What you need to know
- Pixel users report severe idle battery drain after the April 2026 update, even when they’re not actively using their phones.
- The issue appears to be widespread, affecting multiple models from the Pixel 6 to the Pixel 10, and hundreds of reports have emerged online.
- Google has acknowledged the issue and is working on a fix, which may come soon with a future update.
Google Pixel and software bugs are nothing new, and it seems, after all April 2026 Update, users are now reporting battery life issues on their devices.
as seen 9to5GoogleGoogle’s points tracker and multiple reddit threads Pixel users are complaining about battery drain. Many people say that their phones are draining battery even in idle mode, when they are not actively using them.
The scale of the issue seems quite broad. Google’s issue tracker now has over 600 comments in just a week, with several Reddit threads also reporting the same issue.
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What is more worrying is that it does not seem to be limited to any specific device. Pixel 6 series to users across multiple generations The Pixel 10 lineup is reporting similar battery drain issues after installing the update.
The exact cause of idle battery drain has not been confirmed yet, but some users believe that it is related to the CPU remaining active even when the phone is not in use. It appears that the CPU is not entering deep sleep state when the screen is off, causing it to stay on and drain the battery.
Some reports also mention that the issue persists even in airplane mode, and in some cases, the battery life has been reduced to almost half.
Thankfully, Google has accepted this issue And confirmed that it is working on a solution. There’s no official timeline yet for when the patch will arrive, but it’s likely the company will address it in an upcoming update, possibly with the May 2026 patch. We will keep you updated whenever Google resolves this issue.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time that Pixel users have faced battery problems after an update. Similar complaints surfaced last May, and another case was reported in October 2025 when a Pixel 10 Pro Fold bug caused noticeable battery drain.
Android Central’s Tech
I’ve said it before, Pixel updates sometimes feel like a gamble. You either get cool new features or get a bug that ruins daily use. Battery drain is one of the worst problems, and it needs to be fixed as soon as possible.
