Google’s Back Button Takes Extended Vacation, Returns August

In a move that had Pixel users questioning reality, Google’s August update attempts to fix Android 16’s 'complete mess' of navigation, where buttons went 'completely unresponsive' or lagged for over 30 seconds. Users on Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 9 reported having to press the back button 'a few times' for it to register—because why settle for one press when vintage arcade button mashing is more fun? The patch, vaguely blaming 'certain conditions,' also fixes dark theme scheduling and squirms in a security fix for a high severity vulnerability. The update is now rolling out to Pixel 6 and newer, hoping to remind buttons that responsiveness is not optional.

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Source: Theverge | Published: 8/5/2025 | Author: Jay Peters