Pixels go deaf after Android 17 Beta releases as key feature is broken by updates
Pixels go deaf after Android 17 Beta releases as key feature is broken by updates
https://www.phonearena.com/news/key-pixel-feature-broken-by-android-beta-updates_id178606
Publish Date: 2026-03-02 00:00:00
Source Domain: www.phonearena.com
For the last week I haven’t been able to get the Gemini prompt to appear on the screen of my Pixel 6 Pro when I say, “Hey Google.” Using that “hotword” is supposed to open whichever digital assistant you choose for your Pixel, either Gemini or Google Assistant. I prefer Gemini because of the quality and depth of the responses. Of course, it occurred to me that the Android 17 Beta releases, 1 and 2, were behind this.
Android 17 Beta 1 and 2 stop the Gemini “hotword” from opening the prompt
As we often remind you, when installing a major Beta update, especially those related to the release of a new OS build, some features that you rely on are just not going to work while the Beta updates are released. Eventually these broken features are repaired, usually before the final version of the software is dropped. A Reddit subscriber with the username Thin_Sun_2612 wrote, “Same issue, Android 17 Beta 1 and 2 had the same issues. Pixel 8 Pro.”There is some good news. The bug has been reported to Google through the Issue Tracker. We could see a fix included in an upcoming Android 17 Beta release. In the meantime, you can manually call for the Gemini prompt with a long-press of the power button, the top button on the right side of a Pixel handset. The prompt should appear on the bottom of the display.
Say “Hey Google, let’s chat” to open Gemini Live
By the way, in case you were wondering, Google continues to use “Hey Google” as the hotword instead of “Hey Gemini” to keep things consistent. You might not know this, but if you say “Hey Google, let’s chat,” you will open Gemini Live allowing you to have a back and forth conversation using Gemini Live.
The issue has already been reported to the Issue Tracker. | Image by Google
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