Pixel 4a Battery Performance Program: Difference between revisions

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'''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 already ~~has~~ the 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, 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>.

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>.

==References==

@@ Line 108: / Line 108: @@
 '''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 already has the 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, 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>.
+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>.
 ==References==