Pixel reopening the app you just closed instead of the one you're tapping on? You're not alone

The Pixel experience is mostly a bug-free one, but from time to time, a software glitch does surface that makes everyday usage just a tad bit frustrating.

Right now, Pixel 10 users are battling a video stabilization bug, though that's mostly limited to the 5x telephoto with EIS enabled. That's a niche issue, but Pixel users are also currently battling a more pervasive problem.

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Posts By  Rajesh Pandey
Oct 9, 2025

Users are reporting that the Pixel Launcher sometimes reopens a recently closed app, even when users consciously tap on a different app's icon on the home screen.

The bug was highlighted by the folks over at PiunikaWeb, citing user reports on Reddit and Google's IssueTracker, with the latter rocking over 200 'plus ones,' suggesting that it might not be all that isolated.

Google knows about the issue

But it has still been radio silent

According to user gemb0_0 on Reddit, they've had problems with said bug for roughly six months now. Several other Reddit users commented, adding credence, indicating that they've encountered the same bug but were never able to reproduce it.

"Good job on getting a recording of it, i was trying to get one," wrote user DiodeInc, while user HackZy01 wrote "Jesus I've had this issue ever since upgrading, you need to wait until it closes fully, google doesn't acknowledge this issue like many other."

HackZy01's tip about waiting until an app completely closes before triggering a new one makes sense. However, the following statement about Google not acknowledging the issue is incorrect.

As mentioned earlier, the bug made its way to IssueTracker, where it was acknowledged and passed on to the development team.

Thanks for reporting this issue. We have passed this to the development team and will update this issue with more information as it becomes available.

This was on November 5th. There have been no verbal updates from Google since. Until an official fix is out, users will have to rely on temporary workarounds, like carefully waiting for an app to fully close before opening a new one.