I get the robot complaint when I use my Google voice app for calls on my moto, especially on wifi calls. Might be something deeper at Google than just the Pixel.
unlikely. Two different technologies. Google Voice uses data and is akin to a skype/zoom call. The actual phone on the Pixel is a traditional phone using the cellular network. Yes, modern networks all use voip based voice over LTE calling, but it's still a different technology stack.
yeah, and that's one thing I do want to be clear, every OEM has their issues, no one is perfect. I've personally never had a problem with Samsung, but that doesn't mean problems don't exist. If you (the royal you) are happy with a Google phone, that's great, and I hope you enjoy it.
I just personally feel that too many in the Android enthusiast community give google too much of a pass on their phones because they associate google with a "pure" android and that the Pixel line is the kind of Android software. I'm not saying anyone here does this, so please don't think that I am, but there are plenty of people in the Android community who basically gang up on anyone who might say a bad thing about a Pixel device, because how can you hate Google's phone? The reality is that Google is just a middling Android OEM where their biggest advantage is faster software updates than most other OEM's, and that's about it.
This is how I feel about Chromecast. I guess plenty of people were happy with it but mine was a piece of shit that barely functioned as advertised.
Google have had this crazy ability as an OEM to be the only major OEM of recent years to have faults that seem at first like an easy 'fix', only to cause a host of further catastrophic issues for the lifecycle of the device. This is the sort of thing you would expect early Samsung, Sony and LG devices back in the late 00s.
I like my pixel 5a because it's solid so far, the battery at full charge is one day and nine hours, and the camera. The pixel camera and app is just fucking voodoo. Everything looks great and with two kids it'll take something major for me to switch.
I can't speak to launchers because I've used Nova Launcher and Lines Free for like a decade and I couldn't tell you what Android even is supposed to look like because I change everything when I first boot up and I never look back.
I am in the business of saving lives.
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ShadowfireVermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered Userregular
My Pixel 4XL is down to about half a day on a full charge depending on how heavily I'm using the screen. That's not great. I'm going to look into a replacement battery soon, I think.
I'm trying to get 2 Pixel 5a's for me and my wife through Google Fi subscription. The phones are basically half price over the 2 years.
It checks your credit which is fine since our's is excellent but for whatever reason it keeps giving an error that our information is incorrect. A) I can't modify any of the values that they give me without doing a whole separate support ticket, It's all correct anyway, C) Fi support is wholly uncooperative in figuring out the issue. I've confirmed that all my info is correct with Experian, who they pull some info from, and used the clunky support page to make sure my name is correct (it was missing a letter before, now it's fixed but still doesn't work). They keep passing me off to other "teams" who ask the same questions and then pass me off to someone else. Most recently they passed me off and then the new team stopped responding.
Anyone had experience with this? I've never had a single problem with Fi's connection or payments or anything.
I'll give that a shot. She's on my Fi account though so I'm not sure how to go about that. We'll see.
Edit: What I mean to say it's that it has me log in to do the check but when I do that it auto fills my info and I can't change it or start from a blank slate.
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Dhalphirdon't you open that trapdooryou're a fool if you dareRegistered Userregular
edited January 2022
I've still not found a phone I would conceivably replace my OnePlus 6T with. November 2018 until now - I still get ~6% screen on drain per hour, ~0.5% standby drain per hour, charge once every two days and get 6+ hours screen time in that period. It's still quick - not the flawless speed when it was new, but still mostly fine.
The only two things that would make me buy a new phone are a popup camera or no front camera at all - the OnePlus 7 Pro fit the bill, but at the time it came out it was too soon after I bought my 6T to justify another $1k phone, and now buying a 3 year old phone, even a brand new one, seems pointless. And it seems both OnePlus and everyone else have decided a punchhole is close enough to full screen to abandon the effort to go beyond that.
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Ear3nd1lEärendil the Mariner, father of ElrondRegistered Userregular
I'm still getting about a day out of the battery in my 3a, which is amazing to me after nearly three years.
I'm trying to get 2 Pixel 5a's for me and my wife through Google Fi subscription. The phones are basically half price over the 2 years.
