The last year’s Google phones got the latest Android Nougat 7.1.1 update pretty soon but it did come with a few bugs. Some of which still haven’t been resolved. Many users have reported that there is a Bluetooth connectivity issue with their Nexus devices and it has happened after the Android 7.1.1 update.
Google rolled out the Android 7.1.1 back in December 2016 for the entire range of Pixel and Nexus devices. For the Nexus 6P, the update size was 26 MB, while it was 65 MB for the Nexus 5X. But, GSMArena reports that the issue dates back to October 2016. Then, the said Android version was still in beta and was being tested for the devices.
Many people took on Google forums to report the issue where they aren’t able to connect their Nexus phones to any car’s Bluetooth system for more than 5-10 seconds. The phones get disconnected automatically. The connectivity problem wasn’t limited to any car model. Many users have noticed the issue to have started after the Nougat 7.1.1 developer preview was released.
Interestingly, even after the recent software update release with January security update, the problem hasn’t been resolved yet. Google hasn’t acknowledged the issue yet and a fix can only be expected after that.
The two Nexus devices are close to the end of their support cycles, being launched in 2015, so it still isn’t clear if a patch will be released for the issue or not. Google Pixel and Pixel XL were also launched with several hardware and software issues.
Thankfully my Kia Optima is fine with my Nexus 5x and 7.1.1 – at least so far.
However, there’s a vending machine service called PayRange that stopped working when I got the 7.0 update. Contacting their tech support, they claim that Android fundamentally changed how they make Bluetooth connections, and that could be the core of the problem with these cars as well.
PayRange went so far as to offer me a refund, as they couldn’t tell me how long it would be until they figured out how to resolve the issue, so it must be a big one.
Google may even be saying “Oops” to something big behind the scenes here as well.
I know I’d feel better if they not only acknowledged, but offered an explanation, as well as fixed these Bluetooth issues!