Although Google’s newest phone is generally an upgrade over its predecessor in most every way, the launch of this flagship has not been without its issues. Fortunately, it seems as if Google has found a fix for the Pixel 2 proximity sensor issues that will be rolled out over the next few months.
A number of users from around the web had been complaining about pretty serious Google Pixel 2 proximity sensor issues. Essentially, these sensors are responsible for detecting when there are objects in the nearby area, which causes the screen to activate whenever it should. The Pixel 2 proximity sensor issues are especially noticeable when moving the phone away from your ear after a call, as the screen has repeatedly failed to turn on which makes operating the phone next to impossible.
The Pixel 2 proximity sensor issues seem to have happened after the Android 8.1 update, leading many to believe that the issue is a software problem rather than a problem with the phone itself. Before a fix was discovered for this problem, Google was issuing new phones in order to address the issue in the meantime.
Fortunately, it appears as if Google has managed to solve the Pixel 2 proximity sensor issues, and will be rolling out the fix in an upcoming update – at least according to a response to a forum post from Pixel User Community Manager Orrin that was recently reported on by Piunikaweb.
“I am having proximity sensor issues with my Pixel 2 XL. Before the 8.1 update my Always on display worked fine but after the update, the Always on display does not work. It goes to sleep after approximately 5 secs. I used an app called sensor test to test out the proximity sensor and it is detecting something near it and the only thing near it is the screen protector. But the issue is that I have had the screen protector on since Android 8.0 and it never caused an issue it only started after the 8.1 update. Looks like Google radically increased the sensitivity of the proximity sensor,” said the user.
“There’s been a number of things discussed on this thread, and we have a quick update specific to the proximity sensor issues that some of you have been reporting. We have identified a fix that will be rolling out in the coming months,” Orrin replied.
A fix to these Google Pixel 2 proximity sensor issues cannot come soon enough, as having the device’s screen remain black and non-interactive essentially renders this high-end device completely useless.
There hasn’t been any word from Google on what exactly the problem is, but at least knowing there is a fix in the works is a welcome relief for those who are dealing with a non-responsive phone. In addition to keeping the screen turned off when moving the phone away from your face, users are also reporting some issues with the Ambient Display feature, with many finding that it either becomes completely unresponsive or turns off completely.
