Summary
- Users are reporting a Google Pixel 7 Pro display glitch caused by a video of an 18,000Hz audio tone. The issue resolves when the video is stopped or muted.
- The issue only affects the Pixel 7 Pro, not other Pixel devices. Android Police was able to confirm this behavior.
- Google has addressed similar glitches in the past and may roll out updates to fix this issue.
Just because the new model of a flagship phone launches doesn’t mean that owners of the older model stop using their devices. Similarly, it doesn’t mean that glitches are still not being discovered on these existing phones, and that is now the case with the Google Pixel 7 Pro.
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Although it doesn’t appear to cause permanent damage, a YouTube video seems to be able to bring out a glitch on the Pixel 7 Pro, as noted by users on Reddit. This video, which features an audio tone playing at a frequency of 18,000Hz, only causes a malfunction on this specific variation of the phone — Pixel 7 device owners are not experiencing the issue, only 7 Pro users. When the clip is played at full volume, a series of faint horizontal lines forms along the right edge of the display.
It’s hard to spot in photos, but the glitch is clear in real life
If the video is played at a low volume, the lines do not seem to form, and they also disappear when it’s paused. One Redditor speculated that this problem is related to the device’s speakers — the low tone of the audio coming from the video could be impacting the phone’s 120Hz and/or 90Hz refresh rate. The issue is not impacting other Pixel 7 devices, such as the 7a or standard Pixel 7, nor is it affecting older or newer models like the Pixel 6 or Pixel 8. However, the fact that the video is not causing permanent damage may give device owners some peace of mind.
In our testing, we were able to replicate the issue on a Pixel 7 Pro. The lines are clearly noticeable in person, but harder to notice when captured with a camera. In the images below, you can see the series of faint horizontal lines resembling a waveform along the right side of the screen in the first image. We then muted the audio and captured the second image, where the effect was not seen.
As Google moves forward and looks ahead to its Pixel 9 launch, this isn’t the first glitch that has been spotted on previous models following the debut of a new flagship. For instance, overheating has been an ongoing issue on Pixel devices in relation to different versions of Android. When Android 14 originally launched, it caused heat issues in previous models. This led some to assume that performance problems were inevitable, but Android 14 was eventually optimized to resolve the issue. Google has been effective at quietly rolling out updates to address these kinds of glitches that arise. However, it’s often not until several device users raise the alarm. No manufacturer is immune to bugs, but much can be derived from how they eventually handle – or skirt – these flaws as they come.