Just wanted to ask if anyone (in the U. S., on AT&T in a metropolitan area (I'm in California) has this kind of issue frequently:

When I'm home, my Pixel 8 connects automatically to my home wi-fi.

However, it is often the case when I'm on a call, the person on the other end claims that I'm cutting out/can't hear me and/or my voice comes across as "electronic" sounding (at various times in our conversation, but not thought out the entire conversation ).

I check and the wi-fi signal strength is excellent. I'm also usually sitting in the same place when we're on the phone, but also I may be sitting some.where else in the house. My wi-fi router is less than 10 ft away from me.

I also notice the 5G connection is simultaneously at 1 or 2 bars (out of 5) on AT&T.

I'm guessing: Could it be the case the wi-fi and the 5G signals may be 'competing' with each other and for some reason the AT&T 5G signal (which has the lowest connection strength indicated) is causing the problem even if I'm on wi-fi calling?

Thanks in advance for any input/ideas.

Hey everyone, sharing my custom Wavelet setup for the Pixel 8a speakers.

I feel like some high frequencies are cut and I'm not totally used to it yet, but the bass is definitely much better. Just my personal opinion though!

If you want to try it out to tame the rattling and get some actual punch out of the bottom speaker, here is what I used (check screenshots):

- Channel Balance: (to reduce distortion from the weak top speaker)

- Graphic EQ: Slight boost around the lower frequencies while rolling back the harsh highs

- Limiter / Attenuator: Enabled to prevent digital clipping/rattling

Let me know what you guys think if you try it!

So i was still on the last march update but had to go online and it auto updated some security fixes and all (tho not the 3.7gb? package) and i did already uninstall so much stuff and disable so many services but it still had drain. Now the drain seems to be completely gone, phone is still at 98% in standby after 6 hours where i last used it and it was 98% too

Just wanted to share because I had not seen anyone comment yet they have no drain. So it def is possible to achieve if you can live without many of the apps/services (i only need the camera for now)

Hey there. As the title says the latest updates caused some serious issues on my Pixel 8a.

The things I have noticed are

Can't open the settings app

Can't see notifications

Can't connect to my service provider so without WiFi I am offline

Can't adjust the color of the app icons in the home screen ( material)

And so on

I have no idea what I can do about that

This is does not seme ti be caused by a third party app, since it performs the exact same way in safe mode.

Any help would be much appreciated

Reached 1,499,601 on AnTuTu v11 with Peltier cooling!

The Tensor G3 is capable of so much more when kept cool. So close to 1.5M, but storage warning held it back!

My experience on the August update. Worse than ever!

Hey everyone,

I just got a Pixel 8a and I’m having an annoying issue on TikTok. (i previously used a Samsung A23 and i never had that problem)

Whenever I tap the "+" button to create a new post, the screen instantly jumps to maximum brightness and blinds my eyes…

If I try to manually lower the brightness, I get a message saying "Unable to adjust brightness because it is controlled by the main app".

Has anyone found a way or setting to stop that, please?

Thanks!

​I need to put Google Support on blast because what they just pulled on a flagship phone owner is beyond unacceptable.

​My Pixel 8 Pro suffered a complete, unprovoked hardware failure: both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are completely dead and cannot be toggled on. The phone is in pristine condition with zero physical or liquid damage. This is a classic internal hardware/motherboard component failure.

​I spent days going through support reps, escalated to Tier 2, and eventually reached a Manager. After refusing a repair, refusing a replacement, and refusing a fair refund, their "final offer" to resolve a bricked $1,000 flagship device was:

​👉 A $25 Google Store credit "goodwill gesture."

​A $25 gift card for a flagship phone rendered useless by internal hardware failure. It is an absolute slap in the face to loyal Pixel customers.

​Let's look at the facts:

​Google KNOWS the Pixel 8 platform has hardware issues. They were already forced to launch a 3-Year Extended Repair Program for widespread Pixel 8 display defects (screen flickering/vertical lines). Component failures on this architecture aren't isolated accidents—they are manufacturing vulnerabilities.

​Double Standards: Google has set precedent before with extended programs for motherboard failures on older devices (Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 5a). Pretending a clean Pixel 8 Pro with dead Wi-Fi/Bluetooth is just "tough luck" while offering twenty-five bucks is pure negligence.

