Google Pixel 4a

[limmk]

New system update for the Pixel 4a

 

[simply.90]

This update is quite a nuisance it turns out, the OS disables the battery percentage from functioning normally and returns 100% all the time if it deems that your battery is due for replacement. Now the user of my 4a is complaining and I am having an earful. I can understand if the phone gets throttled, but not allowing battery percentage to even be reported is a little too much. Even Accubattery cannot get the battery usage stats.

 

[limmk]

Google launched the Pixel 4a in 2020 as the most affordable model in the Pixel 4 series. The device stood out for its great price-to-performance ratio, long-term support, and good camera quality. The last update for the phone—based on Android 13—arrived in 2023, and we thought that was it, but no. Surprisingly, Google started 2025 by sending out a battery-focused update for the Pixel 4a.

Google is rolling out an update that could kill your Pixel 4a’s battery life​

On January 6, Google added a “Pixel 4a Battery Performance Program” entry on its product support page. “Google has determined that certain Pixel 4a phones require a software update to improve the stability of their battery’s performance,” reads the post. The company also confirmed that it would begin the rollout of the update today—January 8.

That said, there are a few things to keep in mind regarding the update. Google clarifies that the effect will not be positive on all devices. In fact, the company warns that “the battery may last for shorter periods between charges.” For some unknown reason—which Google doesn’t clarify—the update will “ruin” the battery life of some Pixel 4a units.

Affected users will receive compensation​

Google is offering compensation to those affected by the issue after the update. First, they offer to put a brand-new battery in your Pixel 4a for free, but you will have to be without it for a few days. If you don’t like the idea, owners of eligible devices can choose between receiving a $50 (or local equivalent) payment or a $100 credit toward the purchase of any other Pixel phone through the Google Store.

You can only choose one of the options. That is, you can’t request a free battery replacement and the $100 credit, for example. The Pixel 4a is a fairly old device, so the battery on many units must be pretty beat up. A cell replacement could give the phone a new lease of life. It will still be stuck on Android 13 as its latest big Android update, though.

It is interesting that Google has all of a sudden decided that the Pixel 4a needs an upgrade that focuses on the battery. It would be great if the company gave more information about why this is happening.

 

[ichinisan]

What if I don't proceed with the update?

My auto update is turned off. Will it just remain as it is?

 

[limmk]

What if I don't proceed with the update?

My auto update is turned off. Will it just remain as it is?

Yup, if your auto-update is off, the current version will stay as it is

 

[ichinisan]

Yup, if your auto-update is off, the current version will stay as it is

Thanks! I shall just let it be.

 

[simply.90]

This update is quite a nuisance it turns out, the OS disables the battery percentage from functioning normally and returns 100% all the time if it deems that your battery is due for replacement. Now the user of my 4a is complaining and I am having an earful. I can understand if the phone gets throttled, but not allowing battery percentage to even be reported is a little too much. Even Accubattery cannot get the battery usage stats.

After a couple of days, the battery percentage finally got reported as per normal. It was stuck at 100% for the last three days, but the option of hiding battery percentage in statusbar remains greyed out.

 

[simply.90]

Yup, if your auto-update is off, the current version will stay as it is

Not sure if this is true or not, there have been reports that the update still got downloaded even when the auto update toggle is off. There is a reason why they described the update as mandatory.

 

[limmk]

Not sure if this is true or not, there have been reports that the update still got downloaded even when the auto update toggle is off. There is a reason why they described the update as mandatory.

 

[ichinisan]

After a couple of days, the battery percentage finally got reported as per normal. It was stuck at 100% for the last three days, but the option of hiding battery percentage in statusbar remains greyed out.

Is it better now or still having issues?

 

[simply.90]

Is it better now or still having issues?

Nope, based on Accubattery, the update also caps the capacity of the battery to 50%, so charging to 100% only recharges the battery to half tank. Quick charging is also disabled. I'm going to backup the phone and revert to the previous known good firmware and block auto updates going forward.

 

[ganns2]

Anyone switching phones? what phone are you looking at? not many options for compact phones..

 

[1-wind]

Actually, I don't really understand the purpose of the update. While I don't use my 4a anymore, the battery was stable and I didn't experience any issues since the last supported system update.

I used the Google link to check if my IMEI is eligible for the battery replacement / money and it says no, is it because I have not installed the update yet?

 

[pewpewpewpewpew]

I installed it and I used IMEI to check, strangely it says to go down to an authorized service center to check if I'm eligible for a battery replacement. Don't understand why I need to go down just to check eligibility.

 

[ganns2]

My update failed and a recovery screen pop up saying corrupted file.. ask me try again or factory reset..

Of course try again, then update failed and gave me back what I had before the update

 

[simply.90]

Actually, I don't really understand the purpose of the update. While I don't use my 4a anymore, the battery was stable and I didn't experience any issues since the last supported system update.

I used the Google link to check if my IMEI is eligible for the battery replacement / money and it says no, is it because I have not installed the update yet?

Don't think the eligibility has anything to do with installing the update. I checked way before the update was made available.

 

[limmk]

The Google Pixel 4a is a fantastic device for those who want the most optimized Android experience but in a more manageable body. Many users have been happy with their devices, but those feelings have changed. A number of Pixel 4a owners are now furious following the recent surprise update.

