Google says it's fixed the Pixel battery drain bug, but fans call foul

Published Jul 30, 2026, 7:08 AM EDT I've been covering Android and other mobile technology for close to ten years now, with a specific interest in phone accessories, e-readers, and what makes each individual phone different from another. I delight in looking at the phone market from as many angles as possible, and while my opinions may be odd, at times, they're always from the heart as much as the head. I have a background in the mobile accessories world, which explains my odd enthusiasm for cases and things that clip onto smartphones. I worked for Digital Trends from 2017 to 2025. Sign in to your Android Police account Google has ticked the Pixel's idle battery drain bug off its to-do list, marking the issue as "Fixed" on its public tracker, claiming the bug has finally been fixed. The fix has supposedly landed for Pixel 10 and 9 units, though 9a and 8a owners will have to wait longer for the patch to arrive on their devices. So well done, Google, cheers all around, right? Unfortunately not. A number of fans are pouring cold water on the celebrations, saying their devices are still suffering from the problem after the update. Google claims the issue is fixed, fans say otherwise Pixel used Drain. It was super effective! The Pixel battery drain bug has to be one of the most long-running and disruptive problems the Pixel line has suffered in a long while. First popping up as a result of the , fans immediately noticed their Pixel phones were no longer lasting as long between charges. While first spotted on a Pixel 9 Pro XL phone, it quickly became clear this issue was widespread enough to be spotted on phones all the way down to the Pixel 7. What followed was months of waiting for Google to fix the issue. One user correctly diagnosed the problem in April, noticing that the Pixel's Deep Doze feature wasn't able to trigger because a bug was causing the processor to work overtime while the phone was idle. Despite the problem being known, before Google was able to claim a fix. Now, with the July 2026 update, Google claims to have solved the issue. However, plenty of users don't believe Google. They point to the fact the July update says nothing about bug fixes or the battery drain issue, but, more damningly, that more than a few people are still experiencing problems with battery drain after they've installed the latest update. Battery issues can be linked to a few different sources, of course. One of our writers found his Pixel's battery lasted a lot longer . But on the whole, it seems possible the problem is still there. The patch for the problem is not released for everyone yet. As mentioned, the patch is rolling out on Pixel 10 and Pixel 9 devices, but those on Pixel 9a and 8a phones will have to wait until September. Crucially, there's also no mention of the Pixel 8 or 7 receiving this update, and those phones have fallen victim to this bug in the past. So while Google has ticked off the battery drain problem as solved, it appears this bug's story will continue on. At least for now. Google Pixel 10 Pro $700 $999 Save $299 SoC Google Tensor G5 Display type Super Actua Display dimensions 6.3-inch