Earlier today, we shared the actions taken by Google that signaled it was about to issue a battery performance update for the Pixel 6a, noting that it had removed all factory images for the device, just like they did when the Pixel 4a received a similar update earlier this year. Now, Google has posted the details for its “Pixel 6a Battery Performance Program.”
Pixel 6a Battery Performance Program update: Since we already talked a lot about the Pixel 6a’s situation, rather than recap it once again, we’ll point you to this post and this post to catch-up. In short, a “certain” group of Pixel 6a device has some sort of battery issue that has the risk of overheating. Google wants to push an update to those phones to reduce the risk by limiting battery charging performance and battery capacity “after” their batteries reach 400 cycles.
Google announced this afternoon that this update will arrive July 8 and it is a mandatory automatic update. If you own a Pixel 6a, this update will be forced upon your device even if you don’t manually try and update. Eventually, you will get this update whether you asked for it or not.
Do note that this update does include battery management features, but those will only be presented to those with “Impacted” devices at the 400 battery cycle mark. They’ll also receive a warning about those changes when they receive 375 cycles. For those not “Impacted,” your phone will continue to act as you know it.
Which Pixel 6a devices are impacted? Google isn’t being very specific or forward with that information. Instead, they just keep saying that only “specific” devices that have been “identified” by them are of worry. The thing is, all Pixel 6a devices will get this update, but only the “Impacted Devices” are eligible for special support options. Basically, Google is supposed to let you know if your device is “Impacted.”
To confirm if your device is impacted, you can visit this page and walk through Google’s questionnaire.
Starting July 21, Google is offering walk-in battery replacements in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Singapore, Japan, and India. There will be mail-in repair in the US and India. If a battery replacement doesn’t work for you, that page we linked above will layout your other options.
Owners of the Pixel 6a, there is a lot to take-in here – be sure to read Google’s full support page for the Pixel 6a and its battery troubles.
