More Google Pixel 2 Problems: Google Assistant Not Working With Bluetooth Headphones

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL owners are complaining about a bug that prevents Google Assistant from working with Bluetooth headphones, Android Police first spotted.

Users commenting on a Pixel User Community thread said that when they connect Bluetooth headphones to their devices and activate Google Assistant, it makes a sound that indicates it's listening but does not pick up their voices.

“[...] every time that Google Assistant is summoned up and any bluetooth headset is connected, then Assistant will NOT detect audio neither from bluetooth headset nor from phone, said one user in the forum.

Users also went on Reddit to talk about the issue with Bluetooth headphones and Google Assistant:

“Assistant is not detecting audio when squeezed from lock screen with Bluetooth headset. Even when I set the assistant to detect the hot word and hear audio from wired and Bluetooth headsets.”

“In my case the issue occurs always and not only when the screen is locked and I squeeze to launch the Assistant. If a bluetooth device is connected, the Assistant (regardless as to how it is launched, if I am in lock screen or anywhere else) will not hear any audio from either phone or bluetooth headset.”

The problem is happening with different headphone brands and with Bluetooth in vehicles, users said.

“I have tried two different bluetooth headsets (Anker SoundBuds Slim Wireless Headphones, Bluetooth 4.1 and Plantronics BackBeat Fit Wireless Headphones) - both of these had the expected result on a OnePlus 3T running lineage OS 14,” said a user on the Pixel forum.

The thread began on Oct. 21, with people continuing to post about the problem on Friday. Users in the thread said that updating to the Android 8.1.0 developer beta did not solve the problem. Google said late last month that it was investigating the issue.

Pixel 2 users have been complaining on social media about the device’s Bluetooth overall, although it’s not clear if the issues are related.

Complaints about the Google Assistant and Bluetooth problem come shortly after some users complained about the device’s OLED screen. Some Pixel 2 XL owners said some they were seeing screen flashes when locking and unlocking their smartphones. A user said in the Pixel User Community forums that her Pixel 2 XL’s screen would flash white when the device was unlocked, when the screen woke up to show notifications, when it locked by itself and when she manually locked it. Some device owners said they saw the issue just hours after buying the smartphone.

Users posted videos of the problem on YouTube:

Google released the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL last month. The new all-aluminum body 5-inch Pixel 2 has a $649 starting price, while the 6-inch Pixel 2 XL costs $849. Google is selling its new smartphones online and at pop-up stores in New York and Los Angeles. The stores will remain open until Dec. 31 for holiday shoppers.