A widespread issue was causing apps on the latest Pixel phones to crash, making them nearly impossible to use. Google has now rolled out a server-side fix, so your device should be working properly again without you needing to do a thing.
What’s happening with the Pixel?
Alright, got confirmation that the Pixel crashing/hanging apps fix is server-side. There will be a post-mortem within Google, but I’m not sure if it will be made public. Incidents like this one cannot happen again.
The Android System Intelligence issue is still being worked on.
— Artem Russakovskii (@ArtemR) October 13, 2025
Why this was a bigger deal than your average bug
This wasn’t just a minor glitch; it was a critical failure that crippled the core functionality of the phones. We rely on our devices for everything from communication to navigation, thus an issue that prevents you from opening any apps, such as the one seen in the above image, is a legitimate nightmare. It essentially turns your smartphone into a paperweight. For Google, this kind of bug is a black eye, especially on its flagship devices that are meant to showcase the best of Android.
The good news is that Google treated the situation with the urgency it deserved. A swift, server-side fix has reportedly already been pushed out to the affected devices with no need for the device user to manually intervene. This is indicative of the urgency of the problem, and how prompt the response was.
A close call for Google
From my perspective, this was a bullet dodged for Google. A bug that renders a phone unusable is about as bad as it gets. Had this issue lingered longer than it already had, it could have done some serious damage to the Pixel brand’s reputation for stability. I’ve seen my fair share of software bugs, and this one was one of the more disruptive ones.
That said, I have to give Google credit for the rapid response. Pushing a server-side fix means users didn’t have to hunt for a software update or perform any complicated steps. Let’s just hope the teams at Google are dissecting what went wrong to prevent a “next time.”
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