Google will reduce battery life for some Pixel 6a phones on July 8th to reduce risk of overheating
by Brad Linder · LiliputingEarlier this year Google rolled out a software update to the Pixel 4a that was said to “improve the stability” of battery performance, but it quickly became clear that part of the way it did that was by cutting battery life in half. While the move may have prevented some phones from overheating and catching fire, it makes the phone a lot less useful. So Google also offered store credit, battery replacements, or cash to affected users.
Now Google is preparing to push a similar update to some Pixel 6a smartphones.
Starting on July 8, 2025 Google says it will begin rolling out a mandatory update for all Pixel 6a smartphones that upgrades the operating system to Android 16. And part of that update brings “important battery management features that will reduce battery capacity and charging performance on Impacted Devices after the battery reaches 400 charge cycles.”
The good news is that while all Pixel 6a smartphones are getting the software update, only some will see reduced battery life and charging performance. That’s why the language above refers to “Impacted Devices.”
If you do have one of the impacted devices and don’t want to keep using a phone with reduced battery life, Google will offer customers in some regions three options:
Have your battery replaced (starting July 21st) via:
- Walk-in repair centers in the US, Canada, UK, Germany, Singapore, Japan, and India
- Mail-in repair program for the US and India
- Discount code for use toward the purchase of another Pixel phone from the Google Store
- Cash (most likely a smaller amount than the discount code
You can find out if you’re eligible for one of those options by answering a few questions. And you can find out more about the so-called “Pixel 6a Battery Performance Program” at Google’s support page.