A video of a tense scene from Alien is crashing some Pixels. Extra spooky.
A specific YouTube video is causing some Pixel phones to crash, as reported by Android Authority. When those who are affected by the problem try to watch the video, their phone instantly reboots. Some, including Android Authority, have also said their phones present cellular network issues afterward. (Android Authority said those issues were fixed after another reboot.)
In a Reddit thread, some users report running into the issue with their Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, and Pixel 6A phones, and one Verge staffer’s Pixel 6 crashed when they tried to watch the video. However, the issue doesn’t seem to be affecting everyone; Android expert Mishaal Rahman says it didn’t crash his Pixel 6 Pro, while others in the Reddit thread say their Pixels can watch the video as well.
The video itself, which is two years old, is a scene from the classic sci-fi horror film Alien that’s available in 4K HDR. While we don’t recommend watching it if you’re on one of the potentially affected phones, here is the link to the video. It’s unclear what’s causing the crash, and we’ve reached out to Google for comment. However, some have speculated it comes down to the way the Pixels handle color, which is what apparently caused a certain wallpaper to crash some Android phones.
