Why Google nerfed your Pixel 6a’s battery and what you can do about it

In early July, Google announced that Pixel 6a phones would be getting a “mandatory” update to Android 16. For some Pixel 6a units, that update came with what Google calls “battery management features,” which is a diplomatic way of saying it artificially lowers battery performance.

This is all to prevent the type of catastrophic battery failure that made the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 infamous, and it’s the second time this year Google has nerfed an A-series phone’s battery for safety reasons.

Here’s what you need to know, and what you can do if you’re affected.

What’s going on with the 6a’s battery?

In June, shortly after reports of Pixel 6a phones literally melting due to battery malfunctions, Android Authority found strings in the Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 code that outlined Google’s intention to restrict the 6a’s charging speed and battery capacity.

The strings referenced a warning that’d be displayed after 375 charging cycles, forewarning these restrictions. There was also another warning that would be displayed after 400 charging cycles had been completed and restrictions started.

At the time, Android Police reached out to Google and received the following statement from a spokesperson:

A few weeks later, Google began what it calls the Pixel 6a Battery Performance Program. The program comprises the forewarned mandatory Android 16 rollout for Pixel 6a phones, plus an accompanying customer service campaign.

If you have an “impacted” Pixel 6a — one Google has deemed at risk of potentially dangerous battery failure — the Android 16 update will activate battery management features. These features will limit your phone’s charging rate and battery capacity in an effort to prevent overheating.

I reached out to Google for specifics about these battery management limitations — what the limited capacity and charging rate are — and a representative pointed me to the Pixel 6a Battery Performance Program help page, which does not include those specifics.

Why is this happening?

The Pixel 6a uses a lithium-ion battery. As Google tells it, Li-ion cells “may experience performance, capacity, or runtime degradation as they are used.” In some cases, this degradation can be dangerous, leading to overheating and potentially outright combustion.

As my former colleague Ryan Whitwam writes for Ars Technica, lithium-ion batteries degrade in a couple of ways.

Electrolytes that transport electrons when Li-ion batteries charge or discharge can degrade into flammable gasses, causing battery swelling. Lithium ions can also clump up into formations called dendrites, which can cause short circuits inside batteries.

This type of damage is exacerbated by heat, and if unchecked, can cause batteries to get dangerously hot or even catch fire. Quickly charging a battery to its full capacity generates more heat than a lower, slower charge.

To mitigate the risk of damage and injury, Google opted to restrict the 6a’s charging rate and battery capacity after its battery has completed 400 charging cycles. The company’s language in public statements reads as if only certain 6a units will face these limitations.

Google hasn’t shared why some aging 6a batteries may be dangerous while others evidently aren’t. In the case of the Pixel 4a, which faced a similar fiasco earlier this year that led to a nationwide recall in Australia, the difference was down to which of two different battery models a given phone was built with.

Google wasn’t able to provide me with additional details on which Pixel 6a units may be affected. The company has been contacting impacted users directly, so if you have a 6a, check your inbox.

What you can do

If you have a Pixel 6a and you’re staring down new battery limitations, Google is giving you some options, potentially including a free battery replacement. But you might not qualify for that particular remedy.

Remedies for a faulty Pixel 6a battery include battery replacement, a cash payment, or a Google Store discount code that comes with some caveats.

If you want a battery replacement, you’ll need to either mail your 6a in for repair or take it to an in-person authorized repair center. The catch is that your phone will be subject to inspection, and defects like water damage or signs of “exposure to sharp objects, or excessive force” will disqualify your phone.

Google says its authorized techs may fix other issues, like cracked display glass, before replacing your battery, but you’ll be charged for any non-battery repairs. You’ll get a cost estimate (and the chance to opt out) before the repairs begin.

If your Pixel 6a is disqualified from receiving a free battery replacement, or if you don’t want to pay for other fixes such as screen replacement, you’ll be directed to pick another remedy option. The simplest is a one-time payment of $100 or the equivalent in your local currency.

You would also have the opportunity to choose a Google Store discount code of $150 (or your local equivalent). These discount codes can only be used toward Pixel phones from the Google Store.

Find out if you qualify

Google set up a page you can use to determine if your Pixel 6a qualifies for any of these remedies. To see if you’re owed anything, you can go through the workflow here.

At first blush, it seems kind of admirable that Google is doing anything at all to appease owners of the four-year-old, midrange Pixel 6a. A 6a owner who was looking at getting a new Pixel phone anyway may be pleased with a $150 credit towards an upgrade.

Still, this is the second Pixel A-series model this year to come down with serious battery issues. Last year’s Pixel 8a is set to receive software updates into 2031; the 4a’s and 6a’s issues make me wonder how many units will actually last that long.