Pixel 7 and Pixel 6 series are getting a server-side update to resolve overheating and battery drain issues…
Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 6 have had some issues since debut, but one seems never to go away. The overheating and battery drain has persisted, perhaps, it resurfaces after a new update. It seems the latest security patch update has affected the battery performance of some Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 series users.
After failing to release the latest patch updates on time for two consecutive months, Google made amends with the May 2023 security patch. However, it seems the update has left some bugs, as users report overheating and battery drain. It’s an issue that has been there, but it seems the latest update made it worse.
Reports of the overheating and battery drain issue started surfacing on May 06, 2023, a couple of days after the patch update started rolling out. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be slowing down as more people report the issue, which seems to come from the Google App.
According to reports, Google App appear to be running in the background and using system resources. That seems to result in overheating and battery drain, which affects both stable and beta users.
Meanwhile, while the issue has escalated, not everyone is affected. The battery life of my Pixel 6 Pro isn’t affected by the latest security patch update. Interestingly, the Google app has only 1% battery usage in the past 6 hr, 42 minutes.
For now, Google hasn’t made any statement regarding the issue, and they’re likely not going to do so. We expect to see improvement with the upcoming security patch update unless the company releases a minor fix update for the issues.
Meanwhile, rolling back or moving to the previous version of the Google app doesn’t seem to resolve the issue. You might consider using a Wi-Fi connection, as that’s what I have been using, and my battery life has been great.
Update: May 16, 2023
Google has acknowledged the battery drain and overheating affecting some Pixel 7 and Pixel 6 users. The company said a “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.”
The fix is a server-side update and doesn’t require updating any app or installing a system update. We expect those experiencing battery drain and overheating to start seeing improvements in their battery life soon.
