Google’s Pixel phones, in theory, should work flawlessly as Google is responsible for both hardware and software. However, this is not the case in reality, and Pixel phones have suffered several major issues. Now, a similar thing is seen with the latest Pixel phones with users reporting random shutdowns with the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL.
Random shutdown with Pixel 3a and 3a XL – what’s happening?
Some early users of the latest Pixel phones are complaining that the handset shuts down when not in use. Moreover, affected users say that they are experiencing random shutdowns throughout the day or night. Users are witnessing the same issue on both the Pixel 3a and the Pixel 3a XL.
This random shutdown issue doesn’t just happen during the night when the handsets are generally inactive, but also during the day when the device is not in use. Affected users have raised the issue of the random shutdown with the Pixel 3a and 3a XL on Reddit.
“Several people including myself have been having random shutdowns with our new Pixel 3a’s. It is happening with both models, the 3a as well as the XL,” one affected user said. “I had 3 shutdowns yesterday, including over night, causing me to miss my wake alarm. And another shutdown tonight.”
Moreover, users say that when their phone shuts down, it does not start on its own or by pressing the power button. Instead, they had to hard reset the phone by holding the power button for about 30 seconds. Fortunately, the phone works normally after that until the next random shutdown.
A point to note is that some users confirm that they are not facing the same issue with their Pixel 3a and 3a XL. “Had two separate 3as, but no shutdown issue (I exchanged my first one due to screen tint)….they’ve run flawlessly. Just wanted to add data,” a user said.
This may help
As of now, it is not clear what is triggering the shutdown. However, an analysis by a few users ruled out the possibility of any third-party app being the culprit. Some users claim that they were able to replicate the issue while enabling “Safe Mode.” Under Safe Mode, all third-party software is disabled.
“I ran my 3a XL in Safe Mode all day long and just now I saw that the phone had shut off. So I will be returning to my cell carrier (T-Mobile) tomorrow for exchange,” one user said.
For now, there are no sure-shot workarounds, but one user said disconnecting their Pixel 3a from the home network fixed the issue for them.
Also, one user said that they were told by Google support to perform a full factory reset, and it helped. “I called Google support, they asked me to reset the phone and see if the issue is solved or not. So I did a factory reset, and since maybe 15h from now, I don’t see any problem,” the user said.
Some affected Pixel 3a owners are also planning to replace their devices. So, we will soon know if the replacement units suffer from the same issue or not. If yes, it could likely be a hardware issue.
As of now, there is no comment from Google on the issue of random shutdowns with the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL. If you are experiencing the same issue, it is suggested that you report the matter to Google so that the company knows how widespread the issue is and comes up with a fix quickly.
Random shutdown – not a new issue for Google
Random shutdowns with Pixel phones is not a new issue. A similar issue was faced by the Pixel 2 users. At the time, the issue was likely triggered by connection issues with cell signals, and the search giant came up with an update that fixed the issue.
Notably, the Nexus 6P users also faced a similar issue. At the time, the search giant shut down the device and users were given compensation. The issue with the Nexus 6P was a bit different than what Pixel 3a users are reporting. For the Nexus 6P, shut down occurred when the battery was low, and users didn’t have to do a hard reset get it up again.
Additionally, the random shutdown is not the only issue that has troubled Google phone users. Pixel owners in the past have faced issues with the display, call quality, external speaker, camera and performance slowdown.
