Pixel 6a to get mandatory update from Google to fix problems with overheating

DeletedUser299

I will use my P6a until EOL 2027, then decide what to do. I am not impressed with Pixels either.

de0u

0s12BeukNvDGVbT Regarding the "free" battery replacement offered by Google, there have been a number of reports of Google discovering other issues with the phone during their assessment, and refusing to replace the battery, unless the customer pays for other, unwanted repairs.

This is documented on Google's support page for this issue.

0s12BeukNvDGVbT First of all, you have to log in using your Google account just to use the service - not a good start. Then, it asks you to enter your device's IMEI number in order to assess whether your device is affected.

As I see it, the options would be:

Asking you to open up the device to read the serial number off of the battery,
Asking you to enter something unique about the device that locates the record in their manufacturing database,
Writing and shipping code to read the serial number out of the battery and display it, or to display an indication of whether or not the battery is one of the worrisome ones.

I think #1 is clearly impractical.

For #2, their database already includes, for each device, the association between serial number and IMEI, so it wouldn't be any more private at all if they asked for the serial number instead.

For #3, the code is written and they are rolling it out, so the web site is a way for people to find out before the device pops up an alert. There will be a completely anonymous way to find out if the device is affected: as the detection code rolls out, wait until it lands on the device. We don't yet know if GrapheneOS will ship some or all of the code, but if they don't then flashing the device back to Google's supported OS will provide access to the detection code.

Gating the web-based classifier behind a Google account can be inconvenient for people who don't already have one, but, again, the web-based classifier is not the only option. And it sort of makes sense that if they are planning to mail money to people then they would want some sort of anti-fraud provision, or else people would just spam the rebate system with serial numbers until they got a reward.

To flip this around... I wonder what would seem to be the best system, keeping in mind that they are already rolling out on-device detection code, that a web-based detector will need to know something unique about the device (which is the same as all other unique identifiers for that same device), and also that they arguably need some sort of fraud-friction mechanism? Whichever system seems optimal in light of the constraints: has any other company done it that way that could be used as a positive example?

Edit: Please note that I am not a Google employee, nor a family member of a Google employee, etc.

faaaaaj

so my pixel 6a is "not eligible" for the replacement. does that mean it isnt affected? or is the fact that im running gos mix smth up?

de0u

faaaaaj so my pixel 6a is "not eligible" for the replacement. does that mean it isnt affected?

Google's support page says "If your device is not impacted, your battery management features will remain the same as before, and you will not be eligible for these support options under this program".

Though not necessarily true from a pure mathematics perspective, that sentence does suggest that "not eligible" means "your device is not impacted" and that your battery's behavior will not be changed.

faaaaaj or is the fact that im running gos mix smth up?

If the "not eligible" response was based on you providing only your IMEI, then Google doesn't know which OS you are running, in which case presumably the OS wasn't a factor in the decision.

Dumdum

https://grapheneos.social/@GrapheneOS/114836039465525458

We'll ship it and perhaps figure out how to display a notification to users about it with the option to disable the safety feature. People should get the battery replaced though.

wonder75

Dumdum Great news, thank you. Didn't feel too good with a possible incendiary composition in my house.

billinmtl

My 6a is not eligible - signed in and supplied my imei. TBH, went to the website on my Chromebook so the 6a does not need to be where you sign in from

DirtyDan

billinmtl Just curious, when did it say you weren't eligible? I started the process and was presented with 3 options ($100 payment, $150 store credit, or free battery replacement). I didn't go past that point since I haven't decided yet which option I would choose.

Does getting these options mean I'm eligible or did you only find out you were not eligible after selecting one of the options?

Yax

I have two pixel 6a phones bought 2 months apart. One is affected and I asked for a refund. It received the Google update which reduces the load to 78%. Yesterday I installed GrapheneOS and set the charge limitation to 80%. I can now benefit from Graphene and hope to be on the safe side as far as the battery is concerned.

billinmtl

DirtyDan I got a reply of not eligible immediately right after entering my imei on the google site

I was not given any options as my battery is not part of the batch or vendor that is effected.

That is my understanding

0s12BeukNvDGVbT

billinmtl May I ask what country you logged into your Google account from?

It appears that in some countries, Google refuses to provide any output unless the account is age verified.

thure

0s12BeukNvDGVbT

I did it with a Google account from Germany and was presented with the three options. I used an account without phone number and wasn't asked to verify my age.

0s12BeukNvDGVbT

0s12BeukNvDGVbT In addition to the issue with the "free" battery replacement potentially not being free, I have also discovered a report from Ars Technica, describing how Google's cash payout also comes with a price:

I selected my $50 "appeasement" through an online form, and two days later, I received an email from Bharath on the Google Support Team.

Bharath wanted me to know that I was eligible for the money and it would soon be in my hands... once I performed a small, almost trivial task: giving some company I had never heard of my name, address, phone number, Social Security number, date of birth, and bank account details.

[...]

And though Google promised "no transaction fees," Payoneer appears to charge an "annual account fee" of $29.95... but only to accounts that receive less than $2,000 through Payoneer in any consecutive 12-month period.

Does this fee apply to me if I sign up through the Google offer? I was directed to Payoneer support with any questions, but the company's FAQ on the annual account fee doesn't say.

[...]

I planned to write Bharath back to switch my "appeasement," but then I noticed the fine print: No changes are possible after making a selection.

[...]

To recap: My phone was shot, I had to jump through several hoops to get my money, and I couldn't change my "appeasement" once I realized that it wouldn't work for me.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/03/how-google-nerfed-my-pixel-4a-then-stuck-it-to-me-too/

Outside of that, user "munkle" in the comment section wrote this about the store credit Google offers as a final option:

Something else not pointed out about the $100 credit towards a new phone is that it is effectively useless, unless you absolutely cannot wait for one of the many sales. It doesn't stack with discounts. Google frequently discounts their phones a lot more than $100. If you try to apply the code on a sale price it will change the phone to full price and take off $100. Most people are going to choose the $200-300 off sale instead.

dustdust

I hope the GOS team rolls the update out in a timely manner. While I am apparently also not eligible, I can't be sure until I finally updated.

I don't even have a month until I am over the 2 year buy mark.

de0u

dustdust I believe I've read that the charging limit is not imposed until the battery cycle count reaches 400. If yours is under, it doesn't matter if the GrapheneOS rollout hasn't happened yet. If yours is over, GrapheneOS already has an 80% charge-level limit that could be useful in the interim.

dustdust

I am way over 400 and already have the 80% limit activated since it was released. Fingers crossed I won't be affected

wonder75

My phone was affected and i was over 500 cyles. So I bought a new bat from ebay (EUR 30) and found a local phone shop that installed it for me (EUR 35). Went well. Did not care to get money from Google so I can't tell if it works nicely.

Hostocall

If you wonder how to check our battery cycle count:
cat /sys/class/power_supply/battery/cycle_count
(I needed sudo for read rights)

My Pixel 6a is eligible, but only at 335 cycles. I have the July patch. So far no notification from GrapheneOS.

de0u

Hostocall If you wonder how to check our battery cycle count:
cat /sys/class/power_supply/battery/cycle_count
(I needed sudo for read rights)

Settings, About phone, Battery information

Hostocall

de0u Well, just to be sure, I've checked and both numbers match :) .

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