Pixel 2 XL has kept Google busy as the team has been working almost continuously to fix one issue after another. So far the team has managed to fix major issues like the screen burn issue and clicking sound while transmitting data via NFC. However, the Pixel 2 XL camera issue is still troubling users (and Google as well).
Google finally acknowledges camera issue
With the Pixel 2 XL camera issue, a bug renders the rear camera useless irrespective of the purpose it is being used for. This Pixel 2 XL camera issue has been there since the launch of the handset last year in October 2017. However, Google recognized the issue only in July 2018 with a tweet that a team has been dedicated to fixing the issue. The search engine giant did not reveal if the problem is caused by a hardware or software defect.
Initially, Google blamed cellular interference for the Pixel 2 XL camera issue. Later, the company diverted from that theory after the recommended fix turned out to be a failure.
We’re sorry that the workaround didn’t help, Ciara. Our team is looking into this and are working on a fix. Appreciate your understanding.
— Made by Google (@madebygoogle) July 8, 2018
The acknowledgment of the issue from the company came after a user complained last week that her Pixel 2 XL camera was not working. Google responded that clearing the camera app’s cache and restarting the phone would bring the camera back to normal. However, after the user stated that she already did that and performed a full factory reset, to no avail, the search giant finally said: “Our team is looking into this and are working on a fix.”
Fix for Pixel 2 XL camera issue
Though Google is yet to come up with a fix, someone by an email id “av…@gmail.com” claims to have a solution, provided users of the affected device have root access to the handset. The submitted fix (on the issue tracker) is based on the firmware version walleye -opm4.171019.021.q1-factory-a4b25146. So, the users would need to be on that version in order to get the fix.
The developer notes that the fix may work on other firmware versions, but warns that it may break the camera completely as well. In addition to the unlocked bootloader, the user should also have Magisk installed to disable dm_verity/AVB2.0. After you have gathered all the needed tools, there are a few steps that must be followed to patch the Pixel 2 XL camera issue.
Following are those steps: adb push <<PATH_TO_DOWNLOADED_SO_FILE>> /data/local/tmp; adb shell mount -o remount,rw /vendor; adb shell cp /data/local/tmp/camera.msm8998.patch3.so /vendor/lib/hw; adb shell mv /vendor/lib/hw/camera.msm8998.so /vendor/lib/hw/camera.msm8998.old.so;adb shell mv /vendor/lib/hw/camera.msm8998.patch3.so /vendor/lib/hw/camera.msm8998.so; Either reboot your phone, or (p)kill /vendor/bin/hw/[email protected]
Other Pixel 2 XL issues
In December 2017, Pixel 2 XL users complained about the proximity sensor after the Android 8.1 update. Screen protectors enabled the Always On display to turn off. The issue left the users’ frustrated while on a call and other activities. In 2018, Google finally recognized the problem with the proximity sensor, and released the security patch in June 2018.
Another problem reported by the users was the issue with sending MMS messages. Users complained that “message not found” popped up when they received a MMS file such as a picture or video. Even after Google stating that the problem was fixed on March 31, some users continued facing the problem.
Then on April 10, Google noted that: “Although text message issues should already be resolved for some of you, we’ve heard the feedback that this is still a problem for some of you. We’re still investigating this issue with AT&T for those affected, and we’ll post updates here when we know more.”
Users still facing the problem can fix it by going to Settings-> Network & Internet -> Mobile Network -> Advanced and then toggling off Enhanced 4G LTE Mode.
Another common Pixel 2 XL issue was reported by users who downloaded Android P. Some of the users complained that the Adaptive Battery feature turns itself off without any notification. The Adaptive Battery feature allows the battery to learn the habits of the user and then limits CPU usage accordingly to stretch the battery life.
Issue due to typo
Earlier this month, another Pixel phone related issue was discovered when users started complaining about insufficient storage. One of the many advantages that Google phones have over others is unlimited storage capacity. However, several Pixel and Pixel XL users complained of limited storage. Later, it was discovered that the problem occurred due to a typo and the issue was resolved quickly.
XDA Developers senior member razorloves found that the photos taken from the Google camera app were tagged as “google” instead of “Google”. The casing error was the reason behind the restricted storage. The build scripts on the Pixel and Pixel XL had the “PRODUCT_MANUFACTURER” flag in lower case “google”.
