Pixel 9 Pro black line glitch in zoomed photos finally gets a fix

If you’ve been battling an annoying black line ruining your zoomed-in Pixel 9 photos, I’ve got some good news: Google has finally cracked the case. After months of frustration, the tech giant has identified the culprit behind the glitch and is rolling out a fix soon.

The issue, which first gained attention late last year, left users scratching their heads as black lines mysteriously streaked across their photos when zooming in. The glitch seemed to have a mind of its own, appearing only in certain viewing scenarios — like in the Google Photos app — and vanishing when images were shared or viewed elsewhere. Understandably, it drove more than a few Pixel fans up the wall.

The breakthrough came thanks to a frustrated Pixel user who took to Reddit to share their experience. Alongside a detailed description of the problem, they uploaded a video showing the black lines in action.

The post caught the attention of Google Pixel support, who responded with some much-needed clarity and a promise of a fix.

“Hi there, thanks for reporting this!” the Google support team wrote. “We are aware of this issue, and a fix will be rolling out soon.” Below is a screengrab of the full response:

So, what’s the deal with these phantom lines? According to Google, the issue is purely a display glitch tied to how certain photos are rendered when zoomed in post-capture. The good news? Your photos aren’t actually damaged. The bad news? You’ve had to put up with this annoyance for far too long.

For those who’ve been following this saga, the fix can’t come soon enough. The problem seemed to escalate after a late last year software update, sparking theories about whether Google’s tweaks were to blame. While the Pixel 9 Pro bore the brunt of the complaints, older models like the Pixel 8 Pro and even the Pixel 7 Pro weren’t immune to similar issues. It’s been a bumpy ride for Pixel photographers, but it looks like smoother days are ahead.

Google hasn’t announced an exact rollout date for the fix, but support has promised to update the Reddit thread once it’s live.