Google App Update On Pixel Causes Overheat And Fast Battery Out

JAKARTA - A Pixel phone user from Google on Sunday complained that their Pixel 6 Pro recently overheated and the battery was running out very quickly. They suspect the cause is Google's app and an update that will start releasing on May 12.

"I haven't touched my phone in the past hour. It's only in the standard wireless charger," the reader said in a screenshot (can be seen below) that they sent from their phone settings menu, showing the Google app consuming Pro 6 batteries in the background.

"It's still very hot, and if I don't go back to different versions, I won't have a net increase in my phone battery," the user said as reported by Engadget.

Visits to Reddit and Google support forums show other Pixel users are having the same problem.

"It just started yesterday. The use of large batteries from Google apps and with a lower level of Android System Intelligence. I've just reset factories, reinstalled most of the things, and it's still happening," wrote one Reddit user.

"In addition to the batteries that didn't last long, the phone got very warm so I knew it was a battery damage and maybe a CPU," he added.

Those who tried to contact Google reported that the company's support staff had not been very helpful. Some users say returning to older versions of the Google app doesn't fix problems for them.

"Finally getting the older version from May 10, it's still draining the battery," wrote one Reddit user.

The reader who contacted Engadget suspected the problem might be a server-side. "The Google app continues to damage the battery without caring about the version, and I have returned to May 1st," they wrote. "I don't know how to see if the app is trying to call home or in a loop with something like that, but the symptoms remain the same."

Google did not immediately respond to Engadget's request for comment. If Google's app was the cause, this wouldn't be the first time a software update has caused problems for Pixel users.

Last May, Google had to fix the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro after previous updates caused phones to generate much weaker haptic feedback. The previous year, the company stopped the spread of its December Pixel update after users discovered it cut off their phones.