A two‑year‑old video circulating on a popular video platform has drawn attention after it appeared to show multiple Google Pixel smartphones rebooting on their own when a video is opened. The clip originated from a Telegram channel that reports on tech topics and has been cited by the tech news outlet Rozetked. The footage sparked discussion among Pixel owners and tech observers who are trying to determine whether this is a device-specific glitch, a software interaction, or an isolated anomaly.
According to the video, the reboot issue appears to affect several Pixel models when videos are opened in the YouTube app. Specifically, users reported that devices such as the Pixel 6a, Pixel 6, and Pixel 7 reboot during the act of starting playback. After the reboot occurs, the phones typically resume normal operation and continue functioning as expected. In the comment section of the video, at least one Pixel owner noted that using a modified version of the YouTube app, popularized by community-developed builds such as Vanced, did not provoke the reboot problem. This observation led some readers to speculate about differences in how official and modified apps handle video playback and system resources.
Elsewhere, users with other Android devices as well as iPhones reported no similar reboot behavior when launching videos within the official YouTube application. This pattern has led to questions about whether the issue is tied to Google’s Pixel hardware, the software stack, or the interaction between HDR video processing and system power management during the moment of playback initialization. The broader consensus among observers remains inconclusive at this stage, with some suggesting the problem could stem from HDR processing paths, while others point to potential firmware edge cases that only surface under certain conditions, such as particular app versions or regional software updates. Google has not issued an official statement addressing these claims, leaving the community to monitor further developments for clarity.
Historical coverage from several tech outlets has noted features and tools that Google has introduced in recent years, including dynamic image enhancement and on-device editing capabilities. Some observers have proposed that certain features could interact with video rendering pipelines in ways that might trigger abrupt resets on affected devices. However, without an official confirmation or a transparent set of reproduction steps from Google, pinpointing a precise root cause remains challenging. Users should consider checking for available software updates, verifying app versions, and testing playback with different video sources to assess whether the issue persists across environments. System stability, driver updates, and HDR settings could all influence how video playback is handled on flagship Pixel devices, particularly when high-dynamic-range content is involved.
In summary, the appearance of spontaneous reboots when opening YouTube videos on specific Google Pixel models has generated substantial curiosity and cautious troubleshooting. While some evidence suggests a correlation with HDR video processing during playback initiation, a definitive explanation has yet to be released by Google. Until official guidance is provided, users encountering similar behavior may wish to monitor for software patches, explore alternative YouTube client configurations, and report reproducible steps to help developers identify and address the underlying cause in a timely manner.