Pixel Private Space bug: switching dark mode unhides it

What is Pixel's Private Space?

Private Space is a locked sandbox inside your phone, where you can keep apps, folders and files away from prying eyes. It normally sits at the bottom of the app drawer. You can also hide it completely, so that someone casually browsing your phone wouldn't know you had set one up. That hiding is exactly what breaks.

How does the bug trigger?

Switching between light and dark mode brings the hidden section back into the app drawer. You don't even have to do it yourself. If your phone changes theme automatically in the morning and evening, Private Space could show up without you noticing.

For many people that's a shrug. For a parent whose kids sometimes borrow the phone, it could matter, though the space itself stays locked and, in the scenario described, a child would need to know your passcode to get in.

Has Google fixed it?

Not yet. A related report on Google's Issue Tracker was marked as fixed, but it doesn't mention light and dark mode. Another report describes Private Space randomly appearing even after being hidden. Google acknowledged that one, with an engineer writing that the report had been passed to the development team and would be updated when more information is available. The two issues may be connected, especially given automatic theme changes.

It's unclear whether Google knows about the exact trigger. Android Authority has asked the company whether a fix is coming. Until then, the only workaround implied is avoiding theme switches, which is awkward if yours is on a schedule.