It checks your credit which is fine since our's is excellent but for whatever reason it keeps giving an error that our information is incorrect. A) I can't modify any of the values that they give me without doing a whole separate support ticket, It's all correct anyway, C) Fi support is wholly uncooperative in figuring out the issue. I've confirmed that all my info is correct with Experian, who they pull some info from, and used the clunky support page to make sure my name is correct (it was missing a letter before, now it's fixed but still doesn't work). They keep passing me off to other "teams" who ask the same questions and then pass me off to someone else. Most recently they passed me off and then the new team stopped responding.
Anyone had experience with this? I've never had a single problem with Fi's connection or payments or anything.
I haven't run into those issues (I actually haven't financed phones through Fi, just purchased straight out), but I've had terrible support from Google Fi before (absolutely unhelpful and they eventually stop responding).
My late mum's old 2017 era Huawei has developed a swollen battery, I spotted a couple of hours ago. Enough that it had popped the back cover off the phone. Hopefully I can find an e-waste disposal place here that's open on a Sunday and who can maybe even extract the battery but leave me with the phone. Not the best timing.
I've put the phone outside, switched off and where it's safe from weather, in a metal container (an unused and bone-dry watering can) standing on a stone slab. Just to reduce the risk as much as possible. And I'll be calling places in the morning.
Sucks. Another connection with her is slipping away.
ShadowfireVermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered Userregular
Have you already extracted any data that was on the phone? Because as long as you have that days there's no real worry keeping the device itself unless it's just sentimental (which I get). And if you haven't, it's probably not super dangerous to plug the thing in and pull that data real quick. Your risk of something catastrophic happening is greater when the battery is swollen, but it's not like it's guaranteed to happen as soon as you touch it.
My late mum's old 2017 era Huawei has developed a swollen battery, I spotted a couple of hours ago. Enough that it had popped the back cover off the phone. Hopefully I can find an e-waste disposal place here that's open on a Sunday and who can maybe even extract the battery but leave me with the phone. Not the best timing.
I've put the phone outside, switched off and where it's safe from weather, in a metal container (an unused and bone-dry watering can) standing on a stone slab. Just to reduce the risk as much as possible. And I'll be calling places in the morning.
Sucks. Another connection with her is slipping away.
Hmm, could you remove the backplate completely and remove the battery? That way you can just e-waste the battery and keep the phone (by getting a replacement battery to install).
Sorry, forgot to update the thread. The battery was glued in and I was not confident to apply the amount of force it would clearly require to get it out. I did at least manage to unscrew the little cover holding its ribbon cable in place and disconnect the battery from the phone, though.
I managed to book a drop-off slot at a local tip... err, "household waste recycling centre" on Sunday afternoon. A very helpful chap there was able to pry out the battery - using a lot more force than I dared to try before, but then he had things like enough open space, safety glasses and gloves too - and return the phone to me.
So success, I guess!
I think I've got anything relevant off the phone, and I've backed up every photo on mum's Google account.
The whole business ended up costing me half a night's sleep with stress and worry, but I got it sorted out in the end. I've still got to actually get the accounts sorted out but they can wait for another day.
I had a chance encounter with a former Verizon sales rep last week, and we briefly talked phones. He brought up my Z3 cause he saw me do the twist for camera action. This got me thinking about how engrained moto actions are in my phone usage and have me giving the Edge as second look before I jump ship.
Sorry, forgot to update the thread. The battery was glued in and I was not confident to apply the amount of force it would clearly require to get it out. I did at least manage to unscrew the little cover holding its ribbon cable in place and disconnect the battery from the phone, though.
I managed to book a drop-off slot at a local tip... err, "household waste recycling centre" on Sunday afternoon. A very helpful chap there was able to pry out the battery - using a lot more force than I dared to try before, but then he had things like enough open space, safety glasses and gloves too - and return the phone to me.
So success, I guess!
I think I've got anything relevant off the phone, and I've backed up every photo on mum's Google account.
The whole business ended up costing me half a night's sleep with stress and worry, but I got it sorted out in the end. I've still got to actually get the accounts sorted out but they can wait for another day.
Yeah, sorry I should have said it might be easier to get the glue off using a heating pad thing (I use a microwaveable heat thing to take out glued in batteries. Glad that you managed to get it out successfully and save everything.
