Google has announced plans to introduce “robust open/close detection” in Android 16, a feature designed to prevent interference from magnetic accessories on foldables like the Pixel Fold and Pixel 9 Pro Fold. This new setting aims to improve the accuracy of the devices’ state detection, which can be disrupted by third-party magnets or other metal objects.
As reported by some users, placing a magnet near the folded device’s back can temporarily turn off the screen. To address this issue, Google is working on a solution that will leverage additional hardware to reduce interference and false positives.
The new setting is expected to be enabled via a notification from Pixel System Service, but as of Beta 2, it is not yet available in the Settings app. However, users who receive this notification can enable the feature to improve their device’s performance.
Google has also released several other features in Android 16 Beta 2, including changes to temperature and measurement units, a new “Switch users” widget on Pixel devices, and a power button shortcut for Google Wallet.
Source: https://9to5google.com/2025/02/14/android-16-pixel-fold-open-close-detection