Pixel 6a Update: Google To Limit Battery Life of Smartphone Amid Reports of Phone Overheating

Own a Pixel 6a smartphone? Your phone’s battery may soon start to slow down, and there’s nothing much you can do about it. Google is silently planning to release an update that will limit your phone’s battery performance. Why? Because the phone is getting too hot to hold, literally. 

This is more than just a small battery depletion problem. According to an Android Authority report, the warning flags were found deep in Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2, and they are concerning.  The coding reveals that there is a plan to slow down charging and battery performance on older Pixel 6a handsets. 

Why is Google taking this step?

Google is not taking this step out of the blue. Google plans to take this step in response to the several cases of the Pixel 6a catching fire recently reported. 

Google Pixel 6a came out in 2022 and is still one of the best affordable Android phones. The phone has had a good run. But it is now starting to show some symptoms of wear and tear, which is dangerous. 

Recently, two different Pixel 6a phones caught fire, one in May and the other just last week.  While it is not very common yet, but it is enough to grab Google’s full attention.  

What's in the Android 16 Beta update? 

There is code in the Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 that makes it very clear.  When a Pixel 6a battery reaches 375 charge cycles, users will get a warning.  When you reach 400 cycles, the system will automatically slow down both the charging speed and the amount of battery capacity you can use.  You will be prompted to change your battery. 

The update will add battery management capabilities that will lower the battery's capacity and charging speed after it has been charged 400 times. 

Google indicated that the update may slow down your phone, and it will get in touch with the users next month with all the necessary information. 

What should you do?

This is not a mass call. Yet. But if you have a Pixel 6a, here is what you should keep in mind

• Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health to check for notifications.
• Stop using third-party chargers, especially overnight. 
• If your phone starts heating up abnormally or the battery drains faster than usual, get it checked.
• Be ready for an update message. It won’t be voluntary, and it might hit anytime in case.

Read more: Google's Pixel Drop for June Will Let Your People Bypass Silent Mode