ANDROID users have been put on alert about a new Google bug that could seriously drain your phone’s battery life and damage its screen. Here’s how you can make sure your phone never falls victim to it.



All Android phones running recent software are able to leverage the Google Assistant. The chatty helper is able to respond to commands and questions when they’re barked out by the user and is incredibly helpful.
Unfortunately, that means – as long as the correct settings are enabled – if an individual is summoning the Assistant from another device at home from, say, a Google Home, it’s possible the smartphone will also pick up on different wake phrase like “okay Google” and “hey Google”.

And it seems that can result in a bug where a phone’s display is left awake indefinitely, at least according to reports from Android Police and a number of folks on Reddit.
In particular, Artem Russakovskii, the founder of Android Police, recently tweeted a picture of his Pixel 3 that apparently refused to turn its screen off after the Google Assistant had been summoned inadvertently.


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Explaining the problem, Russakovskii said: “Love it when my Google devices hear me say Hey Google, realise I'm talking to the Google Home, and THEN NEVER TURN OFF THEIR SCREENS.
“Presumably, this Pixel 3 will remain on until the heat death of the universe or its screen catches fire, whichever comes first.”
Those reporting issues on Reddit described similar situations in which they’d asked their Google Home a question, only to find their smartphone still wide awake and ready to heed a command or question.
One posted: “This has been happening to me for a few months now. Each time I say 'OK Google' to a Google home device and my phone also hears me, my phone stays on this screen indefinitely. It will keep the screen on until I touch the phone again, even though the Google home has already answered.