The topic Google will fix Android 17 bug that deletes homescreen widgets for some Pixel owners… is currently the subject of lively discussion — readers and analysts are keeping a close eye on developments.
This is taking place in a dynamic environment: companies’ decisions and competitors’ reactions can quickly change the picture.
Widgets have long been a useful part of the Android homescreen and, for many, they’ve solidified their spot and functionality for years. That’s why it’s pretty frustrating that, for some Google Pixel owners that have upgraded to Android 17, homescreen widgets haven’t just been removed from the homescreen, but they’re not even available to come back.
Through the Android 17 Beta program, some noticed that widgets could be removed from the homescreen and unavailable to put back in place. Reports date back as far as February, without a clear fix in place.
Pixel owners on Reddit have noticed since updating to the stable Android 17 update that dropped earlier this week that widgets have vanished from their homescreen and are not present in the widget picker. It seems to affect any widgets that were in place prior to the update.
What’s the cause? It does look like the Work Profile is involved, as quite a few affected users mention that disabling that profile brings everything back. Adding a new profile can bring the issue back, though.
Update: Google has confirmed to 9to5Google that this is a bug caused by the Work Profile, and that a fix will be coming in a future software update “soon.”
We are aware of this bug affecting Work Profile users, and a fix will be rolled out in a software update soon.
Some workarounds include disabling or archiving affected apps before restoring them, and toggling focus mode also seems to work temporarily. Updating a Work Profile setting on the management side. But it’s very clear that none of this is working as it should, so we’ll be looking for Google to issue a proper patch in future Android 17 updates.
Let us know in the comments below if you’re running into this issue.