Trust me, I know how you feel. I still have my Dad's old phone in a drawer here at my desk. Part of it is because AT&T decides to send the 2FA code to it every so often (I think I finally fixed that one) and yeah for nostalgia. I know one day I'll have to pry out the battery and replace it, but by then I hope that I can just let it go.
I've run into an annoying issue that I cannot seem to google my way out of. I have Maps/Navigation set so that it outputs turn-by-turn audio over the phone speakers since I usually listen to the radio in the car. Lately however the phone has stopped obeying the turned off "Play voice over Bluetooth" option and instead will just send the audio to Bluetooth, so I never get any directions unless I set my audio in the car for Bluetooth. I tried removing my car from bluetooth devices and the phone from the car and re-pairing but that didn't do anything. I've tried flipping the option on and then back off to see if that would maybe reset it but that also hasn't worked. I don't want to disable media audio in the phone's bluetooth settings because I do occasionally listen to podcasts in the car and I don't really want to have to mess around turning it on and off whenever I want to do that. Anyone else run into this and got any ideas?
edit: oh yeah, running a Pixel 5a 5G with latest updates, etc. Also I recommend you do not buy the official google phone case as I've now had 2 of the cases have the plastic around the volume buttons deform and not lay flush against the edge of the phone. Pretty annoying for a $30 case!
So Android 12/One UI 4 hit my Galaxy Z Fold 3 a couple days ago.
Some of this I'm sure is a placebo effect but I swear it's fastare/snappier. Part of that is probably some updated animations, but it does feel faster.
Beyond that, new fonts, updated notifications that I'm mostly liking so far, and a couple bits and bobs that are different.
But really, it's android, and its still One UI, all the good, and all the bad.
Multi-window stuff is also improved. That workflow is most definitely faster/more efficent.
Overall, solid update. Not life changing. But We're at the point with these systems that they're so mature there really shouldn't be massive changes year over year.
I've run into an annoying issue that I cannot seem to google my way out of. I have Maps/Navigation set so that it outputs turn-by-turn audio over the phone speakers since I usually listen to the radio in the car. Lately however the phone has stopped obeying the turned off "Play voice over Bluetooth" option and instead will just send the audio to Bluetooth, so I never get any directions unless I set my audio in the car for Bluetooth. I tried removing my car from bluetooth devices and the phone from the car and re-pairing but that didn't do anything. I've tried flipping the option on and then back off to see if that would maybe reset it but that also hasn't worked. I don't want to disable media audio in the phone's bluetooth settings because I do occasionally listen to podcasts in the car and I don't really want to have to mess around turning it on and off whenever I want to do that. Anyone else run into this and got any ideas?
edit: oh yeah, running a Pixel 5a 5G with latest updates, etc. Also I recommend you do not buy the official google phone case as I've now had 2 of the cases have the plastic around the volume buttons deform and not lay flush against the edge of the phone. Pretty annoying for a $30 case!
It's funny that you posted this. My phone had been doing directions through bluetooth and I didn't really think anything of it since I was listening to music that way. But I went into the maps options and, lo and behold, the option to send directions through bluetooth was actually turned off. Who knew.
So Android 12/One UI 4 hit my Galaxy Z Fold 3 a couple days ago.
My Z Flip 3 got it this morning. It feels snappier but like you said it could just be animation changes. Fonts do look a little cleaner though.
Having a much larger brightness slider is nice, sometimes I'll have the brightness fairly low when I'm inside and then I'll go outside and adjusting it can be a pain in the ass when you can barely see the screen. When I left the house earlier it was much easier.
Speaking of cases, my replacement Pixel 5a "official Google" case is having the same issue as the first one, namely the stiff durable plastic that is on the back of the case and around the edges is not present around the power and volume buttons, presumably to keep the soft outer plastic that covers it up more flexible, has started peeling back from the edge of the phone, so it catches on my hand when I'm holding the phone and just looks cheap and terrible. I don't like the case my wife has because it's way too stiff and thick but I'm done trying to reach out to Google support and fight to have yet another replacement sent. Anyone else running the 5a and have good case recommendations? I also need to be able to slip a very thin sheet of metal inside the case so I can use my magnetic car mount (or the case needs to have a metal back that is magnetic, I suppose).
