Battery Health Assistance: Difference between revisions

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Battery Health Assistance is an anti-feature by Google, used on Google Pixel Smartphones since Pixel 6a and later. While it can be turned off ~~on models earlier than Pixel 9a, for~~ Pixel 9a and Pixel 10 series, it can't be turned off.

Battery Health Assistance is an anti-feature by Google, used on Google Pixel Smartphones since Pixel 6a and later. While on some models it can be turned off. For Pixel 9a and Pixel 10 series, it can't be turned off.

Google claims Battery Health Assistance is to "stabilize performance and aging". Critics point out the forced nature and performance degradation over time can be considered planned obsolescence. Users report worse, not better, battery health measured on both Android 16 and third-party software, contrary to Google's claim.

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Current and former Pixel users condemn this program and compared it with Apple's "Batterygate" and the Pixel 4a Battery Performance Program, saying that Battery Health Assistance is "worse", a "fancy name for planned obsolescence"<ref>{{Cite web |title=This is worse than Apple |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/1jp883q/google_will_gradually_reduce_pixel_9a_battery/ml6m0y7/?context=3 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250405011000/https://old.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/1jp883q/google_will_gradually_reduce_pixel_9a_battery/ml6m0y7/?context=3 |archive-date=5 Apr 2025 |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=16 Apr 2025 |title=Pixel reducing battery capacity after 200 charge cycles |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/1k0r54v/pixel_reducing_battery_capacity_after_200_charge/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250616031438/https://old.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/1k0r54v/pixel_reducing_battery_capacity_after_200_charge/ |archive-date=16 Jun 2025 |access-date=16 Jun 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>. and the Pixel 4a incident is a "preview"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 Apr 2025 |title=Pixel 9a will have battery "optimised" after 200 cycles |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pixel4a/comments/1jpk1db/pixel_9a_will_have_battery_optimised_after_200/ |url-status=live |access-date=3 Apr 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>

Users also find the wording of the support article on Google's website vague and lack of self-consistency,<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 Apr 2024 |title=So they want to reduce the wear out of the battery by... doing exactly the same? What's logic behind this? |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/1jp883q/comment/mkzu6lc/ |url-status=dead |access-date=2 Apr 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref> saying the Google will "cause the thing they are supposedly trying to prevent"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 Apr 2025 |title=Deliberate weakening after only 200 charging cycles: Google Pixel 9a limits battery voltage according to a planned schedule |url=https://www.notebookchat.com/index.php?topic=225600.msg645716#msg645716 |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=NotebookCHECK - Notebook Forum}}</ref>, forcing the user to replace the phone sooner that what would "naturally" happen.

Users also find the wording of the support article on Google's website vague and lack of self-consistency,<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 Apr 2024 |title=So they want to reduce the wear out of the battery by... doing exactly the same? What's logic behind this? |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/1jp883q/comment/mkzu6lc/ |url-status=dead |access-date=2 Apr 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref> saying the Google will "cause the thing they are supposedly trying to prevent"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 Apr 2025 |title=Deliberate weakening after only 200 charging cycles: Google Pixel 9a limits battery voltage according to a planned schedule |url=https://www.notebookchat.com/index.php?topic=225600.msg645716#msg645716 |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=NotebookCHECK - Notebook Forum}}</ref>, forcing the user to replace the phone sooner that what would "naturally" happen<ref name=":6" />.

Users report shorter runtime<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 Jun 2025 |title=Absolutely disappointed with Google and their latest updates including A16 |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/1lb4i26/absolutely_disappointed_with_google_and_their/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250616034347/https://old.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/1lb4i26/absolutely_disappointed_with_google_and_their/ |archive-date=16 Jun 2025 |access-date=16 Jun 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>, slower charging speed<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 Jun 2025 |title=Did you notice that Battery optimization feature is the one that is forced on P9a? |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/pixel_phones/comments/1laiiok/did_you_notice_that_battery_optimization_feature/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250616040147/https://old.reddit.com/r/pixel_phones/comments/1laiiok/did_you_notice_that_battery_optimization_feature/ |archive-date=16 Jun 2025 |access-date=16 Jun 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref> and lower battery health<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 Jun 2025 |title=Is this how Battery Health function of A16 works ? |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/pixel_phones/comments/1lb38ll/is_this_how_battery_health_function_of_a16_works/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250616040252/https://old.reddit.com/r/pixel_phones/comments/1lb38ll/is_this_how_battery_health_function_of_a16_works/ |archive-date=16 Jun 2025 |access-date=16 Jun 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref> after updating to Android 16. The "slight" change in battery charging performance is much more significant. The battery health can be increased back to pre-update condition by switching off Battery Health Assistance.

There's an ongoing discussion of whether using a custom ROM like Graphene OS can bypass Battery Health Assistance, which depends on whether this anti-feature works on software or firmware level. If Battery Health Assistance is baked into the firmware of Pixel 10 and later, a custom ROM will not work.

There's an ongoing discussion of whether using a custom ROM like Graphene OS can bypass Battery Health Assistance, which depends on whether this anti-feature works on software or firmware level. If Battery Health Assistance is baked into the firmware of Pixel 10 and later, a custom ROM will not work<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |date=22 Aug 2025 |title=Google will throttle your Pixel 10's battery, and there's nothing you can do about it |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/GrapheneOS/comments/1mxgmq9/google_will_throttle_your_pixel_10s_battery_and/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250907084717/https://old.reddit.com/r/GrapheneOS/comments/1mxgmq9/google_will_throttle_your_pixel_10s_battery_and/ |archive-date=7 Sep 2025 |access-date=7 Sep 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>.

