Pixel 4a Battery Performance Program

2025-01-30T15:58:41Z

2A00:CA8:A17:32BE:C80A:7358:259C:3190: Fixed End of support date from 2022 to 2023.

The Google Pixel 4a is an Android smartphone designed, developed and marketed by [[Google]]. It was released on August 20, 2020, and reached its end of support on August 5, 2023.<ref>https://endoflife.date/pixel</ref> On January 6, 2025, Google announced its Pixel 4a Battery Performance Program to users:<blockquote>"Google has determined that certain Pixel 4a phones require a software update to improve the stability of their battery's performance. An automatic update to Android 13 will roll out to all Pixel 4a devices starting January 8, 2025. For some devices ("Impacted Devices"), '''the software update reduces available battery capacity and impacts charging performance.''' [...] users of these Impacted Devices are eligible for an appeasement from Google."''<ref name=":0">https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/15701861

Mirror, via the Wayback Machine: https://web.archive.org/web/20250107002112/https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/15701861

Other mirror via archive.ph https://archive.ph/zoooR</ref>''</blockquote>

==Compensation==

===Request form sent out to users===
Google has asked users to provide the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number of their Pixel 4a to determine whether their device is an "Impacted Device."<ref>https://support.google.com/pixelphone/workflow/15642495 (unavailable after January 6, 2026)

https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/7/24338566/google-pixel-4a-battery-stability-replacement-reduced-capacity</ref> If the user's device is an "Impacted Device," they may choose one of the following:

*'''Free battery replacement''' (only available in: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Singapore, and India)
*'''$100 USD''' (or local equivalent) '''discount code applicable towards the purchase of another Pixel phone''' on the Google Store (unavailable in certain countries)
*'''$50 USD''' (or local equivalent)<ref name=":0" />

Compensation will be unavailable after January 6, 2026.<ref name=":0" />

===Payment-processing issues===
The $50 USD compensation option requires users to process payment through Payoneer, which has many issues:
*Users must provide sensitive personal information including social security numbers and bank details
*A $3 USD processing fee is deducted from the compensation
*An annual account fee of $29.95 USD is charged if the account balance does not exceed $2,000 USD in transactions within 12 months<ref>https://payoneer.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/43738/~/annual-account-fee</ref>
*Users report being advised to immediately delete their Payoneer account after receiving compensation to avoid fees<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/Pixel4a/comments/1i1e4ds/i_have_replaced_battery_in_a_local_shop_not/</ref>

===Store-credit limitations===
The $100 USD Google Store credit option has restrictions:
*Must be used on full-price devices in most regions
*Available only for Pixel phone purchases<ref name=":0" />
*Cannot be used in conjunction with trade-in offers
*Users cannot change their compensation choice after selecting this option<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/Pixel4a/comments/1i2zz4g/100_google_store_voucher_code_cannot_be_combined/</ref>

===Editing of initial announcement===
By January 15, 2025 the following edit had been inserted into the original January 6 announcement:<blockquote>"'''Note:''' Carefully select your appeasement option as after you choose, you can't change it. You may have statutory rights available to you under laws of the country where you purchased the device. If available to you, you may alternatively make a claim pursuant to those."<ref>January 7, 2025, via the Wayback Machine: https://web.archive.org/web/20250107002112/https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/15701861

January 15, 2025, via the Wayback Machine: https://web.archive.org/web/20250115045948/https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/15701861</ref></blockquote>

==Aftermath of software update==
Users with "Impacted Devices" who have received the update have reported severely decreased battery capacity & other performance issues.

===Battery-performance issues===
Users have reported several issues following the update:
*Erratic battery percentage readings, including sudden jumps in charge levels
*Battery percentage remaining static despite continuous use
*Reduced charging speeds
*Permanent exclamation mark appearing in battery indicator
*Forced battery percentage display
*Severely reduced battery life, even with recently replaced batteries<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/Pixel4a/comments/1i2xm7c/i_change_my_battery_a_month_before_the_upgrade/</ref>

===Battery-replacement complications===
Many users have reported that replacing the battery, either before or after the update, doesn't fix the performance limitations:
*Devices with new batteries still show warning indicators
*Performance remains capped even with official Google batteries
*Users who replaced batteries before the update experienced the same limitations as those with original batteries<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/Pixel4a/comments/1i2xm7c/i_change_my_battery_a_month_before_the_upgrade/</ref>
*Google support has indicated this may be due to repairs being performed outside of authorized service centers<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/Pixel4a/comments/1i19hxf/replaced_the_battery_but_still_the_warning/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Pixel4a/comments/1i1e4ds/i_have_replaced_battery_in_a_local_shop_not/</ref>

In a Reddit poll posted on the r/Pixel4a subreddit, 170 out 212 respondents stated that their device had been identified as an "Impacted Device" by Google.<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/Pixel4a/comments/1hvmggd/pixel_4a_battery_update_google_says_some_phones/</ref>

====Technical evidence of battery changes====
Hector Martin has analyzed the software update of the Pixel 4a. He determined that the battery profiles had changed such that "LSN" batteries (e.g. "Lishen"?) have a significantly lower charge limit.<ref>https://social.treehouse.systems/@marcan/113914172433692339</ref> Presumably this means that battery replacements will only restore battery performance if the battery is replaced with an "ATL" battery ("Amperex Technology Limited").

