Google Pixel 3a and 3a XL users are reporting random shutdowns
Even ‘Safe Mode’ isn’t safe
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Thanks to its terrific camera and mid-range price point,Google’s newPixel 3aand3a XLsmartphones have been fairly well-received by the public, however, that hasn’t been the case for all users.
According to numerous reports onReddit, some users have started to experience random shutdowns from both the Pixel 3a and 3a XL, with a hard reboot (sometimes requiring the user to hold the power button for up to 30 seconds) being the only way to bring the phone back, as reported byAndroid Police.
“I had 3 shutdowns yesterday, including over night, causing me to miss my wake alarm,“said one Redditor, who also tried using the phone “in ‘Safe Mode’ to eliminate any chance of a third party app causing it.” In this instance, the issue continued, which led the user to believe the problem is hardware related.
However,another Reddit posterwith the same problem noted that the issue only seems to occur when their device is connected to Wi-Fi, and that “Leaving the phone with wifi off seems to prevent the crashing all together.”
Another user who reported the issue to Google says they were advised to do afactory resetof the phone, which has so far proven an effective solution. Others have opted toreturnorexchangetheir handsets.
Google has yet to publicly acknowledge the shutdown problem, so it’s unknown whether it plans to issue a firmware update to resolve it. The search giant’s previous handset, Google Pixel 3, wasplagued with early bugs, however, they were eventually fixed in a security update.
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Stephen primarily covers phones and entertainment for TechRadar’s Australian team, and has written professionally across the categories of tech, film, television and gaming in both print and online for over a decade. He’s obsessed with smartphones, televisions, consoles and gaming PCs, and has a deep-seated desire to consume all forms of media at the highest quality possible.
He’s also likely to talk a person’s ear off at the mere mention of Android, cats, retro sneaker releases, travelling and physical media, such as vinyl and boutique Blu-ray releases. Right now, he’s most excited about QD-OLED technology, The Batman and Hellblade 2: Senua’s Saga.
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