Just a few days ago, Google launched the March Pixel Feature Drop, which adds AI-powered scam protection. While the update eliminated some flaws, it also contributed to the emergence of a new one, which Pixel users are dissatisfied with, according to Reddit threads. One Pixel 8 Pro owner was watching Netflix after installing the March Feature Drop and complained that the screen would brighten and then darken every few minutes. He described it as irritating while watching content from the video streamer.
A Redditor with the nickname fantasticlain mentioned that he had never had this problem before installing the Feature Drop. Others claimed the same thing, pointing accusing fingers at the update and blaming it for the problem. That feature is also not an issue when adaptive brightness is disabled.
Other Pixel users noted that their screens flickered while streaming Netflix or YouTube. Because numerous streaming apps were listed in the various posts, we can conclude that this is not a problem with any one streaming app. However, because the flickering appears to occur while the user is viewing a video, we can conclude that this issue is likely to occur when video streaming apps are used.
The problem affected models ranging from the Pixel 6 series to the Pixel 9 line. One Pixel 9 owner discovered a fix, but at a significant cost. The flickering stopped once I turned off the Smooth Display feature. However, removing this option disables the 120Hz refresh rate, which allows the user to experience smoother scrolling and animation. When Smooth Display is turned off, the display no longer refreshes at 120 times per second and instead returns to the traditional 60Hz rate.
Most smartphone users agree that after you've used a 120Hz refresh rate, it's nearly tough to switch to 60Hz. However, to prevent your Pixel's display from flickering when watching a movie, you may need to disable Smooth Display until Google releases an update to fix this fault.
Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, and Disney+ are among the apps where users have reported flickering. That does not imply that the bug is limited to particular programs; rather, people who reported the fault on Reddit happened to be using one of those apps when the flickering began. For all we know, this problem affects more than the four apps mentioned in this post.
Another Reddit user complained that after installing the March update on his Pixel 9 Pro XL, the display's background got too dull. Even with the brightness set to 100%, the background appeared dim and gloomy, while the icons and programs remained vivid and brilliant. Obviously, others have experienced this as well, and one Pixel user reacted with, "Oh good, glad I'm not losing my mind."
Pixel owners who are experiencing these troubles are expecting that Google will soon release an update that would eliminate the bugs.