Early Google Pixel 9 series buyers are reporting Bluetooth range issues

Google’s Pixel 9 series is a great set of devices, complete with a base-sized Pro device that users have desired for years, and a foldable that is miles ahead of its predecessor.

Compared to the nothingburger that was Apple’s iPhone 16 event, Google’s Pixel 9 series was the clear winner of H2 2024, but as more people begin receiving their new devices, we’re starting to hear more about the Pixel 9 series’ shortcomings — like Google sticking with the same wireless charging technology we’ve seen on smartphones for over a decade with no support for magnetic Qi2.

Now early buyers are reporting significant Bluetooth connectivity and range issues across the Pixel 9 lineup.

While a majority of the reports cite problems with the Pixel 9 Pro XL, we’ve also spotted Bluetooth complaints about the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and with first-hand experience, we can confirm that Bluetooth range issues plague the Pixel 9 Pro as well. Issues include “terrible range,” static sound, sound dropping, issues connecting to vehicles with Android Auto, random disconnections, and more.

The Pixel 9 Pro XL started shipping roughly two weeks before the smaller Pixel 9 Pro and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which might explain the abundance of reports regarding the new XL model, while a lack of reports about the base Pixel 9 might suggest that it has different Bluetooth hardware. We haven’t been able to pin down the exact Bluetooth module used on the base Pixel 9 vs. the rest of the Pro Pixel 9 series, and Google’s own spec sheets say that the entire series has “Bluetooth v5.3 with dual antennas for enhanced quality and connection,” without mentioning any specific hardware.

Reports are widespread, but most are from Pixel 9 Pro XL users

The Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro Fold may also be affected

Google knows of the Bluetooth issue, as suggested by an Issue Tracker thread that went up on August 26, and was acknowledged on the same day.

A Pixel 9 Pro Fold user chimed in on the thread, saying that compared to their old Galaxy Z Fold 3, the Pixel foldable “has much shorter [Bluetooth] range and two pairs of wireless earbuds are no longer consistently usable while my phone is in my pocket. If my phone is on the charger, I can walk less [than] half as far away before connections start to drop.” A different user added that they’re “also experiencing a reduction in useful Bluetooth range — connection with [the] watch is lost at much closer distances than with [my] previous Pixel 7 Pro.”

It’s worth noting that some users have reported experiencing perfect functionality before the problems surfaced, with issues coinciding with the September security update’s rollout. On the other hand, some Bluetooth issue reports, including the Issue Tracker thread, suggest that the issue has been present on builds that predated the September update, suggesting that bugs could have been present in the release firmware as well.

Ultra-Wideband may play a role

Our own testing yielded interesting results

In our testing while investigating this story, we found that disabling Ultra-Wideband (UWB) on our Pixel 9 Pro significantly improved Bluetooth performance. For reference, the base Pixel 9 doesn’t have UWB, while all three Pro devices (including the foldable) do, which also might explain the lack of Bluetooth issues reported with the base Pixel 9.

This surely warrants further investigation, but in our finding, re-enabling UWB resurfaces the Bluetooth connectivity and range issues. Here’s what Android Police’s News Editor Dallas Thomas found when playing around with a Pixel 9 Pro:

We also tested the signal strength of our Pixel 9 Pro against last year’s Pixel 8 Pro, paired with the same set of earbuds. We observed a markedly shorter effective Bluetooth range on the Pixel 9 Pro, with audio playback beginning to cut out at around 20 feet, or when two interior walls were between the phone and the accessory.

Using a Bluetooth signal meter app, we collected readings from both the Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro while paired with the same set of earbuds.

At 10 feet with a clear line of sight between phone and accessory, signal strength was at –40dBm on both devices. Slightly further away, at 15 feet with one interior wall between the devices, those measurements dropped to -49dBm on the Pixel 8 Pro and -54dBm on the Pixel 9 Pro. Finally, at 20 feet with two interior walls in the way, those numbers dropped to -65dBm on the 8 Pro and -79dBm on the 8 Pro. These numbers remained fairly consistent throughout multiple tests, but it’s

While Google works on a fix, your best bet for temporary relief is to disable UWB by heading into Settings → Connected devices → Connection preferences → Ultra-Wideband, and then restarting your Pixel 9 series device.

We’ve reached out to Google regarding the issue, and this article will be updated when we hear back.