Google Explains Sudden Battery Drain Issue On Android Devices And Issues A Fix
Yesterday we reported on a growing issue of some Pixel 6 and 7 devices experiencing high battery usage and overheating, which seemed linked to the Google app after the latest May 2023 security update.
Affected phones were either getting warm or even hot to the touch while idle and off the charger, while seeing battery life plunging as much as 20% per hour, also while idle.
A few users on Reddit and Google Support Forums dug deeper to find the Google app as the prime suspect. Rolling back on previous versions of the app didn't help, which led many to suspect that it was potentially a server-side fault.
Well, Pixel owners didn't have to wait long for confirmation. Google just issued a statement addressing this issue, saying the errant Google app is indeed the culprit. Google also stated a fix is rolling out over the coming days. Since it's a server-side fix, no action on the part of Pixel owners is required.
"A recent Google app backend change unintentionally resulted in a subset of Android devices experiencing accelerated battery drain. We rolled out a fix shortly after becoming aware of the issue, and impacted users should see their devices return to normal behavior immediately. This fix does not require an app update," a Google said in a statement to 9To5Google.
As far as we know, this overheating and battery problem seems to be isolated to Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 7, and 7 Pro devices only. However, it's interesting that Google vaguely called attention to a subset of Android devices rather than mentioning its Pixel lineup directly.
We'd love to hear from you if you have other Pixel models (or any Android device) with the May 2023 update showing the same symptoms as well.
Phones would get warm or even hot to the touch while idle and not plugged into a charger.
Battery life would decline as much as 20% per hour also while idle.
