Google Pixel 6 ghost dialling bug has been squashed — but problems remain

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Your Google Pixel 6 will stop trying to call your ex all by itself

Google Pixel 6 camera module
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

The Google Pixel 6 had a bit of a rough launch, what with the screen flickering issues, battery drain, and other bugs seemingly affecting the phone. Thankfully one of the more serious issues, which saw the phone ghost calling random contacts, now has a fix.

This is according to a Pixel community manager on the r/GooglePixel subreddit, which explained updating to the latest version of the Google app (12.43.18 or higher) will fix this problem.

One Reddit user even claimed to have woken up to find their phone was in the middle of a call with a contact they’d never phoned before. All while the phone screen remained off, and Google Assistant seemingly didn’t receive any wake-up commands.

Fortunately with a fix already rolling out, users should be able to reactivate Google Assistant any time now. Upon checking my own Pixel 6 Pro, I found that the Google app has automatically been updated to version 12.44.23.29. That means Google Assistant won’t be randomly calling any of my contacts whenever I turn my back.

You can check which version of the Google app your own phone is running by heading to the Google Play store and tapping the arrow by What’s new. You’ll then be able to see the version number at the bottom of the screen under App Info. Of course, like any other app, if an update is available it’ll say so at the top of the screen.

It’s always a good idea to keep all your apps up to date, along with your phone, but in this case any Google Assistant fans don’t really have much choice. Let’s just hope we’re going to get more Pixel 6 fixes in the coming weeks, including all those pesky screen issues; apparently, that’s not coming until the Pixel’s December update. 

Tom Pritchard
Tom Pritchard
UK Phones Editor

Tom is the Tom's Guide's UK Phones Editor, tackling the latest smartphone news and vocally expressing his opinions about upcoming features or changes. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining about how terrible his Smart TV is.