Google fixes long-standing Netflix bug in Feature Drop update

By Peter Hunt Szpytek March 9, 2022

The latest Google Pixel Feature Drop introduced plenty of new flashy features for the devices and provided a fix for an issue that a number of users have experienced for nearly a year. For quite a while, some Pixel owners have been reporting issues with their phone’s Widevine L1 status falling to L3, barring them from streaming DRM-protected content at high resolutions. With this week’s Feature Drop, the problem has finally been fixed.

Google has confirmed that the issue should no longer affect Pixel owners, which is good news, though the fix has come a little late. Google announced that it was aware of the problem in April 2021 when users began reporting it and that the company was looking to address it soon. Following the announcement, however, there wasn’t any news from Google about a potential fix until now.

Alongside other things added in the Android 12L Feature Drop like Live Captions and Interpreter Mode, all Pixel owners should now be able to stream content from apps like Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max in HD with no issue. Although the update notes don’t explicitly say it, users are able to see that the Widevine security level is back up to L1 in the Playback Specification tab in their Netflix app.

While the patch comes as a welcome surprise, there was some indication that it would be coming in the March update from Android 12L beta testers who reported that the software had fixed the issue.

Even if you’re not sure if your device has been affected by the long-standing bug, it’s not a bad idea to check to make sure that your Pixel is up to date with the latest software update.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Peter Hunt Szpytek

Mobile Writer

A podcast host and journalist, Peter covers mobile news with Digital Trends and gaming news, reviews, and guides for sites…

Mobile

Learn 14 languages: Get $449 off a lifetime subscription to Babbel

A person using the Babbel app on their smartphone.

Learning a new language no longer requires you to make time for formal classes because there are now several language learning apps that you can tap. One of them is Babbel, and you can currently get a lifetime subscription to the online learning platform for only $150 from StackSocial. That's $449 off its original price of $599, but we don't know how much time is remaining before the offer expires. If you want to take advantage of the 74% discount, it's highly recommended that you complete the transaction immediately.

Why you should buy the Babbel lifetime subscription
A lifetime subscription to Babbel not only unlocks the possibility of learning one or two new languages, as the platform encompasses a total of 14 languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Swedish, Turkish, Dutch, Polish, Indonesia, Norwegian, Danish, and Russian. You'll be learning your new language of choice with lessons that only take 10 minutes to 15 minutes each to complete, so unlike classes with a rigid schedule, you can learn at your own pace and at any time you're free through Babbel. The lessons cover real-life topics, and they use speech recognition technology to help you master pronunciation. You'll then test yourself through personalized review sessions that will help make sure that you retain all the information that's being taught to you.

Mobile

This one Apple Fitness feature completely changed how I exercise

Someone holding an iPhone with the Apple Fitness app open, showing the Custom Plans feature.

I have a confession to make: I'm not good at sticking to a workout routine. I love running, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), strength training, etc. In the moment of those exercises and in the post-workout euphoria, I feel amazing. But when it comes to waking up early in the morning to do these things before work? Well, that's where I really struggle.

This has been a problem for a while now. I go to bed with the goal of waking up early and going to the gym, but as I groggily open my eyes to snooze the alarm on my iPhone 15 Pro Max, I end up falling back asleep. And I've been repeating this over and over and over again.

Mobile

You can pick up the Google Pixel 7 Pro for only $500 today

The Pixel 7 Pro with its display turned on, showing the home screen.

If you've been holding out on buying a new phone for a while because prices are still expensive, then you may want to consider going for one of the older flagship phones. For example, while the Pixel 8 Pro is out, the Pixel 7 Pro is still a powerful and viable alternative, and even better, it has quite a few great deals on it. In fact, you can buy a brand new and sealed Pixel 7 Pro from Woot for just $500, rather than the usual $1,100, and that's for the 512GB version of the phone, so you get a lot of storage with it as well.