New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….
Original story (published on November 10, 2020) follows:
The latest smartphone offering from Google hasn’t exactly been short of issues. There are now recent reports suggesting call drop and SMS issues on the Google Pixel 5, mainly on the Mint Mobile carrier network.
Given the number of complaints, the problems do seem pretty widespread, especially for Mint Mobile users.
There have been instances of such reports on official Pixel Phone forums as well as the Mint Mobile subreddit.
Users facing the issue say that they are unable to make calls at all. Upon trying to do so, they instantly get a “Call ended” notification. Moreover, SMS are getting delayed. Sometimes by hours.
Now, Mint is what’s considered an MVNO, which is short for mobile virtual network operator. MVNOs operate on the infrastructure of existing networks. In this case, the network is T-Mobile.
However, there haven’t been any reports by T-Mobile users for the same, so the issue could be linked to Mint alone.
Additionally, the problem doesn’t seem to be affecting other phones making use of Mint network. This could mean 2 things – either there’s something faulty with Mint’s 5G or something wrong with the Google Pixel 5.
If it’s the latter, then it’s possible that the device is somehow lacking optimized software support for Mint Mobile.
It is worth noting, though, that there have been a couple of reports from Ting Mobile as well.
Worry not if you face the above issue, for we have found a workaround for you.
Workaround for Pixel 5 call drop & SMS issues
The above can be performed by heading over to Settings > Network & internet > Mobile network > Calling on your Pixel device.
Additionally, if that doesn’t work for you, you can try switching to LTE from 5G. An option for the same is present in the above-mentioned menu but under “Preferred network type”.
If the problem still persists, then you may not need to face it for much longer as the issue has already been escalated.
That being said, let us know in the comments below if the above workarounds worked for the Pixel 5 call drop and SMS issues.
Also be sure to check out our other 5G related story on the Google Pixel 5 which may help. And if you are facing battery drainage issues, then click here for fixes.
Update 1 (November 18)
IST 07:05 pm: Mint Mobile’s co-founder has responded to a user’s complaint regarding the calls and SMS messages issues by stating that the carrier is working on a fix for the issue along with Google.
Update 2 (November 25)
IST 03:50 pm: Google has pushed a fix to all Mint mobile subscribers to fix the call and SMS issue on the Pixel 5 according to Mint Mobile’s co-founder on Reddit.
However, several Pixel 5 owners have claimed that they have not yet received any update on the Reddit thread where Mint Mobile’s co-founder posted the news.
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