Several Pixel users have recently voiced concerns regarding significant battery drain and overheating problems with their phones. The issue initially came to light when an Engadget reader reported it, prompting further complaints from Pixel users on Reddit and Google’s support forums.
One Reddit user stated, “Since yesterday, both my Pixel 6 Pro and my wife’s Pixel 6 have been overheating and draining battery excessively, even when idle. It’s not just warm; it’s HOT. We’re losing 20% of battery in under an hour without even using the phone.”
Another Pixel 6a user mentioned, “The screen time has been reduced to around 3 hours from the usual 6 hours.”
These issues are not exclusive to the Pixel 6 series, as users of Pixel 7 and 7 Pro models have also reported similar overheating and battery drain problems.
The root cause appears to be a recent update to the Google app. Many affected users have noticed that the Battery Usage menu on their Pixel devices identifies the Google app as the primary culprit responsible for excessive battery consumption.
A concerned Reddit user expressed, “Aside from the battery not lasting, the phone is getting uncomfortably warm, indicating potential harm to both the battery and the CPU.”
Those who have sought assistance from Google support have had limited success in finding a solution. The suggested troubleshooting steps, as well as rolling back to an older version of the Google app or performing a factory reset, have proven ineffective.
Recently, a user updated their phone with version 14.16.30.28 and expressed cautious optimism, stating, “Let’s see how this goes,” while confirming that wireless charging is still functional.
While it remains uncertain if the issue affects the recently released Pixel 7a and as of now, Google has not released an official statement regarding these issues.
Update: Google has started rolling out a server-side update to fix the issue.