Your Google Pixel Comes With a Secret Diagnostic Mode

Credit: Lifehacker

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I've been using Pixel phones every day for several years at this point, so I thought I'd discovered every secret menu and hidden feature these Google handsets have to offer—but it turns out I was wrong.

Make Use Of enlightened me about the diagnostic tool built into Google Pixels, hidden away behind the number pad of the phone app. Its official name is the Pixel Repair Diagnostics App, and according to Google, it's built into every Pixel phone and tablet. It gives you a dashboard for testing just about every part of your phone's setup, from Bluetooth connections to camera sensors.

To get to the diagnostics tool, open up the Phone app on your Pixel, switch to the Keypad screen, then type *#*#7287#*#*. You'll be asked if you have reliable wifi, so press Confirm, and you'll get into the app proper—with the screen brightness ramped right up.

You can choose to work through these diagnostic tests individually, run related tests together via the Check Group options, or test everything via the Start Test button that appears at the top. The three-dot menu up in the top-right corner gives you access to results for tests that have already been run.

There's a lot to work through here: The Visual group alone includes tests for Physical Damage, Display Defects, Backglass Defects, and Camera Defects. Each test differs in terms of what you need to do—so for Physical Damage it's simply a case of checking around your phone, whereas for WiFi the phone will itself try and get online and see if the connection is stable.

Some diagnostics require more interaction

Some of these tests require more interaction than others. For Light Sensor for example, you'll be asked to cover your phone's light sensor with your hand (it's usually up at the top of the screen next to the selfie camera) while a reading is taken. For Gyroscope, you need to move your phone in a figure-of-8 pattern.

When it comes to Display under Screen, you get shown a series of images—some solid colors, others with writing on them—so you can carefully examine the screen and look for any inconsistencies or defects. It's then up to you to either choose Pass or Fail.

Also under the Screen heading there's Touch Panel, a test that tasks you with performing various taps and swipes—one of the actions you have to do is use three fingers to drag some colored balls down the screen. The aim is to make sure every part of the display remains responsive.

For Microphone under Audio, your phone will play a little jingle and attempt to record it through all of the mics your phone has, at the same time. Each microphone recording is then played back, and it's up to you to confirm that they all worked.

The Front Camera and Rear Camera tests under Camera are particularly useful, because they test each individual camera in turn by capturing photos and videos from them—so if your phone has three cameras around the back that are normally used in unison, you can separate and test them all individually.

This is a useful tool to turn to whenever you think something might be broken on your phone—and if there's a problem, it will tell you where the problem lies. You can quit the app like any other, with a swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or by pressing the home button, if you're using button navigation).