Google Pixel owners are reporting what they believe to be a bug related to the January 2023 security update affecting Bluetooth and Android Auto connectivity. It has not been confirmed if this was due to this update, but the timing of the report seems to support this.
The Pixel January update began rolling out on Tuesday, addressing a fingerprint scanner issue on the Pixel 6a and 7a, a bug where the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro displays wouldn’t wake from sleep, and a number of issues with holding the correct device. It was listed as containing a fix for some orientation, and a bug that prevented pairing of devices with BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy). That particular his BLE bugfix is suspected to be the cause of the problems users are currently experiencing.
The first report Several Posted on Google Pixel subreddit and later reported 9to5Google. The specific issue is when the user tries to connect to her Bluetooth in the car, it says “There is a problem with the connection. Please turn the device off and back on.”
Via 9to5Google
This issue doesn’t seem to be specific to any particular car brand as the report names several different brands. and 7 series are the latest releases, so they are the most commonly named.
In addition to these widespread Bluetooth connectivity issues, another concern relates to Android Auto, which some users have reported being unable to connect to. Troubleshooting that users reported includes wiping data and cache from Play Services and Android Auto apps.
However, at this point, it seems that either Google or T-Mobile are already aware of the problem. The January update seems to have stopped for Pixels using T-Mobile’s SIM card, even if they are unlocked. I happen to have a Pixel 7 Pro on T-Mobile, and he hasn’t received the January update yet. I’m guessing this delay may be related to these Bluetooth and Android Auto issues.
Google hasn’t officially acknowledged the issue yet, but I think it’s safe to assume that a bug fix is in the works. We hope you don’t have to wait until next month’s security update is pushed to apply the fix to your device.