The Pixel 5 is by most accounts a perfectly decent device when it’s functioning correctly. However, a strange issue has popped up that’s affecting users who leave their devices on Pixel Stands overnight, causing screens to come back on. This eye-blisteringly bright bug is basically the opposite of bedtime mode, and as of now, not even a glass of warm milk can fix the Pixel 5’s sleep problems.
Users are reporting that although the Pixel 5 display turns off when placed on a Pixel Stand at night with the “screen off when dark” option is enabled, it suddenly turns back on after an hour or so, seemingly at maximum brightness. Affected users’ Pixel Stands work fine with previous Pixel devices, so it seems like a bug that’s exclusive to the Pixel 5.
Google’s newest flagship is its first phone with a proximity sensor that’s located underneath the display, which could possibly have something to do with why the display wakes up when it shouldn’t. Customer support has recommended resetting app preferences and toggling Do Not Disturb mode, but so far, those troubleshooting steps don’t seem to have resolved the issue.
For now, Pixel 5 owners will have to be content with the fact that they might be in possession of the world’s first phone with diagnosable insomnia.
