Installing the most recent Android 16 update is crucial if you possess a Google Pixel 6a.
After some Pixel 6a owners reported their devices catching fire, this required software update, which goes live globally today (July 8), will reduce the chance of the dangerous battery overheating. On the social news site Reddit, several Pixel 6a owners have shared their terrifying experiences.
“Just in the middle of the night, my Pixel 6a caught fire. I had it charging on my bedside table. Fortunately, I don’t sleep too deeply, and I was awakened by the sound of hot gas erupting from the battery. One Reddit user posted in a community devoted to the beloved Google Pixel brand, “There was a fireball on my nightstand about two seconds later.”
“I was startled awake at 4am by the sound of my phone screaming its overheating noise at the volume I’d set for my alarm, along with the odd sound of the phone’s internal components blasting out the right side, along with the horrifying smell of burning chemicals and electronics,” says another post that is similar.
“I was initially perplexed by everything, but I easily located the phone in the dark. I threw it away from me into the tile floor, and it was so hot that I’m not sure how I didn’t get burned.
That moved it closer to my smoke detector and away from combustible objects, causing it to go off a moment later. I switched on a light, reached for the non-melting part of the phone, and threw the still-smoking, sizzling Pixelbomb into my concrete patio. Before I could remove the phone from the charger and put it on the floor, I found out that it had actually caused a little fire on some of my garments.
“I would have been battling a nasty house fire if I hadn’t been a few feet away from the phone to respond as fast as I did. It will be disastrous if someone is unable to swiftly take their burning phone and place it to a non-flammable surface.
Google has taken action since there have been enough of these reports. Google’s latest software update will lower the device’s total battery capacity after 400 charging cycles in order to prevent this overheating issue.
Google clarifies in an online support post regarding the problem that “you will not experience the battery-related changes and the new features will stay dormant, even though the update is installed, until your battery reaches this point.”
A “charge cycle” is the process of consuming and recharging 100% of the battery’s capacity, though not necessarily all at once, for those who are unaware. It would only be considered one full charge cycle, for instance, if you used 50% of your battery one day, recharged it, and then used 50% again the next day before charging.
Google claims that Pixel 6a owners will be alerted when their device has completed 375 cycles of charging, alerting them to the impending activation of its new battery management capabilities. You may experience slightly slower charging speeds and a shorter battery life when these safety precautions are in place.
According to Google, you may also experience “short-term changes to how the battery-level indicator on your phone shows your battery capacity as your phone learns its revised battery capacity.” For this reason, you should not rely solely on the percentage of your phone’s battery that appears in the corner when determining whether you need to top it up.
After 400 charge cycles, the new limitations won’t apply to all Pixel 6as. According to Google, the new restriction would only be applied to “impacted devices” that over the 400 recharge level.
The specifics of what else qualifies a Pixel 6a as a “impacted device” have not been provided.
Google is providing a free battery replacement if the required Android 16 update determines that your Pixel 6a is affected by battery problems. To find out whether your Pixel 6a qualifies, follow the instructions in this support guide.
By changing the battery, the overheating and swelling problems should be resolved, and your Pixel 6a’s battery life won’t be artificially restricted. Beginning July 21, walk-in or mail-in repair centers in the US, UK, Canada, Germany, Singapore, Japan, and India will offer free battery replacement.
Your Google Pixel 6a could get a new free battery
Google might not offer a free battery replacement if your Pixel 6a displays any of the following traits:
- If your Pixel 6a device exhibits other forms of damage, like liquid damage, exposure to sharp objects, or excessive force, it may not qualify for a battery replacement at no charge under this program
- If your phone has out-of-warranty damage, such as display or cover glass cracks, then there may be a fee to repair your phone. Before we start any repairs, we’ll provide a cost estimate. You then have the option to proceed with the repair or have your device returned to you
Reports of battery bloating and even the documented occurrence of a Google-designed device catching fire first surfaced in May, marking the beginning of the Pixel 6a’s battery issues.
Google has already experienced battery issues with its Pixel range. To prevent similar problems with the lithium-ion cell, Google released an Android update earlier this year that reduced the battery life of its low-cost Pixel 4a.
In that instance, Google provided a choice between an £80 store credit to be used towards the purchase of a new Pixel phone from the Google Store, a £40 one-time cash payment, or a free battery replacement service for the Pixel 4a.
And Google Pixel owners’ battery problems don’t stop there. The California-based business has started a comprehensive repair program to address the Pixel 7A’s battery swelling problems. The United States, India, Canada, Germany, Japan, Singapore, and the United Kingdom all have walk-in centers to address battery issues.
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Robert Haba is the founder and editor-in-chief of Droid Tools. A lifelong gadget enthusiast with over a decade following the Android ecosystem, he built this publication to cut through the noise and give readers honest, real-world coverage of the tech they actually use.
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