Pixel 11 Problems: Camera Rotation, RCS, Android Auto and Fixes

You take a portrait shot, share it, and your friend gets it sideways. On the Pixel 11 that was a real bug, and Google fixed it in the October 2026 update. It’s one of several Pixel 11 problems that have filled forums since the phone went on sale in August, alongside RCS that won’t activate after a switch, Android Auto refusing to connect, and a screen that wakes when someone puts a cup down on the table.

Some of these are already patched. The rest have workarounds, and one or two are worth an exchange.

What the October 2026 update fixed

Droid Life and Android Headlines covered Google’s October release. It has two fixes for the Pixel 11 series (Pixel 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro XL and 11 Pro Fold): photos or videos occasionally saving in the wrong orientation, listed under sensors and specific to the Pixel 11, and the on-screen keyboard sometimes not appearing when you tap a search field, fixed on Pixel 8 through Pixel 11. A third fix in the same release, for noise or distortion on certain VoIP calls, covers Pixel 8 through Pixel 10a and not the Pixel 11.

Install it in Settings › System › Software updates › System update, then check the patch date under Settings › About phone › Android version › Android security update.

Already have sideways photos? Open each one in Google Photos, tap Edit › Crop and use the rotate button, which saves the corrected orientation. Restart the phone after updating so the sensor service reloads. If new photos still come out rotated, check that Auto-rotate screen works from Quick Settings. A screen that never rotates in any app suggests faulty motion sensors, so contact Google Support.

RCS stuck on “Waiting for verification”

This nearly always shows up after moving from another phone. Your number is still registered for RCS on the old device, so chats don’t arrive on the new one.

1. If you still have the old phone, open Google Messages, tap your profile picture or the menu, go to Messages settings › RCS chats and switch RCS chats off.
2. If you don’t, use Google’s RCS deregistration form. Enter your number, get the code by SMS and confirm.
3. Then wait. According to Android Authority, RCS should release the old device and set up the new one by itself within about a day.
4. On the Pixel 11, toggle RCS chats off and on and restart. Keep mobile data on, even when you’re on Wi-Fi.
5. Coming from an iPhone? Deregister iMessage for your number on Apple’s website too, or texts from iPhone users can vanish.

Android Auto won’t connect, or freezes

The car doesn’t see the phone, or Android Auto starts and then drops. Sometimes it connects but maps and music crawl or freeze.

1. Update Android Auto from the Play Store and the car’s head unit firmware (through the manufacturer’s app or the dealer).
2. Change the cable. Android Authority says bad cables are a common cause. Use a short USB-C cable that carries data.
3. In Settings › Connected devices › Connection preferences › Android Auto, open Previously connected cars, forget the car and pair again.
4. Clear the cache in Settings › Apps › See all apps › Android Auto › Storage & cache › Clear cache.
5. Last resort: back up and factory reset the phone.

The screen wakes at every bump

Some owners, mostly with the Pixel 11 Pro, say Lift to check phone fires on tiny movements: a phone on a table when someone sets a cup down, or a sharp turn in the car. Android Authority reports there’s no fix yet beyond switching it off, and a similar complaint has come up on the Pixel 9 Pro.

Go to Settings › Display & touch › Lock screen (Settings › Display › Lock screen on some builds) and turn off Lift to check phone. If you still want a quick look at notifications, use Tap to check phone instead.

Dropped signal, flaky Wi-Fi and games that won’t run

A 5G icon with no internet, or Wi-Fi rejecting networks it knows, can usually be sorted in software. Turn off Settings › Network & internet › Adaptive connectivity and restart. If that doesn’t do it, go to Settings › System › Reset options and use Reset Mobile Network Settings and Reset Bluetooth & Wi-Fi. Drops that continue across several networks can be a modem fault, which the warranty covers.

No service at all with a SIM that works in other phones may not be a fault. A carrier lock looks very similar, and our Pixel carrier unlock check explains how to tell.

Some demanding games, Genshin Impact among them, have trouble on the PowerVR GPU in the new Tensor G6. Google says the developer is working on an update. More on the chip in our Pixel 11 Tensor G6 guide.

Boot loops, Safe Mode and resetting properly

A few owners say the phone went blank during a factory reset and then restarted over and over. There’s no official fix. If you can reach Recovery mode (hold Power + Volume down until Fastboot appears, then pick Recovery mode), try Wipe cache partition or a factory data reset from there. If it still loops, contact Google Support for a warranty repair or exchange.

For problems that began after you installed an app, hold the power button, long-press Power off and choose Reboot to safe mode. If the problem goes away, remove recent apps one at a time.

When one app crashes, freezes or drains the battery, go to Settings › Apps › See all apps, pick it, and tap Storage & cache › Clear cache. If that fails, uninstall and reinstall it from the Play Store. Only then move on to Settings › System › Reset options › Erase all data (factory reset), after a backup, and make sure you know your Google account password, because the phone asks for it afterwards.

Checking a used Pixel 11

Early returns and resold Pixel 11s are already listed. Before you pay:

1. Dial *#06# and match the IMEI to Settings › About phone and the box.
2. Run a Google Pixel Info check for model, warranty and sale details.
3. Run a carrier and SIM-lock check. Plenty of US Pixels are sold carrier-locked.
4. Check blacklist status so you don’t end up with a lost or stolen phone.
5. Make sure the seller removes their Google account before the phone is reset.

When to ask Google for a repair or exchange

Pixel 11 phones are all still inside Google’s standard warranty, so there’s no reason to live with a hardware fault. Contact Google if you have:

• A boot loop that survives Recovery mode.
• Auto-rotate or other sensors that still don’t work after the October update.
• No signal or Wi-Fi on any network after the resets above.
• Physical damage, swelling or overheating warnings.