Why does my pixel reject calls when I remove phone from my pocket?

[Android Central Question]

My Pixel 2 since new several months ago will sometimes reject incoming calls when I remove my phone from my pocket. If I turn the phone upside down it will answer the calls when I remove the phone from my pocket. After dealing with Google for 2 weeks help center, trying everything from removing the screen protector to removing the case protector, they finally replaced my phone with a brand new one saying my phone was defective.
I have only had my new phone for 5 days and it is doing the same thing as the old one. It thinks I am sliding the screen when I remove it and I keep hanging up on people before I even know who it was that called.
Is there a way to change the slide to answer it or a way to work around this? Other than this issue it is the best phone I have ever had.

 

[hallux]

Does your screen face your leg when it's in your pocket? It might be sensing touch through the pocket and removal of the phone from the pocket is dragging in the right spot to act on the call screen.

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[Bobby Vance]

Thanks for the reply, I did register. I carry the phone in my shirt pocket with the screen facing my chest. I agree with your diagnosis. If there was a way to change the way it is answered like, sliding sideways or pushing a button, I think it would be fine.

 

[Rukbat]

Unfortunately, there is no way of changing that - just an answer button and a reject button. And carrying the phone turned the other way endangers the screen more - I'd rather my phone got hit on the back than on the screen. (I carry mine in an Otterbox holster, so I don't have your problem.)

 

[Bobby Vance]

I wish there was an app to change some settings like this.

 

[hallux]

I wish there was an app to change some settings like this.

The challenge is that the phone app is considered a "system" app and can't be modified without root access. Just because I suggest that does not mean that I'm aware of one that does this.

 

[Bobby Vance]

I actually use my phone for work business and my employer pays me a fee each payday to do so. I'm facility maintenance and I get calls all day for various reasons, and It is just frustrating to have my boss keep telling me to buy a real phone because I keep hanging up on him when he calls me. Now other people are seeing the issues I'm having and asking what kind of phone I'm using because they want to make sure they don't get one for themselves. I bought a flip cover to stop the problem and although it works it is a real pain to use. I bought the Pixel 2 because it was a couple hundred dollars cheaper, (you get what you pay for). I'm at a point that I'm probably going to write the phone off as a mistake and a bad investment and just buy a Samsung again.

 

[GSDer]

Perhaps a better solution would be a case/holster combination? That's what I use for work and I've never had a problem like you describe.

 

[Bobby Vance]

I've had a couple case holder/holsters on my S7 and I forgot to take it off when I sat down and it busted the pivot on both of them. While it lasted it did work just fine on the s7 though.

 

[hallux]

I put my Pixel 2 XL in my front pants pocket or my short pocket (depending on my mood) and don't recall any such issues. Maybe your shirts are thinner than mine (I also usually wear an undershirt so that may have an impact).

 

[Bobby Vance]

I put the phone in a drawer and put my sim card back in my S7. Thanks to all for help and advice.

 

[J Dubbs]

I use a Bluetooth earpiece pretty much all the time, so my phones never leave my pocket anymore, and I've never experienced any accidental hang ups. I know that won't work for everyone, but it might be an option.

 

[Bobby Vance]

I've been in communication with Google support again and they are going to exchange the phone again. Am I wasting my time getting a third phone or is there an outside chance that the new phone might actually be right this time?

 

[GSDer]

Am I wasting my time getting a third phone or is there an outside chance that the new phone might actually be right this time?

You're wasting your time.
Judging by the thread you've already determined that when you drag the phone out of your pocket when a call is coming in it sometimes inadvertently activates either the accept/reject swipe action as it presses against your shirt. Either change your behavior (get a case/holster; get a smartwatch where you can accept/decline without having to remove the phone from your pocket; etc), go back to whatever earlier phone didn't behave in this manner, or live with the random occurrences (and continue to provide feedback directly to Google about your displeasure with their design/implementation).

 

[Bobby Vance]

That's what I figured. They are sending me a shipping container and want me to be without a phone for 5-10 days while they wait for mine to get there and than send me another phone. I think it's great that they will patronize me but why continue to waste time.