The December security patch introduced a handful of new features for the Pixel lineup. However, it appears to include a small Pixel Launcher bug where app icons randomly disappear from the homescreen.
Over the past month, some users have noticed apps go missing from the Pixel Launcher. The actual icon is what disappears, thus letting the background wallpaper shine through. Oddly, the app name remains visible.
This Pixel Launcher bug is slightly more daunting in the Favorites tray where there’s no label, and it looks as if the app was entirely deleted.
At the end of the day, the Pixel Launcher missing app icons is really only a visual nuisance. Tapping the blank space immediately loads the icon and launches the app. It might be annoying for recent additions, but most people have their homescreens memorized.
There is no real pattern to when icons disappear from the Pixel Launcher, and the bug could be related to the opening animation. It cannot be reliably replicated, but usually befalls a recently used application. That said, I’ve personally had at least two apps go missing at the same time.
I’ve encountered it on a Pixel 4 and Pixel 3a in the last month, while there are also reports on a Pixel 2 XL. All are running Android 10 on the December security patch. The issue does not appear to be particularly widespread, but those that have the problem are encountering it frequently across restarts. Hopefully, it gets resolved in this month’s update.
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