Pixel users report issues with back gesture and 'Wallpaper and Style' function after Android 15 update

Some Pixel users are experiencing a few frustrating issues following the recent Android 15 update. Apart from some missing features, users are facing difficulties with the back gesture feature and crashes in the ‘Wallpaper and Style’ function.

First off, several users claim that the back gesture, particularly when swiping from the right side of the screen, has become nearly unusable. While most reports are from Pixel 8 Pro users, they aren’t the only ones experiencing the bug. One user described needing “3-4 tries almost every time” to activate the gesture. Someone even shared a video highlighting the problem. Check it out:

Others aren’t quite happy with the fact that the predictive back gestures seem half-baked since not all apps support the newly added feature just yet. That said, some users who were facing issues triggering the back gestures have come up with a potential workaround.

This involves toggling between 3-button navigation and gesture navigation, followed by a device reboot. A handful of those experiencing the issue have reported marginal improvements after trying this method.

Simultaneously, a separate issue is plaguing users across various Pixel models. The ‘Wallpaper and Style’ function, accessible through device settings, crashes immediately upon opening. This prevents users from changing their wallpaper, accent colors, app grid, or themed icons through the usual interface.

One Pixel 9 Pro Fold user reported that even after attempting a factory reset, the problem persisted. While some users can still change wallpapers through the Photos app, the full functionality of the ‘Wallpaper and Style’ feature remains inaccessible. While going through the comments on a Reddit post, I stumbled upon a potential workaround. A user claimed that they fixed the issue by changing the contrast from default high. Another user also confirmed that it fixed the problem.

Luckily, this doesn’t seem to be affecting all users. I couldn’t replicate the issue on a Pixel 7a running Android 15. The bug also isn’t present in the latest Android 15 beta either on a Pixel 8.

Apart from these two issues. Another minor issue with Pixel Launcher’s new “Show long app names” was highlighted by Artem Russakovskii in a post on X. The function is supposed to display longer app names in two lines instead of truncating the names in one line, however, it’s currently bugged and doesn’t seem to work in some cases.

It doesn’t really break device usability, but it’s a bug that needs to be ironed out in future Android 15 builds. We’ll be on the lookout for any further developments for either of the issues highlighted in this article and will post an update if there’s something worth sharing. In the meantime, let us know if you’ve noticed these bugs on your Pixel devices.