Speaking of cases, my replacement Pixel 5a "official Google" case is having the same issue as the first one, namely the stiff durable plastic that is on the back of the case and around the edges is not present around the power and volume buttons, presumably to keep the soft outer plastic that covers it up more flexible, has started peeling back from the edge of the phone, so it catches on my hand when I'm holding the phone and just looks cheap and terrible. I don't like the case my wife has because it's way too stiff and thick but I'm done trying to reach out to Google support and fight to have yet another replacement sent. Anyone else running the 5a and have good case recommendations? I also need to be able to slip a very thin sheet of metal inside the case so I can use my magnetic car mount (or the case needs to have a metal back that is magnetic, I suppose).
look for cases from Spigen on amazon. they make good stuff.
Speaking of cases, my replacement Pixel 5a "official Google" case is having the same issue as the first one, namely the stiff durable plastic that is on the back of the case and around the edges is not present around the power and volume buttons, presumably to keep the soft outer plastic that covers it up more flexible, has started peeling back from the edge of the phone, so it catches on my hand when I'm holding the phone and just looks cheap and terrible. I don't like the case my wife has because it's way too stiff and thick but I'm done trying to reach out to Google support and fight to have yet another replacement sent. Anyone else running the 5a and have good case recommendations? I also need to be able to slip a very thin sheet of metal inside the case so I can use my magnetic car mount (or the case needs to have a metal back that is magnetic, I suppose).
look for cases from Spigen on amazon. they make good stuff.
That's what I was thinking, my Pixel 3 case was a Spigen and it held up remarkably well for several years and drops.
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ShadowfireVermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered Userregular
Speaking of cases, my replacement Pixel 5a "official Google" case is having the same issue as the first one, namely the stiff durable plastic that is on the back of the case and around the edges is not present around the power and volume buttons, presumably to keep the soft outer plastic that covers it up more flexible, has started peeling back from the edge of the phone, so it catches on my hand when I'm holding the phone and just looks cheap and terrible. I don't like the case my wife has because it's way too stiff and thick but I'm done trying to reach out to Google support and fight to have yet another replacement sent. Anyone else running the 5a and have good case recommendations? I also need to be able to slip a very thin sheet of metal inside the case so I can use my magnetic car mount (or the case needs to have a metal back that is magnetic, I suppose).
look for cases from Spigen on amazon. they make good stuff.
Speaking of cases, my replacement Pixel 5a "official Google" case is having the same issue as the first one, namely the stiff durable plastic that is on the back of the case and around the edges is not present around the power and volume buttons, presumably to keep the soft outer plastic that covers it up more flexible, has started peeling back from the edge of the phone, so it catches on my hand when I'm holding the phone and just looks cheap and terrible. I don't like the case my wife has because it's way too stiff and thick but I'm done trying to reach out to Google support and fight to have yet another replacement sent. Anyone else running the 5a and have good case recommendations? I also need to be able to slip a very thin sheet of metal inside the case so I can use my magnetic car mount (or the case needs to have a metal back that is magnetic, I suppose).
look for cases from Spigen on amazon. they make good stuff.
Speaking of cases, my replacement Pixel 5a "official Google" case is having the same issue as the first one, namely the stiff durable plastic that is on the back of the case and around the edges is not present around the power and volume buttons, presumably to keep the soft outer plastic that covers it up more flexible, has started peeling back from the edge of the phone, so it catches on my hand when I'm holding the phone and just looks cheap and terrible. I don't like the case my wife has because it's way too stiff and thick but I'm done trying to reach out to Google support and fight to have yet another replacement sent. Anyone else running the 5a and have good case recommendations? I also need to be able to slip a very thin sheet of metal inside the case so I can use my magnetic car mount (or the case needs to have a metal back that is magnetic, I suppose).
look for cases from Spigen on amazon. they make good stuff.
Speaking of cases, my replacement Pixel 5a "official Google" case is having the same issue as the first one, namely the stiff durable plastic that is on the back of the case and around the edges is not present around the power and volume buttons, presumably to keep the soft outer plastic that covers it up more flexible, has started peeling back from the edge of the phone, so it catches on my hand when I'm holding the phone and just looks cheap and terrible. I don't like the case my wife has because it's way too stiff and thick but I'm done trying to reach out to Google support and fight to have yet another replacement sent. Anyone else running the 5a and have good case recommendations? I also need to be able to slip a very thin sheet of metal inside the case so I can use my magnetic car mount (or the case needs to have a metal back that is magnetic, I suppose).
look for cases from Spigen on amazon. they make good stuff.
