At last, Google fixes Pixel 10 screen bugs after months of flicker, touch faults, and heat issues

Google has pushed out a fresh update for Pixel phones in its January 2026 patch. The focus this time is the Pixel 10 line, which has faced screen and touch faults for months. Many users said the AOD would flicker at times, even when the phone was idle. Others saw lines and noise show up while they worked on photos.

The update brings a new GPU driver that aims to settle these faults at the core. Google says the fix applies to the Pixel 10, 10 Pro, Pro XL, and Pro Fold. The patch also comes with the usual safety fixes, but the screen work is what most users will care about.

For many owners, the wait felt long. Reports of screen flicker and odd touch loss kept coming in, with no clear fix in sight. This release marks the first time Google has directly tied those issues to a GPU driver and pushed a wide fix.

Along with flicker, some Pixel 10 users said their screens would stop to sense touch at random. This made simple tasks hard, from calls to typing. Google now says the update fixes that fault as well.

The screen issues showed up in daily use and also in photo work. When users edited images in a photo app, noise and thin lines could appear. These signs pointed to a deep link with how the GPU handled the screen load.

By fixing the driver, Google hopes to solve all these cases at once. A driver sits close to the core of how the chip talks to the screen. When it fails, the faults can look wide and random. A clean driver can bring calm fast, if done right.

Last year, Google hinted that the Tensor G5 chip used in Pixel 10 had GPU limits. Some users also said their phones ran hot and slowed down under load. Many felt the GPU part of the chip was to blame.

The GPU used in Tensor G5 drew talk for months, as users tried to link heat, slow down, and screen faults. While Google did not name the part in this update, the new driver is a clear step to close that chapter.

It is still early to judge how well the fix holds up over time. But for Pixel 10 owners who lived with flicker and dead touch, this update should bring real relief. If the faults stay gone, it may restore trust that took a hit over the past months.