Google Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL Units Affected by Random Shutdown Issue: Reports

It is not clear whether the issue is associated with hardware or any third party app.

By Nadeem Sarwar | Updated: 21 May 2019 11:20 IST

Highlights

The frequency of Pixel 3a shutdown varies from user to user
In some cases, affected users had to hard reset the phone
Google is yet to acknowledge or roll out a fix for the issue

Google Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL Units Affected by Random Shutdown Issue: Reports

Some users claim that the phone shuts down when connected to a Wi-Fi network

The Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL are fresh out of the oven, and it appears that their promise of offering a flagship experience for a non-premium price tag has already met its first obstacle. As per user reports, some Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL units are randomly shutting down, and there is no concrete explanation as to why it is happening. While sitting in idle state, some Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL units automatically switch off rather than remain in the lock mode, requiring surprised users to restart the phone or reboot it.

The Pixel 3a duo's random shut down issue was first spotted by Android Police on Reddit , where multiple users had mentioned that their Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL are experiencing random shutdowns. For some users, the shutdown frequency is three to five times a day, while in extreme cases, the phone undergoes the shutdown cycle every 30 minutes. The issue has been documented on the official Google support channel as well, with the affected users unable to comprehend why it is happening in the first place.

It appears that the Pixel 3a shutdown issue is not associated with third-party apps, because it happens even while the phone is running in Safe Mode. In some cases, the phone returns to normal state after holding down the power button and restarting it, while some users had to press the power and volume buttons simultaneously to hard boot the affected Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL unit.

Google is yet to respond to the complaints of the random shutdown on the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL, but the affected users are miffed with their new phones malfunctioning. However, it is not clear whether the issue is limited to units sold by a particular carrier or in a specific region. Users are also reporting that the Pixel 3a or the Pixel 3a XL's shutdown bug is associated with Wi-Fi, but this has not been the case with the other reports we have come across. We have reached out to Google to get an official response and know the reason behind the Pixel 3a duo shutting down out of the blue, and will update this story accordingly.

Has Google Pixel 3a's pricing ruined its prospects in India? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.