several months now. It can be traced back to November, but it only started capturing widespread attention last month. Not all Pixel 3 and XL users are experiencing the issue.
Try these workarounds
This is not the first time Pixel owners have been experiencing microphone issues. In 2017, many users reported problems with the microphone on the original Pixel phone. At the time, Google blamed a hardware fault for the issue. It is unclear whether the Pixel 3 microphone issue is a hardware or software problem, but considering the range of microphone-related issues users are reporting, it seems there could be multiple bugs at play here.
Some users have suggested a few workarounds, but their effectiveness is questionable. Nevertheless, you can still try them as there is no harm done. For example, some users say switching their connection from the 4G to the 3G network or activating safe mode fixed the issue for them. Others say they haven’t been experiencing the problem since switching carriers. Many other users say the issue is limited to the phone’s built-in microphone, so using a Bluetooth headset or Pixel Buds avoids the problem.
If these workarounds don’t work for you, then you should contact Google’s technical support team.
Is Google working on a fix?
Google’s Pixel 3 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset and features 4 GB of RAM. It sports a 2,915 mAh non-removable battery and ships with Android 9 Pie. The handset sports a premium build quality and a glass rear. It is a single-SIM-card device but has the option to add an eSim. The Pixel 3 has been on the market for almost six months now, but the search giant hasn’t yet been able to fix the issue. Google did issue a major Pixel 3 update earlier this month, but the microphone issue persists.
As of now there is no comment from Google, but the Pixel 3 microphone issue has been moved to Priority and Severity Level 1, a rank the company gives to the most urgent problems affecting its products and services, according to Android Authority.
The Pixel 3 microphone issue is not the first problem affecting owners since the release of the handset in October. There have been complaints about some units failing to save photos captured with the camera, and some Pixel 3 XL owners have reported seeing multiple notches on the handset’s screen. Google fixed these issues long ago, but the Pixel 3 microphone issue is still troubling users. Hopefully it will be fixed soon since Google has upgraded it to the highest priority level.
