It’s no secret that ever since the launch of the Pixel 6 series in 2021, Google has experienced a resurgence like never before, with many new users switching to Pixels due to their superior cameras and stock software experience. While Google’s software is a key selling point for Pixel phones, it is also one of the main weaknesses, as users have frequently reported experiencing bugs and glitches. Recently, many Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 users have reported their devices overheating and experiencing excessive battery drain.
As per a report from Engadget, a Pixel 6 Pro user who has been experiencing this issue suspected that the new May 12th update for the Google app may be the culprit behind the battery drain.
And although rolling back to the older version of the app did ease the battery drain, it still wasn’t close to the phone’s normal battery levels. As a result, many users now suspect that the real issue might be on the server side, with the Google app stuck in a loop when calling home.
“Having the same issue here, along with my wife. The Google app seems to use the most battery according to the settings menu. Not sure if this is tied to the May update or to a Google app update. Happening on my Pixel 7 and my wife’s Pixel 6A. Also seeing “Android System Intelligence” in the Battery Usage menu, but not a huge percentage. But I never saw it at all before this update,” said user Darren S.
Google’s response
While Google has acted quickly to fix software issues in the past, affected users who contacted Google for support have stated that its support staff hasn’t been very helpful in diagnosing and fixing the issue. Therefore, if you are a Pixel user experiencing the same issue, there are a few fixes you can try.
These include rolling back to an older version of the Google app, enabling Adaptive Battery and battery optimization settings, as well as activating the Extreme Battery Saver mode, which limits app usage and certain features. However, these are temporary measures until Google comes out with an update regarding the main cause of the issue.