Easy Guide: Better open/close sensing for Pixel 9 Pro Fold

Foldable phones use special sensors to know if they are open or closed. Sometimes, things like magnetic accessories can mess this up. With the upcoming Android 16 update, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold might get a new feature called “better open/close sensing.”

In the second beta version of Android 16, one user got a message saying, “Turn on better open/close sensing: If you have a magnetic accessory, turn on this setting. It helps your Pixel Fold tell better if it’s open or shut.”

The message came with a button to “Turn on,” hinting that there will be a new option in the phone’s settings. However, this option wasn’t visible yet in the beta version. It’s a bit like when they first added the feature to limit battery charging to 80%.

Owners of the Pixel Fold and Pixel 9 Pro Fold have found that sticking magnets, like those from MagSafe rings, on the back of their closed phones can cause the screen to go off for a bit. This happens because these phones use magnets inside to check whether they’re open or closed, and accessories can confuse this system.

Google seems to be working on a fix with “better open/close sensing.” It’s not totally clear what else they’re using to make this work better and avoid mistakes. Hopefully, this update will also come to the first Pixel Fold.