That's what I was thinking, my Pixel 3 case was a Spigen and it held up remarkably well for several years and drops.
My Spigen case has the metal puck for my magnetic mount stuck to the outside. It's been a beast and shows few signs of wear. 3/5 wouldn't change a thing
I've had Spigen cases for my last 4 phones and so have my wife, parents, and 2 brothers. I don't think any of us will ever get anything else. They're great.
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Ear3nd1lEärendil the Mariner, father of ElrondRegistered Userregular
I'll toss my hat in the ring for Spigen as well. Fantastic cases...
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Inquisitor772 x Penny Arcade Fight Club ChampionA fixed point in space and timeRegistered Userregular
Yup. I generally go for cases which have good corner protection without being too bulky, with a kickstand as a plus. Spigen always has a case that fits the bill.
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IanatorGaze upon my works, ye mightyand facepalm.Registered Userregular
edited January 2022
I think the fingerprint sensor on my Moto Z3 is going out. It's repeatedly failing to recognize my thumb. Attempts to make new print profiles constantly result in "Dirty fingerprint sensor" errors despite me both washing my hands and using an alcohol wipe on the sensor.
EDIT: And now it's not even getting past the "shows you where the sensor is" step. It's dead, Jim.
Ianator on
Twitch | Blizzard: Ianator#1479 | 3DS: Ianator - 1779 2336 5317 | FFXIV: Iana Ateliere (NA Sarg) Backlog Challenge List
So, got release notes and an email 2 weeks ago asking me to test a new update to the original Surface duo.
I can now officially tell you the original surface duo is getting android 11 update.
For a device that was supposed to be a game changer for the mobile market, that is pretty pathetic. Even the bad days of Sony android, it wasn't this slow to get an update.
Sounds like Google is being sued by a few states over deceptive practices relating to location information tracking and data retention and consumer inability to opt out fairly over the last 6-7 years.
Sounds like Google is being sued by a few states over deceptive practices relating to location information tracking and data retention and consumer inability to opt out fairly over the last 6-7 years.
Update about Google Fi support purely for your amusement.
In total about 35 messages back and forth answering the same questions over and over and I've made zero progress. It's kinda wild actually how useless this is. The only thing that's changed is that I have been recently transferred to Google Pay support rather than Google Fi. We'll see if that amounts to anything
Posts
I admit this is the first "premium" phone I have used, coming from two Moto Gs, I think, then two pixel 3a
unlikely. Two different technologies. Google Voice uses data and is akin to a skype/zoom call. The actual phone on the Pixel is a traditional phone using the cellular network. Yes, modern networks all use voip based voice over LTE calling, but it's still a different technology stack.
This is how I feel about Chromecast. I guess plenty of people were happy with it but mine was a piece of shit that barely functioned as advertised.
I can't speak to launchers because I've used Nova Launcher and Lines Free for like a decade and I couldn't tell you what Android even is supposed to look like because I change everything when I first boot up and I never look back.
It checks your credit which is fine since our's is excellent but for whatever reason it keeps giving an error that our information is incorrect. A) I can't modify any of the values that they give me without doing a whole separate support ticket,
Anyone had experience with this? I've never had a single problem with Fi's connection or payments or anything.
Edit: What I mean to say it's that it has me log in to do the check but when I do that it auto fills my info and I can't change it or start from a blank slate.
The only two things that would make me buy a new phone are a popup camera or no front camera at all - the OnePlus 7 Pro fit the bill, but at the time it came out it was too soon after I bought my 6T to justify another $1k phone, and now buying a 3 year old phone, even a brand new one, seems pointless. And it seems both OnePlus and everyone else have decided a punchhole is close enough to full screen to abandon the effort to go beyond that.
I haven't run into those issues (I actually haven't financed phones through Fi, just purchased straight out), but I've had terrible support from Google Fi before (absolutely unhelpful and they eventually stop responding).