==References==

[[Category:Google Pixel 9a]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-Battery Health Assistance is an anti-feature by Google, used on Google Pixel Smartphones since Pixel 6a and later. While it can be turned off on models earlier than Pixel 9a, for Pixel 9a and Pixel 10 series, it can't be turned off.
+Battery Health Assistance is an anti-feature by Google, used on Google Pixel Smartphones since Pixel 6a and later. While on some models it can be turned off. For Pixel 9a and Pixel 10 series, it can't be turned off.
 Google claims Battery Health Assistance is to "stabilize performance and aging". Critics point out the forced nature and performance degradation over time can be considered planned obsolescence. Users report worse, not better, battery health measured on both Android 16 and third-party software, contrary to Google's claim.
@@ Line 57: / Line 57: @@
 Current and former Pixel users condemn this program and compared it with Apple's "Batterygate" and the Pixel 4a Battery Performance Program, saying that Battery Health Assistance is "worse", a "fancy name for planned obsolescence"<ref>{{Cite web |title=This is worse than Apple |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/1jp883q/google_will_gradually_reduce_pixel_9a_battery/ml6m0y7/?context=3 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250405011000/https://old.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/1jp883q/google_will_gradually_reduce_pixel_9a_battery/ml6m0y7/?context=3 |archive-date=5 Apr 2025 |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=16 Apr 2025 |title=Pixel reducing battery capacity after 200 charge cycles |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/1k0r54v/pixel_reducing_battery_capacity_after_200_charge/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250616031438/https://old.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/1k0r54v/pixel_reducing_battery_capacity_after_200_charge/ |archive-date=16 Jun 2025 |access-date=16 Jun 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>. and the Pixel 4a incident is a "preview"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 Apr 2025 |title=Pixel 9a will have battery "optimised" after 200 cycles |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Pixel4a/comments/1jpk1db/pixel_9a_will_have_battery_optimised_after_200/ |url-status=live |access-date=3 Apr 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>
-Users also find the wording of the support article on Google's website vague and lack of self-consistency,<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 Apr 2024 |title=So they want to reduce the wear out of the battery by... doing exactly the same? What's logic behind this? |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/1jp883q/comment/mkzu6lc/ |url-status=dead |access-date=2 Apr 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref> saying the Google will "cause the thing they are supposedly trying to prevent"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 Apr 2025 |title=Deliberate weakening after only 200 charging cycles: Google Pixel 9a limits battery voltage according to a planned schedule |url=https://www.notebookchat.com/index.php?topic=225600.msg645716#msg645716 |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=NotebookCHECK - Notebook Forum}}</ref>, forcing the user to replace the phone sooner that what would "naturally" happen.
+Users also find the wording of the support article on Google's website vague and lack of self-consistency,<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 Apr 2024 |title=So they want to reduce the wear out of the battery by... doing exactly the same? What's logic behind this? |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/1jp883q/comment/mkzu6lc/ |url-status=dead |access-date=2 Apr 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref> saying the Google will "cause the thing they are supposedly trying to prevent"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 Apr 2025 |title=Deliberate weakening after only 200 charging cycles: Google Pixel 9a limits battery voltage according to a planned schedule |url=https://www.notebookchat.com/index.php?topic=225600.msg645716#msg645716 |url-status=live |access-date=5 Apr 2025 |website=NotebookCHECK - Notebook Forum}}</ref>, forcing the user to replace the phone sooner that what would "naturally" happen<ref name=":6" />.
 Users report shorter runtime<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 Jun 2025 |title=Absolutely disappointed with Google and their latest updates including A16 |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/1lb4i26/absolutely_disappointed_with_google_and_their/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250616034347/https://old.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/1lb4i26/absolutely_disappointed_with_google_and_their/ |archive-date=16 Jun 2025 |access-date=16 Jun 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>, slower charging speed<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 Jun 2025 |title=Did you notice that Battery optimization feature is the one that is forced on P9a? |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/pixel_phones/comments/1laiiok/did_you_notice_that_battery_optimization_feature/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250616040147/https://old.reddit.com/r/pixel_phones/comments/1laiiok/did_you_notice_that_battery_optimization_feature/ |archive-date=16 Jun 2025 |access-date=16 Jun 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref> and lower battery health<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 Jun 2025 |title=Is this how Battery Health function of A16 works ? |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/pixel_phones/comments/1lb38ll/is_this_how_battery_health_function_of_a16_works/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250616040252/https://old.reddit.com/r/pixel_phones/comments/1lb38ll/is_this_how_battery_health_function_of_a16_works/ |archive-date=16 Jun 2025 |access-date=16 Jun 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref> after updating to Android 16. The "slight" change in battery charging performance is much more significant. The battery health can be increased back to pre-update condition by switching off Battery Health Assistance.
-There's an ongoing discussion of whether using a custom ROM like Graphene OS can bypass Battery Health Assistance, which depends on whether this anti-feature works on software or firmware level. If Battery Health Assistance is baked into the firmware of Pixel 10 and later, a custom ROM will not work.
+There's an ongoing discussion of whether using a custom ROM like Graphene OS can bypass Battery Health Assistance, which depends on whether this anti-feature works on software or firmware level. If Battery Health Assistance is baked into the firmware of Pixel 10 and later, a custom ROM will not work<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |date=22 Aug 2025 |title=Google will throttle your Pixel 10's battery, and there's nothing you can do about it |url=https://old.reddit.com/r/GrapheneOS/comments/1mxgmq9/google_will_throttle_your_pixel_10s_battery_and/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250907084717/https://old.reddit.com/r/GrapheneOS/comments/1mxgmq9/google_will_throttle_your_pixel_10s_battery_and/ |archive-date=7 Sep 2025 |access-date=7 Sep 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>.
 ==References==
 {{reflist}}
 [[Category:Google Pixel 9a]]