Switching from Pixel to Galaxy Z Fold 7: A Major Letdown Over This Broken Feature

“`html

News">
August 17,2025

Pixel Loyalist makes the Switch: Samsung‘s Hardware Shines,But One Android Flaw Remains

For Years,a Pixel Smartphone has been the daily driver for many tech enthusiasts,prized for its streamlined experience and timely updates. However, the appeal of Samsung’s foldable devices proved too strong to resist, leading one long-time Pixel user to transition to the Galaxy Z Fold 7. While impressed by the hardware and software improvements, a critical Android feature continues to be a source of frustration.

Samsung’s One UI Closing the gap

The distinction between Android experiences on pixel and Galaxy devices has historically been meaningful. Pixel phones often boast features like Call Screen, a clean interface, and swift software updates. However, recent advancements in Samsung’s One UI have dramatically narrowed this gap. Specifically, updates in One UI 7 and 8 have refined the design and layout, creating a more user-friendly experience.

This enhancement, coupled with Samsung’s consistently high-quality hardware, has made Galaxy devices incredibly compelling. The reviewer found themselves less reliant on Pixel-exclusive features while testing the Galaxy S25 Ultra and subsequently the Galaxy Z Fold 7. The hardware upgrades of the Z Fold 7 ultimately sealed the deal, resulting in a seamless transition away from the Pixel ecosystem.

The Lingering Issue: A Broken Notification History

Despite the overall positive experience, a persistent issue continues to plague the user: Android’s notification history. While present, the feature is deeply buried within the settings menu-requiring navigation through four layers. More critically, the functionality is broken; tapping a historical notification merely opens the associated app, rather than revealing the original notification’s content.

This flaw undermines the entire purpose of notification history, which is to provide easy access to past details. Google has significantly improved accessibility to this feature in Android 16, integrating it into the redesigned notification tray. However, samsung has yet to address this issue despite multiple Android updates. Some users may not find this critical, but for those who rely on it, Samsung’s inaction is incredibly frustrating.

Adding to the frustration, Samsung defaults to disabling notification categories, a counterintuitive choice for a platform that touts extensive customization options. This mirrors a pattern of Samsung withholding features from users simply as they haven’t explicitly requested them.

Pixel 10 and Calling Card Rollouts

As Google prepares for its highly anticipated Pixel 10 event on Wednesday,last-minute leaks are surfacing. Simultaneously, Google is rolling out a new feature-customizable “Calling Cards”-to the Phone app, allowing users to personalize information displayed to their contacts during calls.

Is the app continuity issue a widespread problem affecting moast Galaxy Z Fold 7 users, or is it limited to a smaller subset of devices/users?

For years, Pixel phones have been the darlings of android enthusiasts, lauded for their clean software, extraordinary cameras, and timely updates. The allure of a foldable, though, proved too strong for manny, leading to a switch to the highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7. But for a growing number of former Pixel users, that switch has been marred by a critically important disappointment: the consistently unreliable and frequently enough broken app continuity between the cover screen and the unfolded display.

The Promise of Seamless Multitasking: Foldable’s Core Appeal

The Galaxy Z Fold series, and foldable phones in general, hinge on the promise of a seamless multitasking experience. The ability to start a task on the compact cover screen and then effortlessly continue it on the expansive main display is the defining feature. It’s why people are willing to pay a premium for this technology. Pixel users,accustomed to smooth Android performance and intuitive features,expected nothing less from the Z Fold 7. Unfortunately, reality hasn’t matched the hype.

App Continuity Issues: A Deep Dive

The core problem isn’t a complete lack of app continuity; it’s the inconsistency. Here’s a breakdown of the issues users are reporting:

App Re-launches: Instead of seamlessly transitioning, many apps simply re-launch when unfolding the device. this means losing your place, unsaved progress, and the frustration of waiting for the app to load again. This is notably problematic with complex apps like video editors, games, and note-taking applications.

Incorrect Scaling: Even when apps do continue,they often don’t scale correctly to the larger screen. You’re left with a tiny, unusable window in the middle of a vast display, requiring manual resizing.

Compatibility Problems: Certain apps, particularly those not specifically optimized for foldable devices, flat-out refuse to cooperate. They either crash upon unfolding or remain stuck on the cover screen.

Third-Party Launcher Conflicts: Users employing custom launchers (a common practice among Pixel enthusiasts) are reporting even more frequent and severe app continuity failures. Nova Launcher, Action Launcher, and others seem to exacerbate the problem.

Samsung’s software patch History: while Samsung has released several software updates aimed at addressing these issues, the fixes have been largely ineffective. many users report that the problems persist even after installing the latest updates.

Why Pixel Users Are Particularly Disappointed

Pixel phones excel at software optimization. Google’s tight control over both hardware and software results in a remarkably fluid and reliable user experience. Pixel users are accustomed to apps behaving predictably and consistently.The Z Fold 7’s app continuity issues represent a significant step down in usability for these users. they traded a polished experience for a foldable form factor, and the trade-off hasn’t been worth it for many.

Real-World Examples & User Reports

Online forums like Reddit (r/GalaxyZFold, r/Android) and Samsung’s own community forums are flooded with complaints. Here are a few representative examples:

Video Editing: A user attempting to edit a 4K video in PowerDirector reported the app consistently re-launched upon unfolding, losing several minutes of work each time.

Gaming: Gamers playing graphically intensive titles like Genshin Impact experienced frequent crashes and re-launches, rendering the foldable form factor useless for gaming on the go.

Note-Taking: Users of Samsung Notes and OneNote reported issues with the app not remembering their last scroll position when switching between screens.

Workarounds and Potential Solutions (Limited Success)

While a definitive fix remains elusive,here are some workarounds users have attempted:

App Pairings: Utilizing Samsung’s App Pair feature to launch apps in split-screen mode can sometimes mitigate the issue,but it’s a clunky workaround.

Lab Features: Experimenting with experimental features in the settings (if available) might improve compatibility, but these features are often unstable.

Factory Reset: A drastic measure, but some users have reported temporary improvements after performing a factory reset. However, the issues typically return after a few days of use.

Stick to Samsung Apps: Ironically, samsung’s own apps (like Samsung Internet and Gallery) tend to exhibit better app continuity than third-party alternatives.

* Disable/Change Launcher: Switching back to the One UI launcher, or trying a different, less-aggressive custom launcher, can sometimes help.

The Impact on Foldable adoption

This broken feature isn’t just frustrating