Google is set to implement a mandatory software update for a “subset” of Pixel 6A smartphones to mitigate potential battery overheating risks. This measure follows a similar update earlier this year for the Pixel 4A, which also aimed to reduce overheating by lowering battery life.
The upcoming update for the Pixel 6A will activate battery management features designed to decrease battery capacity and charging performance after the device reaches 400 charge cycles. Google has stated that they will contact impacted customers next month to provide detailed information regarding the issue.
This action comes amid reports of Pixel 6A battery issues, including at least two instances where users claimed their phones caught fire. One user on Reddit specifically reported their Pixel 6A “spontaneously combusted in the middle of the night.”
Code strings discovered in the Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 release also alert Pixel 6A users to a “potential battery overheating issue” and reference a support page at g.co/pixel/6abattery, which is not yet active.
In a related development, Google announced an extended repair program in April for battery swelling issues affecting the Pixel 7A model.
