Pixel icons and widgets appear transparent after December update, fix coming soon

Google Pixel owners eagerly anticipate the monthly updates for their devices, often packed with exciting new features, bug fixes, and improvements. But the December update for Pixel devices, though brimming with goodies, also brought its share of headaches. Among the more notable glitches: icons and widgets turning semi-transparent on the home screen. There are also reports of broken Android Auto audio and themed icons in dark and light modes.

Here’s the issue: after installing the December update, some Pixel users found their home screen icons and widgets becoming semi-transparent, as though stuck halfway through an animation. This glitch persisted even after locking and unlocking the phone or restarting it. The only immediate fix? Opening another app and then returning to the home screen, a decidedly clunky workaround.

This issue isn’t new, either. According to the Android issue tracker, it first surfaced during the Android 15 beta phase back in October. Google marked it as “fixed” in late November just ahead of releasing the December Pixel Feature Drop, promising a resolution in an upcoming release. However, it appears that the fix didn’t make its way into the stable version of the December update, subsequently adding new victims of transparent icons and widgets.

Reports of the glitch have rolled in from a wide array of Pixel devices, including the Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 7a, Pixel 8, and even the Pixel 6. Interestingly, some users noted that updating specific apps — like the Google app or the Google Pixel VPN app — seemed to resolve the issue. For others, though, the problem persists.

While an official fix seems to be in the pipeline, there is a temporary workaround for those feeling haunted by this bug. Here’s what you can do:

• Enable developer mode: Go to Settings > About Phone, scroll down to Build Number, and tap it several times until Developer Mode is activated.
• Adjust Animation settings: Navigate to Settings > System > Developer Options, find Animator Duration Scale, and set it to off or 0.5x.

Disabling animations entirely stops the glitch in its tracks, while setting the animation scale to 0.5x significantly reduces the issue, with icons and widgets becoming far less transparent during transitions. The workaround has garnered positive feedback, with several users confirming it solves the issue — at least temporarily.