Pixel 9a battery draining way too fast

benzo301

I recently bought a new pixel 9a just to use graphene, right now it sits at 11 battery cycles. The battery lasts 5-6 hours max without the battery saver on and minimal usage, and even with it enabled it lasts around 7-8 hours.

On the stock rom it lasts at least twice as much, as i've tested it and even reinstalled graphene with no success. I know the first things that come to your mind when you hear this (same) so i obviously checked what apps are using my battery and used it for some days with 4G only. The data usage is 26%, but what's shocking is that 98 minutes of screen time on instagram uses 53% of the battery, so the problem is obviously not apps running in the backround (or at least those that i know of :D ) nor data usage.

Yes it is fully up to date and also worth mentioning I have 2 users separate from the owner one (which has nothing on it) and none are allowed to run in the backround.

Searched everywhere and came to the conclusion i should ask for help here. Also it drained 4% just as i was writing this with no other apps open.

Any help?

Novalissoide

benzo301 First step since you mentioned that specific app: Try running the phone normally but with the Instagram app fully disabled, just to isolate it for testing the case hypothesis that it is the main reason for the drain.

Do a search for battery saving tips in this forum, read up and study, have some patience, you'll get there.😉🕵🏾‍♂️

And keep the battery saver, and data saver toggled ON.

AcclaimSublevel19

sbp979

No, it's brand new:

benzo301 I recently bought a new pixel 9a just to use graphene, right now it sits at 11 battery cycles.

benzo301

benzo301 Quick update

Right now with 4G/LTe only and EVERY possible battery saving trick mentioned here and everywhere I could find around the internet, and absolutely nothing running in the backround, it still lasts less than a day with around 8h screentime max. Brand new Pixel 9a at 14 cycles.. I really can't figure it out at this point, with all of this it should last a lot longer, there are people who don't use any of those things and use the phone heavily and still get 2 days of battery without issues, just like i get on stock. I really don't get it, tried every possible thing, the only reason I'm still on GOS is Cellebrite and state-mandated surveillence.

But still, thanks for all the help, maybe I will figure it out somehow.
Stay safe!

benzo301

Novalissoide Thank you, but yes I did try that already but I thought it's too unimportant to mention as it made no difference. It was an example of the battery draining too fast in contrast with the small time of usage.
Even if i just play chess in the browser with nothing else opened it uses much more than it should (like 50% of my battery in 1h30).

I'm insisting on this being a software issue because on the pixel 6a i used to run graphene on the battery life was twice as good in the first few months even though it had 500mAh less than the 9a, thus making no sense.

Novalissoide

benzo301 if you haven't installed a Vpn yet:

https://github.com/celzero/rethink-app/releases/download/v0.5.5u/rethink-53.apk

After using this for a while and getting the hang of its usage, this app increasingly 'refurbished' my battery endurance.

AcclaimSublevel19

I wonder if this could be a battery defect (that may of course be worsened by not using battery saving settings which would explain the difference between stock and GOS). I and many others with Pixel 9as get 2 days of battery on both stock and GrapheneOS.

benzo301

AcclaimSublevel19

pizzadequeso around 20-25% in 8 hours

benzo301

AcclaimSublevel19 i have 2 days of battery power on stock too, that's my point, what in the world might be causing this on graphene?

pizzadequeso

whats you overnight battery drain percentage?

pizzadequeso

benzo301
that's a lot. Certainly not right. You should re-install stock android, if the problem persists, return your phone and get a different unit.

Novalissoide

benzo301 could you make a list of the apps you've installed?

benzo301

Novalissoide sure, on my main user i use 99% of the time i have whatsapp spotify and instagram (which are all restricted from running in the backround), librera, libretube, ironfox, brave and a calendar app from Fdroid
The second user has all the google crap but does not have the permission to run in the backround, and the owner has nothing on it.

I figured it might be an app problem too but it wasn't. As i said if i go to my owner user that has zero additional apps and just play chess on vanadium for 1h30, the battery goes down by 50%.

Novalissoide

benzo301
Brave, toss, stick to superior Vanadium.
Ironfox, toss, you should!'t use mozilla browsers, also it's a battery hog imho.
Spotify, battery hog, maybe use https://spotidown.online/ ?
Instagram, toss, login with Vanadium instead of the app, check occasionally for battery and privacy.

Novalissoide

benzo301 second user has all the google crap

You've got plenty of that in Owner, you should stick to just having all apps in Owner, delete the others. Create private space or second users only after getting Single user setup battery stable through testing+observing+learning.

benzo301

Novalissoide thanks man, I will.

benzo301

Novalissoide yeah i probably should set it up like that, but the fact that my old 6a had double the battery life than my 9a in the first few months (both GOS) is baffling, it had even more apps and more backround usage and 500mAh less and the EXACT same user setup.

I'm used to stuff giving me headaches and requiring a lot of monitoring and tweaking as i use DB with only Qubes and Arch on my laptop, but this is just something else entierly for me😂😂

sbp979

Sounds like a battery issue, was your phone second hand?

sbp979

AcclaimSublevel19 then get a new unit, might have battery issues. Google offers warranty

DeletedUser621

I have a 9a that I got at launch. It’s always running a VPN, heavy use for messaging apps, video, and streaming podcasts/music and end the day with around 50% left. Maybe your unit has a bad battery or some of your apps are draining it.

GZASGK

Do you fast charge, super fast charge and ultra fast charge a lot? Actually I should just say 'charge rapidly' with a high wattage (high voltage or current) maybe 30+Watt charger?
Does the phone get warm/hot in the process or at other times?

Fast charging, especially really fast charging makes battery life shorten Real FAST. So does h err at for any reason.

The 9a lasts 2 days on stock when you first buy it. Then you install GrapheneOS, get a nice high powered charger and it lasts 8 or 9 hours of browsing, f-droiding, chatting, Youtubing/cleantubing, not playing attention to screen brightness, volume, haptics, battery draining apps in the background, Data Saver switched OFF.

8 or 9 hrs isn't that bad. Fast charging DOOMS nice batteries real FAST.

benzo301

GZASGK I don't use fast charging at all, it just charges in 2 hours normally. I have a 7,5W charger with the original cable, and i used the exact same apps on stock with double the battery life.

Before switching back to stock to test everything i was pretty convinced it might be a factory defect too but it really doesn't look like it.

benzo301

benzo301 forgot to mention, there can't be any temperature issues as it never overheats nor does it face any low/high temperatures as it's either inside or in my car with me so it can't be temperature related. If i go outside with it in the cold it's either in a faraday bag in my backpack or i just don't take it at all with me.