Google’s New Android Update—‘Severe’ Impact On Pixel Battery

InnovationCybersecurityGoogle’s New Android Update—‘Severe’ Impact On Pixel BatteryByZak Doffman,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Zak Doffman writes about cybersecurity, surveillance and privacy.Follow AuthorApr 22, 2026, 02:16am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.New worries for Pixel users.dpa/picture alliance via Getty ImagesDespite its control of hardware and firmware, Google triggers a surprising number of serious issues for Pixel users after security updates are installed. This pattern has repeated in recent months, and now there’s a new worry for users.Per 9to5Google, “following the rollout of the April 2026 update on Google Pixel phones, a widespread battery drain issue has hit, but the company is looking into the matter.” There’s no fix as yet, but Google has asked forum users for more info. The number of users complaining is accelerating quickly.ForbesHow To Save Disappearing Messages On Your iPhoneBy Zak Doffman“The sheer amount of attention on this thread tells us this issue is pretty widespread,” 9to5Google says, with reports on Reddit and elsewhere." While those reports continue to build on an issue tracking forum into the “severe idle drain" issue as it has been tagged, others have taken to Reddit.“What’s more concerning,” Android Central says, “is that it doesn’t seem limited to a specific device. Users across multiple generations, from the Pixel 6 series all the way up to the Pixel 10 lineup, are reporting similar battery drain issues.” if (!window.cnxel) { window.cnxel = {}; window.cnxel.cmd = []; var iframe = document.createElement('iframe'); iframe.style.display = 'none'; iframe.onload = function() { var iframeDoc = iframe.contentWindow.document; var script = iframeDoc.createElement('script'); script.src = '//cd.elements.video/player.js?cid=62cec241-7d09-4462-afc2-f72f8d8ef40a'; script.setAttribute('def...