It seems that after a new security patch update, Pixel phone users will start reporting a serious issue. Perhaps Google is slipping again, as it’s been years since we saw a serious bug being reported after every new security patch. The latest report is the Pixel phones battery drain issue, which began after the recent update.
Google released the April 2026 security patch update a few days ago. Almost everyone has installed the update, and they are now wishing they hadn’t. That’s because there has been a widespread battery drain issue since the recent update.
According to feedback on the Issue Tracker thread, over a hundred Pixel phone users are having a battery drain issue. Unlike some bugs that affect a few phones, the number of complaints keeps increasing, with over 600 comments and counting. There on Reddit, reports of the Pixel phone’s battery drain keep pouring in, as well as elsewhere.
What’s causing the Pixel phones’ battery drain issue
According to one user, the problem seems to be a CPU wakeup. Pixel phones keep working in the background even when the screen is off, and you are not using them. Interestingly, the battery drain is even obvious when the device is in Airplane mode. Battery life has been cut to a few hours of screen-on time and even more than half for some people.
Google acknowledges the Pixel phone’s battery drain.
Like the last problem where many Pixel phones refused to boot, Google has acknowledged the latest issue. The company did that on April 14 and has yet to release a fix. However, the team is actively collecting user reports to further investigate the issue, but a fix has not yet been identified.
We hope the company identifies the problem on time before the next security patch to include a fix. The May security patch is expected in the coming weeks, and we expect massive improvement, as the battery drain issue seems to have started after the March 2026 security patch for many people.
via: 9to5Google
