This YouTube video forces the Pixel phone to reboot — don't click

This YouTube video forces the Pixel phone to reboot — don't click

Pixel owners who are watching YouTube or browsing social media should avoid clicking on certain videos, as they could cause their phones to crash or reboot.

As reported by The Verge (opens in new tab), the video in question is a clip from the 1979 sci-fi film "Alien" in 4K HDR. The video was uploaded two years ago, but the Pixel's owner has discussed the issue on Reddit.

Apparently, viewing the clip using the YouTube app causes the Pixel phone to immediately reboot. Most users have since reported that their devices are fine, but some Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro owners have reported losing cellular connectivity afterwards. Fortunately, after a second reboot, the phones are now working properly.

Tom's Guide looked at the clip with a Pixel 7 to confirm this issue, and our device did indeed crash and then reboot. However, since there was no SIM card in the device at the time, it was not possible to determine if cellular connectivity was lost.

Besides Google's latest Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, other Pixel devices using the search giant's Tensor chip are also affected.

The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, as well as the cheaper Pixel 6a, suffer a reboot after watching an alien clip. However, not all users who watched the YouTube video experienced a reboot on their devices.

At this time, the cause of this issue is still unknown, but some Pixel users speculate that it may be a result of the way Pixel phones handle color. Similar problems occurred in 2020 when both Samsung and Google phones began experiencing crashes with certain Android wallpapers.

For now, the safest thing you can do as a Pixel owner is to avoid watching the video in question, no matter how exciting it is to watch the captain of the Nostromo in the first "Alien" movie search his ship wielding a flamethrower.

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