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A few months after it first started rolling out, Google is now pushing the Pixel 4a battery update on users who had previously avoided it.
The story of the Pixel 4a’s battery reduction update is a rocky one. Early this year, Google rolled out an unexpected Pixel 4a update and announced that it would offer free battery replacements and other remedies for users who installed it. That’s because, as it was later found out, the update effectively cut the battery capacity in half, leaving users with a device that only lasted a few hours on a charge and no longer charged as quickly. There was no easy way out either, as the update installed itself automatically and Google had removed prior software builds from before the update was released.
Later, it was revealed that the drastic measures were due to battery overheating/fire concerns, somewhat justifying Google’s actions (but not the poor communication).
In the time since, some Pixel 4a owners have managed to avoid the update in one way or another, but the time has now come. In the r/Pixel4a subreddit, a number of users have found that, over the past 48 hours, Google has pushed the update to their devices. The battery update has been “forced” on these users, as many of them have put it, even if a developer option blocking automatic updates or other means were employed.
These users are still eligible for Google’s battery replacements and other remedies, but it’s understandably a bit frustrating for those who were determined to keep using Google’s last compact A-Series release. That said, anyone still using a Pixel 4a should either have their battery replaced or explore alternative devices.
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Ben is a Senior Editor for 9to5Google.
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