==Possible technical rationale==
While Google has not provided detailed technical explanations for the update, there are several known factors about lithium-ion battery aging that could potentially justify such measures:

===Aging lithium-ion batteries===
Lithium-ion batteries face degradation as they age:
*Loss of active lithium ions through repeated charge cycles
*Growth of the Solid Electrolyte Interphase (SEI) layer
*Physical expansion & contraction stress during charging cycles
*Potential for dendrite formation in aged cells
*Increased internal resistance over time<ref>https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378775320301476</ref>

===Safety considerations===
Several factors specific to the Pixel 4a situation could indicate that this was a battery safety concern:
*The device was released in August 2020; many units are approaching 4.5 years of use
*The mandatory nature of the update suggests safety implications rather than performance optimization
*The use of specialized shipping containers marked for "Damaged/Defective Lithium Ion Battery(s)" parallels procedures used for known hazardous devices<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/Pixel4a/comments/1hxyp6z/certainly_seems_battery_defectrelated_vs_planned/</ref><ref>https://www.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Note-7-return-kit.png</ref>

*The update seems to target specific device serial numbers rather than all units; suggesting a manufacturing batch issue<ref>https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/7/24338566/google-pixel-4a-battery-stability-replacement-reduced-capacity</ref>

===Precedent in mobile phones===
Similar battery-related interventions have occurred previously; Apple's 2017 iPhone throttling was done to prevent unexpected shutdowns in devices with degraded batteries.

===Potential manufacturing variables===
Several factors could explain why only certain devices are affected:
*Different battery suppliers or manufacturing batches
*Variations in battery cell chemistry or construction
*Manufacturing date ranges coinciding with specific material supplies
*Quality control variations between production runs

These technical considerations suggest the update may be a preventative measure against potential battery safety issues, rather than planned obsolescence. However, Google's limited transparency about the specific technical justification has left users unable to verify this interpretation.<ref>https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/01/good-news-bad-news-pixel-4a-is-getting-an-update-but-it-reduces-battery-life/</ref>

==Criticism by community==
The following concerns have been raised regarding the Pixel 4a Battery Performance Program:

#This update is an automatic update '''users can not opt''' '''out''' of.
#*While the update can be circumvented, it requires technical knowledge of Android phones, which an average user does not have.
#Google's communication on what the problem with "Impacted Devices" is and how the update seeks to remedy it has been vague.<ref>https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/01/good-news-bad-news-pixel-4a-is-getting-an-update-but-it-reduces-battery-life/</ref>
#*As Google has not publicly commented on the issue, users have been left to speculate on what the intent behind the update could be.
#Google Support has been giving out misleading or incorrect information'''.'''
#*Google Support initially stated that the $100 USD coupon code could not be used in combination with other sales. This has turned out to be false. This information may have affected the compensation option customers chose.<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/Pixel4a/comments/1i2zz4g/100_google_store_voucher_code_cannot_be_combined/</ref><ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/Pixel4a/comments/1i6ei4x/the_pixel_discount_does_stack_with_the_sale/</ref>
#At least two users have reported Google Support telling them that their Pixel 4a's trade-in price would be lowered after the update's installation.<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/Pixel4a/comments/1i43nz3/does_anyone_know_if_theyll_give_full_cashback_for/

[https://www.reddit.com/r/Pixel4a/comments/1i43nz3/comment/m867zhz/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button https://www.reddit.com/r/Pixel4a/comments/1i43nz3/comment/m867zhz/]</ref>
#Google's use of Payoneer makes it impossible for people to receive the $50 that Google offered as an option. The most someone can receive is $47 if they share personal financial information with an unknown-to-them company including their social security number, and promptly cancel the Payoneer service to avoid additional fees.

==Restoring battery functionality==
'''Warning:''' please consider the [[Pixel 4a Battery Performance Program#Safety considerations|battery safety concerns]] before reverting or ignoring updates. Users must evaluate battery health at own risk.

Following the criticism, the community was quick to find workarounds to retain or restore previous battery capacity. Users can stop the update by blocking DNS requests to Google's OTA servers (''ota.googlezip.net, ota-cache1.googlezip.net, ota-cache2.googlezip.net'') via a DNS filtering application such as NextDNS, RethinkDNS, or AdAway<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/Pixel4a/comments/1i0zih0/the_only_working_solution_to_stop_the_forced/</ref>. Users can delete an already downloaded (and not yet installed) update: ''Settings -> Apps -> All Apps -> Google Play Services -> Storage and cache -> Manage Space'' and from there on delete all data through the "'''Clear all data'''" button. If the phone has already installed the Jan 2025 update, users can manually flash the previous firmware to restore functionality<ref>https://xdaforums.com/t/undo-the-january-2025-update-without-losing-data-unlocked-devices-only.4713980</ref>. Flashing to the previous firmware requires unlocking the bootloader<ref>https://xdaforums.com/t/guide-unlock-root-safetynet-for-pixel-4a.4153773/</ref>, and a copy of the previous firmware from November 2023 (sunfish-tq3a.230805.001.s1-factory-82902ea9) <ref>https://xdaforums.com/t/changes-coming-to-your-pixel-4a.4712085/</ref>.

Google has removed all official images for the pixel 4a except the jan 2025 update, effectively removing official images as an option for downgrades <ref>https://developers.google.com/android/images#sunfish</ref>.

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Incidents]]
[[Category:Pixel 4a]]

Consumer Rights Wiki - User contributions [en]

Pixel 4a Battery Performance Program