Pixel’s April Update Still Hasn’t Fixed This Frustrating Dark Theme Bug
Summary
- A bug introduced in the March Pixel Feature Drop broke the “sunset to sunrise” dark theme scheduling on Pixel devices.
- Despite the April Android 15 update addressing several bugs, this dark mode issue remains unresolved.
- Users have shared temporary workarounds, but Google has yet to officially acknowledge or provide a permanent fix.
March was quite the month for Google Pixel lovers. Google announced the newest iteration of its budget-friendly lineup, the Pixel 9a, in mid-March. It packs the same processor as the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro, the Google Tensor G4, which the company claims is its most efficient processor yet. Best of all, the Pixel 9a starts at $499, and with what it has to offer, it’s shaping up to be what the iPhone 16e could never be.
While the Pixel 9a was initially set to launch on March 26, the release was pushed forward due to an unexpected “component quality issue.” It was later confirmed that the Pixel 9a would launch on April 10 in the US, Canada, and UK, with other regions following on April 14 and April 16. Google began rolling out its April software update for Pixel devices running Android 15 on the same day the Pixel 9a officially launched.
The Android 15 April patch included numerous bug fixes and improvements for Pixel users, including a fix for fingerprint recognition issues and screen brightness flickering when using video streaming apps. Unfortunately, Google seems to have forgotten to include a fix for an annoying bug that affects anyone who’s a fan of dark theme scheduling.
Sunset to sunrise dark mode still doesn’t work
Google’s March Android 15 Pixel Feature Drop came with numerous upgrades for Gemini, Gboard, Pixel Screenshots, new “Modes” for Do Not Disturb, Satellite texting, and the ability for Pixel 9 series users to connect their phones to external cameras. Unfortunately, right after this update, user reports started pouring in on community forums, mentioning that the update broke Dark mode scheduling.
If you aren’t aware, Pixel phones come with multiple built-in features to make your device easier to use at nighttime. Along with the option to manually toggle on Dark theme, you can also configure your Pixel to switch to Dark theme according to your custom timing or your bedtime.
Similarly, your Pixel device can alternate between dark and light mode, switching to Dark theme after sunset and reverting to Light mode during sunrise. You can enable the above settings by heading to Settings > Display & touch > Dark Theme > Schedule, and then selecting one of the following: Turns on at custom time, Turns on from sunset to sunrise, or Turns on at bedtime.
Unfortunately, the “Turns on from sunset to sunrise” feature has been broken since the March Pixel Feature Drop, and it’s still not fixed.
While a few users mentioned that switching from dark mode schedule to a custom time for a while and then switching back to the sunset-to-sunrise option fixed the issue for them, others said that doing so only worked temporarily and the bug eventually returned.
Similarly, some noted that turning off the schedule, waiting for a while without enabling a different mode or turning on dark theme manually during the time period, and then turning the feature on again worked for them. Regardless, all of these are “fixes” users are discovering themselves, and it’s disappointing that Google hasn’t addressed the bug directly or rolled out a proper fix.