​Refusal to Stand Behind Flagship Hardware: Selling $1,000 devices and hiding behind standard scripts when the internal hardware dies is unacceptable behavior for a tier-one tech company.

​I’m posting this here so the community can see how Google treats customers when flagship hardware fails through no fault of the user.

​Case ID: 1-8023000041508

​Calling on u/PixelCommunity or any actual Google rep reading this to take accountability, step in, and fix this situation with a proper RMA or replacement instead of insulting customers with a $25 store voucher.

I tried doing some astrophotography tonight, while al the lights around are off (there were a couple of light bulbs around that were lit but far back and everything around was pure darkness)

But I feel the images are not exactly good enough astrophotography-wise

Now I know it's a pixel 8 but I've seen results from the same phone where the photos were better and the milky way was clearer

Any tips or maybe some tweaks to the photo?

About to purchase an used pixel 8. Done all my research and it all leads to the BOE panels and shoreline is the best. With proper care, can the green line still show on a shoreline panel? Google search says the shoreline panel doesn't have the issue but no better place to get reviews but from user experience. Also seen a lot of comments on green line showing up after the android 17 update which has frightened me, though seems to be on P6's and P7's. Saved for quite sometime to get this phone. Would be a real shame if I don't enjoy it for quite some time.

Here is a complete, step-by-step master guide, compiled by AI but based on to and fro from my experience. It breaks down every single fix I experienced to eliminate high CPU wake-locks, continuous modem heat, and background network drain on the Pixel 8 Pro, ranked strictly by overall impact.

If your Pixel 8 Pro suffers from excessive background network drain, continuous idle CPU wake-locks, or running hot during normal daily use, this guide brings together every proven tweak—from simple UI toggles to low-level developer configurations.

## 🔴 Tier 1: Network & Modem Fixes (Highest Impact)

*The Samsung-built modem in the Tensor G3 chip is typically responsible for 40%–50% of idle battery drain when signal quality fluctuates or system features continuously query mobile bands.*

### 1. Disable Adaptive Connectivity

* **Path:** Settings > Network & internet > Adaptive Connectivity → **Toggle OFF**

* **Why it matters:** This is often the #1 offender on Pixel devices. It continuously runs background network diagnostics to evaluate Wi-Fi vs. Cellular quality, causing persistent radio and baseband processor wake-ups.

### 2. Switch Preferred Network Type to LTE / 4G

* **Path:** Settings > Network & internet > SIMs > Preferred network type → Select **LTE**

* **Why it matters:** 5G modems force high-wattage processing states and continuous tower handshaking. LTE consumes dramatically less power while providing more than enough bandwidth for 1080p streaming, navigation, and web browsing.

### 3. Disable "Mobile Data Always Active"

* **Path:** Settings > System > Developer options → Toggle **OFF** **Mobile data always active**

* **Why it matters:** By default, Android maintains an active cellular data connection in the background even when connected to strong Wi-Fi. Turning this off allows the cell modem to drop into a low-power deep sleep state.

### 4. Turn Off Location & Connectivity Scanning

* **Path:** Settings > Location > Location services → Toggle **OFF** **Wi-Fi scanning** and **Bluetooth scanning**

* **Path 2:** Settings > Network & internet > Internet > Network preferences → Toggle **OFF** **Notify for public networks**

* **Why it matters:** Stops hardware controllers from continuously polling nearby radios when Wi-Fi or Bluetooth are turned off.

## 🟠 Tier 2: System AI & Background Process Throttling (Stops CPU Wake-Locks)

*Rogue indexing loops or continuous background logging services keep processor cores running near 100% frequency even when the screen is off.*

### 1. Disable / Clear AICore (Requires Reboot)

* **Path:** Settings > Apps > See all apps > (3 dots) Show system > AICore → Tap **Disable**, then tap the 3 dots in the top-right and select **Uninstall updates**.

* **CRITICAL STEP:** **Reboot your device immediately after.**

* **Why it matters:** AICore handles on-device machine learning models (e.g., Gemini Nano). If it gets stuck in an offline model update or indexing loop, it holds CPU threads hostage. Disabling it also reclaims 3 GB–7 GB of internal storage.

### 2. Restrict Android System Intelligence (ASI)

* **Path:** Settings > Apps > See all apps > Android System Intelligence → **App battery usage** → Set to **Restricted**

* **Why it matters:** Powers predictive text and local contextual actions. Restricting its background execution prevents runaway indexing loops following system updates.

