The Pixel 6a was a widely beloved phone when it launched in 2022, offering almost all the capabilities of the more expensive Pixel 6 phones at a much lower price. Just a few years into their Pixel love affair, though, owners have been dismayed to learn that a new software update will destroy the phone's battery life. Google says the update is necessary to limit the risk of battery failure, but it would seem that in at least one case, even this heavy-handed update wasn't enough—a user has reported their up-to-date Pixel 6a recently exploded overnight.
In early July, Google's monthly Pixel patch included a major change for the Pixel 6a. Due to the risk of battery fires, Google said that devices with more than 400 charge cycles could see their capacity and charging speed drastically reduced. The company offered a pittance in Google Store credit or a free battery swap in recompense, but taking advantage of either can be a pain. This came just months after a similar update rolled out to the Pixel 4a that killed its battery due to similar fire risks.
The mandatory Android 16 update will limit battery charging speed and capacity on affected phones. Credit: Ryan Whitwam A Redditor using the handle /u/footymanageraddict has posted photos of a pile of slag that used to be a Pixel 6a (spotted by Android Authority). This is not the first public report of a catastrophically failed battery in a 6a—a string of similar fires in the spring led Google to release this controversial update. Importantly, this phone reportedly had the battery safety update installed, which was supposed to prevent this kind of occurrence.
