Google Pixel 8 Pro has a screen tint problem — but a fix is on the way

Google Pixel 8 Pro held in hand.
(Image credit: Future)

It wouldn’t be a Google Pixel launch without a bunch of issues that needed taking care of. The Pixel 8 Pro has been no exception to that trend, and some users have reported a weird yellow and pink tint on the Always On display. Hardly the worst issue, but still not ideal. Thankfully Google says a fix is coming.

One Pixel 8 user posted this problem on the Android public tracker, after which multiple other affected owners confirmed their own experiences with the tint. Someone at Google has since marked the problem as resolved, claiming that a fix will be available in a future Android release. 

When that fix might actually come isn’t clear, and will entirely depend on when the solution was finalized. All the resolution post actually says is that people should keep an eye on the Android release notes page, which details all the changes that are available in various different versions of the software.

The tint problem typically happens when you have the brightness really low, and when the refresh rate has dropped to 1Hz — hence why it’s a problem exclusive to the Pixel 8 Pro. That means anytime you go into a dark room, when both these things would come into play, you’ll notice a colored tint around any text on screen.

According to Android Police, forcing the Always On Display to operate at 120Hz can solve this issue, but this will come with additional battery drain. The Pixel 8 Pro’s battery is better than previous years but it still isn’t the best, so it’s always beneficial to preserve the battery in any way you can. But if you’re finding the issue too annoying, and can’t wait for the official fix to roll out, that option is available to you.

The next big Pixel update is the November security patch, which should be arriving next week. The fix may arrive as part of that update, assuming it was ready in time, but there’s always a chance that Pixel 8 Pro owners will have to hold on until the December Pixel Feature Drop.

There haven’t been many reports of Pixel 8 issues in the weeks since release, and in the grand scheme of things a tinted OLED display isn’t the biggest issue. It’s not like other phones haven’t had the same problem — including the iPhone 15 Pro. Let’s just hope the Pixel 8 doesn’t start suffering anything more serious in the coming weeks.

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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.