Google sends out Android software update to fix Nexus 7 touchscreen glitch

By Andy Boxall August 23, 2013

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The Nexus 7 may have only been on sale for a short time, but online forums have been awash with complaints from users regarding the touchscreen’s poor performance, with the new slate being plagued by phantom key presses, mutlitouch problems, and erratic keyboard taps. Thankfully, Google has been paying attention and has come up with a speedy fix, which doesn’t include taking the device back to the retailer.

News came from Google community manager Paul Wilcox, who posted on a particularly packed Google product forum that a software update has been sent out to fix the issue. He said, “There’s a new system update that’s started rolling out for your Nexus 7s. This update does address the touchscreen issues … please let us know how it’s going after you’ve received and installed the update.”

This was posted yesterday, so it’s still early days for the update, but according to some posts it has started to arrive. As for its effectiveness, it’s a mixed bag, with some saying the problems still exist, but most are happily reporting it’s a vast improvement. If you’re looking out for the update, then the magic Android 4.3 version number is JSS15Q.

This is not only good news for owners of the Nexus 7, but also for prospective owners of the tablet in the UK, where it goes on sale next week. Those who’re ready to pre-order it or are hoping to pick one up in a store from August 28, will be relieved to know a fix is on its way.

While the multitouch fault has attracted the majority of the attention, it’s not the only issue with the 2013 Nexus 7 owners are reporting. We’ve catalogued the most common ones here, and have a selection of solutions and workarounds to make life with the Nexus 7 more bearable, at least until Google gets around to fixing them.

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Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…

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