Google Is Reducing Your Pixel 4a’s Battery Life and Rewarding You for the Trouble

Tech companies love to push us towards their newest products, whether by discontinuing models or halting support for dated hardware. The latest victim is the Pixel 4a, which will soon suffer reduced battery life thanks to a new update from Google. That may sound unjust, but Google says you and your phone could actually benefit.

The Pixel 4a Battery Is Taking a Hit—for Its Own Good

If your phone, tablet, or computer has ever been discontinued by Google or thrown onto Apple’s “obsolete” list, then you know the feeling: while you may not have been planning on buying a new phone, that purchase now looms. This looks like the new reality for Google Pixel 4a owners, who will receive an automatic update this week that reduces the phone’s battery runtime.

If you own (or used to own) a Pixel 4a, you’ll receive an email this week from Google regarding upcoming changes. This may catch you off guard, given the phone was discontinued in 2022, with its last update coming through in November 2023.

As reported by Ars Technica, Google’s email claims that the update will add important “battery management features” to your Pixel 4a, which will subsequently “reduce your battery’s runtime and charging performance.”

You might be asking yourself why, after over a year, Google would come in to take a hit on your Pixel battery. According to Google Support, the update is in an effort to “improve the stability” of the Pixel 4a battery.

This makes sense, given the age of the hardware. Over time, batteries deteriorate, and it’s best to demand less of them. Put simply, if an old battery tries to do too much, it can act unpredictably. That can be inefficient at best—and dangerous at worst.

We can assume that by distributing the software update, Google is trying to get ahead of any erratic Pixel 4a behavior. Its transparency is a sign that Google has learned from Apple’s mistakes in 2017, when Apple secretly slowed down processors on old iPhones to preserve battery health and paid a (legally-obligated) price.

Google Won’t Leave You Empty Handed

Google is ready to pay a price up front. If you own a Pixel 4a that will be impacted by this update, you have up to one year from January 8th, 2025 to select an “appeasement option” from Google. Those options are:

1. Send your phone in to Google for a free battery replacement.
2. Receive a $50 payout.
3. Get $100 towards a new Pixel phone.

Check to see if your Pixel 4a is eligible online at the Pixel Help Center.

It might feel like Google is trying to kick your Pixel 4a when it’s down, but battery degradation is inevitable, and it’s very possible that Google’s update is intended to keep your old phone functional for longer. Or, Google wants to push you towards its new-and-improved Pixel 9, and it’s dressing it up like altruism. We may never have that clarity, but one thing we do know is: it’s better to have a slower phone than an exploding phone.