I've put the phone outside, switched off and where it's safe from weather, in a metal container (an unused and bone-dry watering can) standing on a stone slab. Just to reduce the risk as much as possible. And I'll be calling places in the morning.
Sucks. Another connection with her is slipping away.
Steam | XBL
Hmm, could you remove the backplate completely and remove the battery? That way you can just e-waste the battery and keep the phone (by getting a replacement battery to install).
Steam: betsuni7
I managed to book a drop-off slot at a local tip... err, "household waste recycling centre" on Sunday afternoon. A very helpful chap there was able to pry out the battery - using a lot more force than I dared to try before, but then he had things like enough open space, safety glasses and gloves too - and return the phone to me.
So success, I guess!
I think I've got anything relevant off the phone, and I've backed up every photo on mum's Google account.
The whole business ended up costing me half a night's sleep with stress and worry, but I got it sorted out in the end. I've still got to actually get the accounts sorted out but they can wait for another day.
Steam | XBL
Steam ID: Good Life
Yeah, sorry I should have said it might be easier to get the glue off using a heating pad thing (I use a microwaveable heat thing to take out glued in batteries. Glad that you managed to get it out successfully and save everything.
Trust me, I know how you feel. I still have my Dad's old phone in a drawer here at my desk. Part of it is because AT&T decides to send the 2FA code to it every so often (I think I finally fixed that one) and yeah for nostalgia. I know one day I'll have to pry out the battery and replace it, but by then I hope that I can just let it go.
Steam: betsuni7
edit: oh yeah, running a Pixel 5a 5G with latest updates, etc. Also I recommend you do not buy the official google phone case as I've now had 2 of the cases have the plastic around the volume buttons deform and not lay flush against the edge of the phone. Pretty annoying for a $30 case!
edit #2: okay I found other people having the issue in this support thread, no solution though. Seems to be affecting Pixel 3/4/5 at least. https://support.google.com/maps/thread/145308153/play-voice-over-bluetooth-cannot-be-turned-off-in-navigation-settings?hl=en
Some of this I'm sure is a placebo effect but I swear it's fastare/snappier. Part of that is probably some updated animations, but it does feel faster.
Beyond that, new fonts, updated notifications that I'm mostly liking so far, and a couple bits and bobs that are different.
But really, it's android, and its still One UI, all the good, and all the bad.
Multi-window stuff is also improved. That workflow is most definitely faster/more efficent.
Overall, solid update. Not life changing. But We're at the point with these systems that they're so mature there really shouldn't be massive changes year over year.
It's funny that you posted this. My phone had been doing directions through bluetooth and I didn't really think anything of it since I was listening to music that way. But I went into the maps options and, lo and behold, the option to send directions through bluetooth was actually turned off. Who knew.
Otherwise I've liked their cases.
My Z Flip 3 got it this morning. It feels snappier but like you said it could just be animation changes. Fonts do look a little cleaner though.
Having a much larger brightness slider is nice, sometimes I'll have the brightness fairly low when I'm inside and then I'll go outside and adjusting it can be a pain in the ass when you can barely see the screen. When I left the house earlier it was much easier.
look for cases from Spigen on amazon. they make good stuff.
That's what I was thinking, my Pixel 3 case was a Spigen and it held up remarkably well for several years and drops.
Supcase are also quite good.
Nothin, what's up with you?
you may show yourself out.
My Spigen case has the metal puck for my magnetic mount stuck to the outside. It's been a beast and shows few signs of wear. 3/5 wouldn't change a thing
EDIT: And now it's not even getting past the "shows you where the sensor is" step. It's dead, Jim.
Twitch | Blizzard: Ianator#1479 | 3DS: Ianator - 1779 2336 5317 | FFXIV: Iana Ateliere (NA Sarg)
Backlog Challenge List
I can now officially tell you the original surface duo is getting android 11 update.
For a device that was supposed to be a game changer for the mobile market, that is pretty pathetic. Even the bad days of Sony android, it wasn't this slow to get an update.
So... it's Tuesday?
GD, Google. Between that and hiding the wireless toggle, you've completely stopped pretending.
In total about 35 messages back and forth answering the same questions over and over and I've made zero progress. It's kinda wild actually how useless this is. The only thing that's changed is that I have been recently transferred to Google Pay support rather than Google Fi. We'll see if that amounts to anything