Pixel 6 Magic Eraser is broken, it's not just you
Users on Reddit have just reported that the Google Pixel 6 series line is currently experiencing a new bug. Using the Magic Eraser tool causes the entire Photos app to crash, and so far, there seems to be no way to fix the issue. It's likely that the problem started alongside the recent software update, which some users claim to have downloaded in the first days of February 2022.
Magic Eraser is a feature that lets you quickly erase unwanted people or objects from photos, including ones that weren't taken with the Pixel 6. Google must have spent a fair amount of money marketing the Magic Eraser as a new functionality of the Pixel 6 series, teaming up with Magic Johnson for a YouTube video demonstrating the feature. Unfortunately, the Magic Eraser has had a rocky start. As reported by The Verge, a previous bug actually briefly deleted the Magic Eraser tool entirely.
Many of us have heard the dreaded "it's not you, it's me," but when it comes to the latest Google Pixel 6 bug, it's comforting to know that it's currently happening to everyone. As is often the case with software or hardware problems, people turn to the internet to try to find a fix, and the Reddit thread is full of suggestions. So far, it seems that no one has had any luck with fixing the Pixel Magic Eraser problem.
How to avoid the Magic Eraser bug
First reported on February 3, 2022, the bug seems to have hit most users of Google Pixel 6 and Google Pixel 6 Pro phones. It seems to be tied with a recent software update, as some users who haven't downloaded the patch are still unaffected. Since the bug was first discovered, multiple Reddit and Twitter threads started popping up, filled with people searching for solutions.
As seen on Twitter, some users reached out directly to Google to complain about the problem. Google hasn't provided much of a response yet beyond a generic suggestion to contact the support team. In the meantime, users suggested fixes such as rebooting the phone or trying to start it in safe mode, but it seems that the problem runs deeper than can be fixed through simple troubleshooting.
If your Google Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro has been hit by this bug, it's best not to worry — Google is likely to roll out an update and fix this problem soon enough. However, if your phone still remains unaffected, you might want to consider temporarily disabling automatic updates for the Google Photos app in order to wait it out. You can do this by opening the Google Play Store, searching for Google Photos, and tapping the three little dots in the top-right corner. Simply uncheck automatic updates to disable them for the time being.