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| The Pixel 10 may experience shorter battery life after applying Google's March 2026 update. |
The March security patch was supposed to fix things. Instead, Pixel users are watching their battery percentages drop like stones.
It’s been a rocky road for Google’s Pixel 10 series since its launch last August. What started as a promising flagship lineup has turned into a troubleshooting headache for thousands of users. And just when things seemed to be calming down, Google shipped another update that appears to have made matters significantly worse.
If you own a Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, or even the more budget-friendly Pixel 10a (currently $449 on Amazon) , you might want to hold off on installing the latest March update. According to a growing number of reports across Reddit and Google’s own support forums, the update is causing catastrophic battery drain – and it’s not just affecting the newest models.
From Display Woes to Battery Nightmares
Longtime Pixel fans will remember the early days of the Pixel 10 launch. Within weeks, early adopters reported flickering screens, green tints, and unresponsive touch panels. Google eventually rolled out fixes for those display issues, but then subsequent updates introduced fresh bugs – including connectivity glitches and camera lag.
Now, the March 2026 security update has unleashed what might be the most frustrating issue yet: severe battery drain that makes the phones nearly unusable by early afternoon.
According to a detailed Google Support thread, users are reporting that their Pixel devices are losing 10–15% battery per hour even while sitting idle on a desk. One Pixel 10 Pro owner wrote, “I took my phone off the charger at 7 AM. By 11 AM, with barely 30 minutes of screen time, I was at 48%. Something is seriously wrong.”
The Problem Goes Back to the Pixel 7 Series
Perhaps the most alarming aspect of this bug is its reach. While you’d expect the latest Pixel 10 family to bear the brunt of any software issue, the March update is also hammering older devices – all the way back to the Pixel 7 series.
Yes, that means Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 8, Pixel 8a, and Pixel 9 owners are also reporting drastically shorter battery life after installing the same update. One Pixel 7 user on the r/GooglePixel subreddit (the post has since been removed by moderators, but screenshots are circulating) claimed their phone now dies before lunchtime – something that never happened on the previous Android 15 build.
What’s Actually Causing the Drain? (It’s the Modem)
Thanks to some clever detective work by users who pulled log files from their affected devices, we now have a clearer picture of what’s going wrong.
The March update appears to introduce a bug that causes the Pixel’s modem to activate repeatedly – sometimes as frequently as four times per second. This constant cycling prevents Google’s Tensor chipsets from ever entering their more power-efficient standby mode. In other words, your phone’s brain is stuck running at near-full throttle even when the screen is off and you’re not doing anything.
For those unfamiliar, Tensor chips are designed with a separate low-power core for background tasks. That core can’t do its job if the modem keeps waking up the main processor every quarter of a second. The result? A phone that feels warm to the touch and drains faster than a cheap Android from 2015.
Google’s Silence Is Deafening
As of today (April 15, 2026), Google has not publicly acknowledged the issue. Despite multiple reports on the company’s own Issue Tracker website, no official statement has been issued, and no fix has been promised. That’s particularly frustrating for users who rely on their Pixels for work or daily navigation.
The lack of communication has left many feeling abandoned. One user on the Issue Tracker wrote, “I’ve been a Pixel fan since the 3a. But this is the third major update in a row that broke something critical. I’m seriously considering switching to an iPhone.”
What Can You Do Right Now?
If you haven’t installed the March update yet, do not install it. Disable automatic updates in your system settings until Google releases a patch. If you’ve already installed the update and are experiencing rapid battery drain, here are a few temporary workarounds that some users have reported as helpful:
Restart your phone – This can sometimes reset the modem cycling behavior, at least for a few hours.
Turn on Airplane Mode when you don’t need connectivity – Disabling the cellular radio stops the modem from waking up constantly.
Use Battery Saver mode – This forces the CPU to lower its clock speed, mitigating some of the drain.
Roll back to the February update – This requires sideloading the OTA file via a computer, which isn’t for everyone, but it works.
For those considering the Pixel 10a as a budget option, it’s worth noting that the device itself is excellent on paper – clean software, great camera, and a competitive $449 price tag on Amazon. But until Google fixes this March update disaster, you might want to wait.
When Will a Fix Arrive?
Historically, Google has taken anywhere from two to four weeks to address major bugs like this. The company’s next scheduled update is the April security patch, expected in the first week of May. However, given the severity of the battery drain, Google may push an out-of-band hotfix sooner.
In the meantime, the best resource for tracking this issue is the official Google Support thread, where Google’s community managers occasionally post updates. Android Authority has also been covering the story closely, with new findings emerging daily.
The Bottom Line
The Google Pixel 10 series had so much potential. The cameras are fantastic, the Tensor G4 chip delivers smooth performance, and the Pixel 10a offers incredible value for $449. But none of that matters if your phone can’t make it through a full workday without begging for a charger.
For now, Pixel owners are stuck playing a waiting game. Update at your own risk – or better yet, don’t update at all until Google gets its act together. And if you’re on a Pixel 7 or newer, check your battery stats. You might be surprised (and not in a good way) at what you find.
Have you experienced battery drain after the March update? Let us know in the comments. We’ll update this article as soon as Google responds.