Numerous users, particularly those with Samsung devices, have encountered screen flickering issues while using the Gmail app. Some individuals have reported text disappearing or being replaced by blank white boxes, making it challenging to read or compose emails.
To express their frustration, Gmail users have turned to social media platforms to voice their concerns. For instance, one user named Jeremiah tweeted directly to Gmail, expressing disappointment with the ongoing flickering problem on his Samsung Fold device.
Similar grievances have surfaced on Google’s support forums, with users detailing their struggles with the flickering screen making email reading impossible despite attempted solutions like force-stopping the app, clearing the cache, and device restarts.
Google’s product expert, Kimiya Kitani, attributed the problem to Android System WebView, a crucial component enabling apps to display web content internally. Kitani mentioned that certain devices, including Samsung tablets, are experiencing intermittent issues related to Android System WebView, which has been escalated to Google for resolution.
Although the exact number of affected users remains uncertain, reports indicate that Samsung foldable devices like the Galaxy Z Fold series and specific Galaxy tablets are among the most impacted. In the interim, a temporary workaround suggested by Kitani involves rotating the device to mitigate the flickering problem.
The workaround is relatively simple: opening emails in portrait mode, rotating the device to landscape mode until the screen stabilizes, and then switching back to portrait mode. This solution offers a temporary fix while users await a permanent resolution from Google.