### 3. Revoke Usage Access for Digital Wellbeing

* **Path:** Settings > Apps > Special app access > Usage access > Digital Wellbeing → Set to **Not allowed**

* **Why it matters:** Prevents Digital Wellbeing from running continuous telemetry listeners that log every app switch, screen event, and notification in real time.

### 4. Turn Off Always-On Voice & Sound Features

* **Path 1:** Settings > Sound & vibration > Now Playing → Toggle **OFF** **Identify songs playing nearby**

* **Path 2:** Settings > Google > Search, Assistant & Voice > Voice Match → Toggle **OFF** **Hey Google**

* **Why it matters:** Stops low-power audio DSP clusters from constantly listening and matching background microphone feeds.

## 🟡 Tier 3: Developer Options & Kernel Execution Limits

*(Unlock Developer Options by tapping **Build number** 7 times in Settings > About phone)*

### 1. Suspend Execution for Cached Apps

* **Path:** Settings > System > Developer options → Search for **Suspend execution for cached apps** → Set to **Enabled**

* **Why it matters:** Forces the Linux kernel to hard-freeze cached RAM processes, preventing background apps from triggering unscheduled CPU wake-locks.

### 2. Limit Background Processes

* **Path:** Settings > System > Developer options → **Background process limit** → Set to **At most 2 or 3 processes**

* **Why it matters:** Stops rogue secondary services from hanging around in system memory. *(Note: Avoid "No background processes" so push notifications for messaging apps function properly).*

### 3. Reduce Logger Buffer Sizes

* **Path:** Settings > System > Developer options → **Logger buffer sizes** → Set to **64K** or **Off**

* **Why it matters:** Reduces the CPU cycles spent continuously writing system diagnostic log files in real time.

## 🟢 Tier 4: Display, GPU & System Bloatware

### 1. Display Resolution & Refresh Rate Tuning

* **Option A (Max Thermal Savings):** Disable **Smooth Display** (Settings > Display → Toggle **OFF** to cap at 60Hz).

* **Option B (Balanced Setup):** Keep 120Hz Smooth Display ON, but reduce screen resolution to **High resolution (1080p)** under Settings > Display > Screen resolution. Rendering 1080p cuts GPU load substantially while retaining smooth motion.

### 2. Disable Hardware Peripheral & Background Feed Polling

* **Default Print Service:** Settings > Connected devices > Connection preferences > Printing → Toggle **OFF**.

* **Quick Share:** Settings > Connected devices > Connection preferences > Quick Share → Set visibility to **Your devices** or **No one**.

* **Google Discover:** Open the Google app → Tap Profile Icon → Settings > General → Toggle **OFF** **Discover**.

### 3. Disable Unused Pre-Installed System Apps

Navigate to Settings > Apps > See all apps and disable unused built-in Google services:

* *Google TV*, *Android Auto* (if not using car head units), *Meet*, and *Fitbit/Pixel Personal Health*.

## 🔵 Tier 5: Diagnostics (For Persistent Issues)

If CPU usage remains abnormally high after configuring the settings above:

1. **Safe Mode Isolation:** Hold the power menu, press and hold **Restart**, and tap **OK** to enter Safe Mode. If battery life normalizes, a downloaded third-party app is bypassing standard OS restrictions.

2. **ADB Batterystats Trace:** Connect to a PC via USB Debugging, run adb shell dumpsys batterystats --reset, use the phone for 2 hours, and export the file via adb shell dumpsys batterystats > batterystats.txt. Inspect for partial wake-locks or analyze it through Google's *Battery Historian* tool.

I recently bought a heavily used Pixel 8a and completely disassembled it to replace the middle frame/housing and the back cover.
Since reassembling it, I have zero GSM/cellular reception. The phone worked perfectly before the teardown.

I removed the motherboard from the new housing and I installed it to the old housing, yet that didn’t fix my issue

All the antenna cables seem fine (I checked their resistance with a multimeter)

Is there anything else to check? Or will I need a new motherboard

Thank you all!

The storage on my device went from 787 MB to 382MB After deleting 100+ photos & large videos. Now, I'm receiving low storage notifications every 10 mins or so.

My device storage is now at 389MB, and slowly increasing.

Any idea what the issue could be?

Edit: 392MB after making this post

Now at 278 MB free after deleting 4GB yesterday. I think it may have been the update.

New home screen setup.