Gmail Reply Bug Hits Pixel Users, Keyboard Refuses to Appear

A bug in the Gmail app is preventing some Pixel users from replying to emails because the keyboard does not appear when they tap the reply field.

According to user reports on Reddit, the issue has been appearing over the past 24 hours. Google has not yet acknowledged the problem.

The bug seems to be limited to Pixel phones and is not associated with a specific Gmail version or Android build. The issue has been confirmed on a Pixel 8 Pro running the stable Android 17 update.

What Pixel Users Are Seeing and Known Workarounds

When replying to an email in the Gmail app, users affected by the issue see AI-suggested autocomplete options and 'Help me write' suggestions at the bottom of the screen.

However, tapping the cursor in the reply field does not bring up Gboard or any other keyboard, preventing users from typing a response.

The bug has so far been tested on Galaxy S23 Ultra and Vivo X300 Ultra devices, where it does not occur, indicating that it appears to be specific to Pixel devices.

Several solutions have been identified that can temporarily restore keyboard functionality:

1. Enable auto-rotate and switch the phone to landscape mode. The keyboard should appear, after which you can rotate back to portrait and continue typing.
2. Attach an image to the email and then return to the editor; this may also prompt the keyboard to appear.
3. Restarting the phone is another option. You can also clear the Gmail app cache by going to Settings, Apps, Gmail, Storage and cache, then selecting Clear cache.
4. Force closing Gmail through Settings, Apps, Gmail, and tapping Force stop can help as well.

For users unable to get any workaround to work, switching to an alternative email client such as Outlook, Spark, or Proton Mail may be a temporary solution while Google works on a fix.

What This Gmail Bug Likely Means

Gmail is among Google's most popular Android apps, and a bug that prevents basic email replies on Pixel devices is a notable issue.

The sudden appearance of this problem without an obvious recent update suggests the cause might be related to a server-side rollout or an A/B test rather than a client-side bug, though this has not been confirmed.

Google has not provided a timeline for a fix. Users affected by the bug should expect a server-side or app update soon.

Until then, the listed workarounds remain the most reliable way to reply to emails on affected Pixel devices.