Google released the Android 17 QPR1 update on September 15, 2026. This update comes with new key features like viewer slide and the app drawer’s heavier system-wide blur effects. It also allows Pixel devices to automatically detect and display the active app for recording. Although the Android 17 QPR1 addresses several different bugs, many users are reporting that it also comes with a few annoying issues. For instance, Pixel 10a and 9 users are reporting a lag issue that started after the Android 17 QPR1 update.
Understanding the problem
Several Pixel smartphone owners are reporting some annoying issues that started after getting the recent Android 17 QPR1 update. The affected users took to different social media platforms, especially Reddit, to express their dissatisfaction with the new update. Pixel 10a and 9 users reported a lag issue that started after the update. Some other issues reported to come with Android 17 QPR1 include:
- Audio bugs (when watching videos)
- Keyboard lags
- Audio lags on Spotify
- Loss of internet connection
- Phone stuttering and freezing
A user noted that this issue mostly affects devices with memory pressure. As you already know, most “A” series phones only come with 8 GB of memory. This explains why phones like Pixel 10a and 9 are mainly affected by the lag issue introduced by the Android 17 QPR1 update. Of course, Pixel 10a and 9 aren’t the only models affected by this annoying lag issue. Other affected devices reported so far include Pixel 6, Pixel 8a, 7a, Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and a few others.
When describing the issue, a Pixel 10 Pro user said:
“Apps react weirdly to the screen turning. White ring around the camera is sometimes in the wrong place and while unlocking the phone the animation stays on the screen for way too long…”
It’s worth noting that this issue doesn’t affect everyone. A user noted that he owns two different Pixel 8 phones—one works perfectly while the other is completely buggy.
Is there a fix for the Pixel 10a and 9 Lag issue?
One user-suggested workaround you can try to address the Pixel 10a and 9 lag issue introduced by the Android 17 QPR1 update involves following the steps below:
- Go to Developer Options and navigate to Apps > Background Process Limit.
- Next, change the limit to “at most 4processes” from Standard.
When explaining this workaround, a user noted that the recent update caused ZRAM to fill up to capacity, and the processes are somehow not being altered effectively after apps are not used.
Let’s hope that Google will find a way to provide an official fix when it rolls it out in the upcoming update. We’ll continue to monitor the team. As soon as we find a permanent fix for the Pixel 10a and 9 Lag issue that started after the Android 17 QPR1 update, we’ll let you know.
