With the launch of the Google Pixel 6, Android 12 was rolled out to all Google Pixel phones. Unfortunately, it has reportedly negatively impacted battery life on some older Pixels, and Google has yet to come up with a definitive solution.

PiunikaWeb reports that even users with relatively new Google Pixel 5 or Google Pixel 4a 5G phones have seen their phones' life significantly shortened since installing the update. While it is to be expected that older handsets would experience performance degradation, this decline is much greater than just aging hardware.

The increased battery drain is an issue that was also seen in the Android 12 beta and appears to continue in the final release. This is combined with the fact that the Pixel phones are by no means one of the handsets with the best mobile battery life. In fact, prior to the Pixel 6, the Pixel had a significantly smaller battery than any rival device, but this certainly doesn't help with newer versions of Android that are more power-hungry.

This issue could also affect the all-new Google Pixel 6 and Google Pixel 6 Pro. Our battery life tests of the Pixel 6 showed disappointing results, with both models having much lower battery life than most flagship phones with similarly sized batteries. Our analysis at the time attributed this to Google's use of older, less efficient 5G modems (our battery tests were conducted with a cellular connection), but perhaps Android 12 is partially to blame as well.

As for fixes, none seem to work consistently. One user reported that the Google Help Desk recommended resetting the phone and restoring data from a backup. This is not an ideal solution, as it requires first deleting everything from the phone. However, in this user's case, it appears to have worked.

Later, a Google representative on the Made By Google Twitter profile suggested that another user start the phone in safe mode, which improved the lag that user was facing while using the Pixel 5, but reduced battery drain PiunikaWeb itself suggested checking the "Manage apps automatically" option in the battery settings menu, but noted that this could lead to interruptions in notifications.

A Google representative also told one user that the company plans to investigate the issue. We hope that future updates will alleviate Android 12's greed for battery, but with such a vague answer, we have no idea of the timing.

If you're still struggling with battery life on your Pixel with Android 12, you might want to check out our guide on how to check Android battery health to see if your phone's battery is in good shape. If not, you may have to wait for a future OS update from Google.