- Some Pixel 6a units will soon have much worse battery performance
- Affected users can claim a free battery replacement, or may be able to get cash
- Other Pixel models could be next in line
Usually, software updates bring desirable new features or bug fixes, but one upcoming Google Pixel 6a update could actually make your phone worse.
Google has announced that it will be rolling out a mandatory update to some Pixel 6a models, which “will reduce battery capacity and charging performance” after the phone reaches 400 charging cycles. So if your phone isn’t yet at 400 charging cycles then these changes won’t kick in yet, even once you download the update.
There are good reasons for these changes though, with Google stating that this will “reduce the risk of potential battery overheating which could pose a risk to users” – and we know how that can play out, as there have been multiple reports of Pixel 6a units catching fire.
Still, a battery that charges slower and needs charging more often than before isn’t exactly going to be desirable to users.
This update will start rolling out on July 8 as part of Android 16 – so at least you’ll get some Android 16 goodies to go with your battery downgrade.
Interestingly though, only some Pixel 6a units will get these new battery management ‘features’. It’s unclear why that is – perhaps Google used different batteries in some versions of the phone, but to see whether yours is affected, you can head to this support page.
If it is, then you will have some options other than just putting up with a battery downgrade.
For one thing, if you’re in the UK, US, or select other locations then Google will let you get a battery replacement at no charge. Alternatively, you may be able to claim either a discount off a new Pixel or a cash payment – though the exact amount of cash/discount and availability of these options hasn’t yet been disclosed.
Not the first and maybe not the last
Worryingly, the Google Pixel 6a might not be the last device to get this battery weakening update. It wasn’t the first, with Google applying a similar update to some Pixel 4a models back in January, so that’s reason enough to think that more models might endure this in future.
But that’s not the only reason to think this could apply to other models too, as Android Authority has also found evidence in a teardown of Google’s Settings Services app that devices with poor battery health will be forced to use the company’s Battery Health Assistance feature, which reduces capacity and charging speeds as the battery ages.
This feature is so far optional, other than in the case of the Google Pixel 9a, which has it permanently enabled.
The only silver lining to all this – other than these changes minimizing the risk of your phone catching fire – is that at least in the case of the Pixel 6a and Pixel 4a, these mandatory battery updates have only applied to select units.
So it’s possible your phone has a less troublesome battery that won’t ever need these changes, but this does rather make it sound like Google might want to change some of its battery suppliers.