What should have been a good thing​

Google released the Pixel 4a in 2020. This means it isn’t covered by Google’s newer update policy that promises seven years of OS and security updates. This is why many were pleasantly surprised when Google pushed out a surprise update for the device.

Google called this the “Pixel 4a Battery Performance Program”, which the company claims will improve the stability of the phone’s battery. However, Google also warned that the update could cause shorter battery life between charges. We imagine that some users probably thought it wouldn’t be a big deal, but this thread on Reddit suggests that the update essentially killed the Pixel 4a.

According to the OP, “Before the update came, I praised google for caring about people still using this phone.. I WAS SO DAMN WRONG. This is borderline SCAM that made my beloved phone unusable. Until now I wanted to upgrade from 4a to upcoming 9a. Not happening after this. I hope they get sued for this.”

Hoping for a lawsuit​

Several Pixel 4a users in the Reddit thread are furious and calling for a lawsuit. One user claimed, “The wording was SO MISLEADING yes!! Literally didn’t think it would be an issue because they wrapped the update in such “positive” terms, turns out improving your battery performance means making it last for only 1 hour at a time.”

Another post claims, “I feel your pain along with many others – my update dropped on Saturday , 5 hours from full->2% with some very light use, screen not on for more than 20 mins. Awesome!”

Many people are upset because Google hasn’t clearly explained what problem the update was meant to solve. For instance, if there was some critical hardware issue that the update is addressing, Google should have communicated it more clearly. The lack of transparency also means that rolling back to the previous update isn’t a good idea.

There is some good news. Google mentions that those affected by the issue are eligible for a free battery replacement program. Those who wish to skip the battery replacement can get a $50 payment or $100 credit to purchase another Pixel device from the Google Store.

 

[limmk]

At the start of 2025, Google announced a Pixel 4a Battery Performance Program with a new Android 13 OTA update, free battery replacement, and/or appeasement option. As part of this, Google has removed all previous Pixel 4a updates.

Pixel 4a owners noticed today that the “Factory Images”/“Full OTA Images for Nexus and Pixel Devices” website has removed all downloads for the Pixel 4a except for the new update with “battery management features”: TQ3A.230805.001.S2. From what we can tell, this removal happened on Wednesday, January 22.

Google says this Android 13 update “reduces available battery capacity and impacts charging performance”: “…so the battery may last for shorter periods between charges. Users of Impacted Devices may also notice other changes, like reduced charging performance or changes to how the battery-level indicator on your phone shows your battery capacity.” This update is “automatically downloaded to your device when the software is released and your device is charged and connected to the internet.”

Affected users that have installed the update have found this to be the case, while some are not happy that the device inspection as part of the free battery replacement has turned up other issues that require a fix/payment. This is not surprising on hardware from 2020, and a standard practice that Google’s FAQ makes note of. However, it’s still upsetting.

Historically, Google removes factory images when there are issues with the release. In this case, it appears that the company does not want owners to revert back.

Not all Pixel 4a are affected by these battery issues, so Google removing three years of updates for everyone is a pretty aggrieve step, but there is no real way to gate who can download/install.

If a “battery replacement is not convenient,” Google offers one of two options:

• $50 USD (converted to your local currency) payment.
• $100 USD (converted to your local currency) Google hardware discount code applicable towards the purchase of another Pixel phone on the Google Store (as available).

You can visit this page (until January 8, 2026) to get started on a “repair, payment, or future discount code,” and see if your Pixel 4a is impacted.

 

[limmk]

The Google Pixel 9a is right around the corner. As we exclusively revealed in October, Google is slated to release the Pixel 9a in mid-March, which isn’t that far away, considering this Saturday is February.

Now, we can exclusively reveal the pricing for the US and Canada, thanks to our sources. In the US, the Google Pixel 9a will be priced at $499 for the 128GB model, and $599 for the 256GB model. That is the same starting price as the Pixel 8a, however, the 256GB model is $40 more expensive. This follows the new pricing structure that Google started with the Pixel 9 series last August, where the 256GB model was $100 more than its 128GB version.

In Canada, pricing is a bit more flexible because of the weaker Canadian dollar, but currently, the pricing is $679 for 128GB and $809 for 256GB.

Google Pixel 9a will sport a 5,100mAh battery, Tensor G4 and 8GB of RAM​

We have also revealed the complete spec sheet of the Pixel 9a already, back in December. Which included all of the specs that we expected to see, long with some that we were surprised to see. Like the much larger battery this year. The Pixel 9a will sport a 5,100mAh capacity battery, which is the largest battery that Google has ever put into a Pixel smartphone.

Pixel 9a will also remain as a smaller smartphone with a 6.285-inch display. This is going to be an Actua Display, with up to 2,700 nits of peak brightness and 1,800 nits of HDR brightness. Internally, we’re looking at the Tensor G4 processor with 8GB of RAM and either 128GB of storage or 256GB.

Google is also upgrading the main sensor this year, ditching the 64-megapixel primary camera for a 48-megapixel Quad Dual Pixel Camera. This is likely a larger sensor, so while the megapixel count is lower, it’s actually a really nice upgrade for the Pixel 9a. It will also sport a 13-megapixel ultrawide, and skip out on a telephoto once again.

As mentioned already, Pixel 9a should be on sale starting in Mid-March, with a price tag of $499.

 

[bigbob]

Hi, my 4a kept prompting me to restart and install the latest system update. I have disabled auto updates under developer options. if my phone accidentally got restarted, will it still proceed with the system update?