Overview
- Users first flagged unusual standby battery drain on Pixel phones after a March 2026 system update and reports grew across Google’s Issue Tracker and forums.
- Google says it identified two system processes that repeatedly wake devices and integrated a fix in the July build CP2A.260705.006 for Pixel 9 and Pixel 10 series plus the Pixel 10a.
- Many Pixel owners report continued high standby drain after installing the July update, so the published fix’s effectiveness remains uncertain for some devices and other Pixel models are scheduled to get patches in September.
- Samsung users installing the July One UI/security update have since reported similar rapid drain, overheating and charging anomalies with anecdotal cases pointing to stuck encrypted WhatsApp backups as a possible contributor.
- The overall number of affected phones is unknown, vendors are still investigating, and users are advised to monitor idle battery use, report problems through official channels, and consider temporary steps like aborting stuck backups or powering devices off overnight until further patches arrive.