Google Pixel bug reveals hidden Private Space when switching between light and dark mode

Google’s big November update packs dozens of bug fixes, but a recent Private Space issue, which unhides the hidden folder in the app drawer, appears to have again slipped through the cracks. For reference, the bug first surfaced following Android 17 QPR1 in September. Fast-forward to Android 17 QPR2, and the bug is still there.

For those unaware, Pixel’s Private Space lets you create a sandbox within your phone. It essentially acts as a separate, locked space where you can keep apps, folders, files, and anything that you want to keep away from prying eyes. The locked space appears at the bottom of the Pixel app drawer, though users also have the option to completely hide the space’s existence.

If hidden, no one casually browsing through your phone would even know that you’ve set up a Private Space. However, that’s exactly what’s broken right now. Users have reported that the hidden space keeps reappearing in the app drawer, and we know what triggers the issue.

As seen in the video above, switching between light and dark modes causes the hidden space to reappear in the app drawer. This doesn’t really mean much if you live alone or if you don’t have anything to hide. However, if you’re a parent and your kids occasionally use your phone, the bug could theoretically give them access to apps that you don’t want them to get into, specifically if they know your passcode.

More importantly, you don’t even need to manually toggle the modes to trigger the bug — if you’ve scheduled modes to automatically change in the morning and at night, Private Space could appear in your app drawer without you even realizing.

Note that the video above was recorded on a Pixel 8 running the November update, so the bug clearly has persisted. Users on Reddit corroborate that.

One user confirmed the bug was present two days ago:

Still have the bug where Private Space shows up in my app drawer if i toggle dark mode, while private space is set to be hidden in the app drawer.

A different user reiterated the steps to trigger the bug:

When it’s in light mode hidden > flick to dark mode and it shows at the bottom > flick back to light mode and it carries on showing still. Even if I lockdown the phone and unlock with pin it still shows afterwards.

It’s unclear if Google knows of the exact issue. Note that there is a related report on Google’s Issue Tracker that has already been marked as fixed, but it doesn’t specifically mention switching between light and dark modes as a trigger. A different Issue Tracker describes Private Space randomly appearing even after hiding, and even though the user doesn’t specifically mention switching between light and dark modes as a trigger, the two issues could be connected, especially when you factor in automatic dark/light mode changes.

Google has acknowledged the latter Issue Tracker complaint. “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,” wrote a Google engineer.

We’ve reached out to the tech giant to confirm if it’s aware of the issue and whether a fix is in the works. We’ll update this article if and when we hear back.