Google released a new firmware update for the Pixel Buds A-Series a couple of days back. It was a minor update with the build number 3.519.0, a small jump from firmware version 3.514 rolled out in October last year. The company didn’t even provide a changelog for the latest release, suggesting that it was just a bug fixer than anything else. But Google appears to have messed up something. The update introduced a major Bluetooth bug that is causing pairing issues for Pixel Buds A-Series users.
Shortly after the update reached a sizable user count, reports started popping up on the official Google community forum and Reddit that the Pixel Buds A-Series refuses to pair with multiple devices. These TWS earbuds don’t support Bluetooth multi-point for multiple simultaneous connections. However, they always allowed users to stay paired with multiple devices and seamlessly switch the connection when needed. In other words, you can move the connection from your phone to your tablet anytime once you’ve paired both devices.
But those who installed the latest update found that their Pixel Buds A-Series no longer has that ability. Once connected to one device, it loses pairing with all other existing devices. If you manually pair the buds with another device, it forgets the previously paired device. A short press and hold of the pairing button on the back of the case also do nothing.
It should normally initiate the Fast Pair Bluetooth pairing process after holding for three seconds. Understandably, users are annoyed by this bug. The earbuds are giving them tough times when they need to switch connections.
Google is aware of this Pixel Buds A-Series pairing bug
Thankfully, Google already knows about this pairing bug introduced by the latest update for the Pixel Buds A-Series. The company says it is working on a fix. The said fix will reach all users globally by Monday, February 6, a Community Manager on official Google forums announced yesterday. If you haven’t updated your buds to firmware version 3.519.0, you should hold off installing new updates until Monday.
If you have auto-updates enabled for your Pixel Buds A-Series, we advise you to disable that as well. Go to Settings > Bluetooth on your phone and select your buds. Now tap on the settings icon and navigate to More settings > Firmware update and disable the “Automatic updates” toggle. Don’t forget to check for a new firmware update in the coming days.
2023-02-02 15:10:22