You can get the three-button navigation bar back on Android by opening Settings and selecting 3-button Navigation under ...

If you've upgraded your Pixel to Android 16 already, you may be having the same problem as me: inconsistent back button performance. As frustrating as this is, there is a fix on the way, and it's ...

If you're still affected, you can fix the issue by switching to button navigation in your phone's settings, restarting your device, then switching back to gesture navigation.