Summary
- Google’s December software update for Pixel devices seems to have introduced a mobile data connection bug for some users.
- Affected users are reporting intermittent data loss and complete signal drops.
- Google is yet to officially acknowledge the issue. In the meantime, users can try resetting network settings or disabling 4G/VoLTE calling as potential workarounds.
Google’s December 2024 software update included several bug fixes and improvements for Pixel devices — but it also seems to have introduced a new bug that is affecting a small subset of users.
The update notes explicitly mention “improvements for network connection stability and performance in certain conditions,” but that’s exactly what seems to have gone wrong for users through Pixel 6 to the Pixel 9.
This comes soon after a themed icon bug connected to the December 2024 Pixel Feature Drop was discovered.
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Thankfully, there’s a simple fix
The bug was first spotted by PiunikaWeb, highlighting reports on Reddit that suggest users are facing mobile data connectivity issues. “The last update broke my phone,” wrote user No_Chemical_3911, saying that their Pixel 7 now suffers with intermittent mobile data. A different user with a Pixel 8 echoed the sentiment on the same thread.
A Pixel 9 Pro user, on a separate thread, added that in their case, data reception completely drops “and only shows an exclamation mark” in the status bar. Restarting their device temporarily fixes the issue, only for the exclamation mark to reappear. A different Pixel 9 Pro XL user aired their frustration on Google’s Community Support Page, noting that their device frequently loses data connection, but regular calls remain functional.
There are temporary workarounds, but your mileage with them may vary
Related
How to quickly reset your network settings on Android and iOS
Unexpected network glitches bugging you out?
It’s worth noting that the issue is clearly not widespread — staff at AP are seemingly unaffected.
Google is yet to officially acknowledge the bug or roll out a fix for it. If you encounter the same issue after December’s update, there are some temporary fixes that you can try out while waiting for official support.
Head into Settings → System → Reset options → Reset Mobile Network Settings and Reset Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Note: This will erase saved Wi-Fi passwords and Bluetooth connections (via RobinHirst11).
Alternatively, you can also try deactivating 4G/VoLTE calling, which seems to have fixed the issue for at least one Pixel 7 user. To do so, head to Settings → Network & Internet → SIMs → Provider’s name and disable Wi-Fi calling.
