Google Pixel Haptic Feedback Issue – Random Vibrations

Since Google rolled out its March 2025 Pixel Feature Drop, many users across forums, Reddit, and Google’s official support channels have reported abrupt changes to their haptic feedback, particularly on the Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel 7, and Pixel 7 Pro. Though relatively minor on the surface, the issue has stirred broad dissatisfaction, as users describe the updated vibration feedback as “hollow,” “cheap,” and lacking the satisfying “thunk” they once felt.

What’s the Issue?

Haptic feedback refers to the subtle vibration a phone produces in response to taps, notifications, typing, or navigation gestures. It adds a tactile layer to the user experience—something many Pixel users have come to appreciate for its precision and responsiveness.

However, after installing the March 2025 update (based on Android 15 Feature Drop Package 1), some Pixel owners noted changes in how vibrations now feel:

• Reduced impact when typing or navigating, described as wiping away a crisp tap sensation.

• An unnerving ringing or lingering tail at the end of each vibration.

• Variability in intensity, with notifications feeling stronger on hard surfaces while touch feedback seems weaker.

Verge staff confirmed these changes on their own Pixel 8 Pro devices, noting a distinct difference in the haptic engine’s behavior after the update. While the issue is widespread, Pixel 9 users appear to be largely unaffected.

History Repeats Itself

This isn’t the first time Google has stumbled in haptic tuning. In 2022, a similar vibration-weakening bug affected Pixel 6 users. After community outcry, Google issued a fix two months later. That patch restored a stronger, more intentional haptic response.

So if the current problem is also a bug, users have reason to expect a fix, though no public timeline has been confirmed.

Official Word (or Lack Thereof)

Google hasn’t officially confirmed whether the update intentionally altered the haptic engine or simply introduced a bug. What the company has acknowledged, via support forums, is that it is “actively looking into reports from some Pixel users about changes to haptic intensity”. In the same post, Google reminds users they may adjust vibration via:

• Settings → Sound & vibration → Vibration & haptics.

However, many users, including those with Pixel 8 and 7 Pro, report that adjusting the haptic intensity sliders makes no perceptible difference. The vibration’s character, not merely its strength, is changed. As one Reddit user bluntly put it:

“It’s not the intensity, it’s the attack and sustain lasting too long. Typing this post makes me feel like there are loose springs in my phone.”

Community Feedback & Real-World Testing

Reddit and Google’s community forums feature dozens of threads from frustrated users. Some messages capture the overall sentiment:

“Pixel 7 Pro: after the update, the thumping haptics that I loved have turned into a droning vibration that echoes through my hands.”

“Pixel 8 feels hollow and cheap with this haptic change. Typing feels delayed, screen interactions feel unsatisfying.”

Amid the frustration, several users discovered that booting into Safe Mode, which temporarily disables third-party applications, allowed them to isolate whether any newly installed app was contributing to the issue. In one case, a user resolved the odd feedback by uninstalling a recently added app, restoring the prior feel. This suggests that while the widespread change appears systemic, localized app-level interference may occasionally play a role.

What You Can Do Now to Solve

If you’ve noticed your Pixel’s haptics feel off or underwhelming since March:

1. Adjust Vibration Settings
   Navigate to Settings → Sound & vibration → Vibration & haptics and experiment with turning off or adjusting “interactive haptics.” Some users report temporary improvement—though this is inconsistent.

2. Restart or Power Cycle
   A simple restart can sometimes recalibrate the haptic driver.

3. Use Safe Mode Test (Optional)
   Reboot into Safe Mode to determine if a third-party app is causing issues with haptic behavior. If the issue vanishes, you may narrow it down by removing new or unfamiliar apps.

4. Send Feedback to Google
   Go to Settings → About phone → Send feedback to report the haptic change. Providing feedback helps prioritize bug resolution.

5. Keep Your System Updated
   Assume the issue will likely be addressed in a future Feature Drop or security patch, as in past cases.

Finding Reassurance in Familiar History

Remember: in 2022, Google rolled out a haptic regression on Pixel 6, and within two months delivered a fix. If history is any guide, the company is unlikely to leave this unresolved for long. Having acknowledged the issue and typically responsive to consumer feedback, Google is likely working toward a fix behind the scenes.

For now, users can adjust settings, explore Safe Mode diagnostics, and rest assured that they are not alone. It’s a known concern and one under active investigation.

Takeaway

• Issue: Haptic vibrations on many Pixel devices feel weaker, murkier, and inconsistent after the March 2025 update.

• Models Affected: Most commonly Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel 7, and 7 Pro; Pixel 9 remains largely unaffected.

• Cause: Possibly a bug tied to the Feature Drop or Android 15 update; Google has confirmed awareness.

• Fix Available? No official fix is yet available; intensity settings often fail to replicate the previous feel.

• What You Can Do: Experiment with vibration settings, test Safe Mode, submit feedback to Google, and wait for potential patches.

If you find that your Pixel’s vibration no longer feels satisfying, rest assured that you’re not imagining it, and support forums suggest it’s not just you. Until an update arrives, tweaking settings or testing Safe Mode could help pinpoint the issue. And if nothing else, your feedback may help ensure a fix arrives sooner rather than later.