Google just dropped a software update that has Pixel owners seeing red, and the backlash is only getting louder by the hour.
The change rolled out quietly to Pixel phones this week, and users are already flooding social media with screenshots of the missing feature.
What was once a bragging right for Pixel loyalists has now become the number one complaint in every Android forum online.
Here's the kicker: Google didn't exactly shout this one from the rooftops.
The feature that Pixel users have been showing off to their iPhone friends for years has been tweaked, moved, or in some cases gutted entirely depending on which model you own.
Early adopters who installed the update are calling it a downgrade, not an upgrade.
Google is trying to convince millions of Americans to ditch their iPhones and Samsung Galaxy devices for the Pixel lineup, and this is the kind of move that sends shoppers straight back to the Apple Store.
Pixel fans are a loyal bunch, but loyalty has limits, and Google just tested every last one of them.
Reddit threads are exploding with angry posts, and the comments read like a support group for betrayed gadget lovers.
Some users say they're rolling back the update, while others are threatening to jump ship to Samsung or OnePlus.
A few are holding out hope that Google will reverse course, which, to be fair, the company has done before when the outcry gets loud enough.
Meanwhile, Google's response has been about as satisfying as a lukewarm cup of coffee.
The company says the change is part of a broader effort to streamline the Pixel experience, which is corporate speak for "we did this on purpose and we're not apologizing." Whether that explanation holds up under pressure remains to be seen.
The bigger question is what this means for the Pixel 10 and whatever Google has cooking for its next big launch.
If the company keeps alienating the very people who evangelize its phones to friends and family, it could be staring down a rough holiday season.
Word of mouth has always been Google's secret weapon, and right now that weapon is pointed squarely back at Mountain View.
Honestly, yes, if you want the best camera software on any Android phone and you love getting updates first.
But this whole mess is a reminder that Google giveth and Google taketh away, sometimes in the same update.
If you're eyeing a Pixel right now, maybe wait a few weeks and see how this shakes out.
Final Thoughts
Nothing stings like buying a phone and losing your favorite feature before the return window closes.