Google could've solved this trust issue by being more transparent instead of trying to sweep it all under the rug.

In January, Google released a battery update for the Pixel 4a. This firmware installs automatically, and since the company removed the previous versions, there was no way to revert back.

Pixel 4a battery update was due to overheating risk, per Australian ‘recall’ notice Google Pixel 10 leaks in official-looking renders with telephoto camera, striking blue color [Gallery] ...

Google’s fix for the Pixel 4a also resulted in an update that throttled the phone’s battery life. In both cases, a free battery replacement, or money towards a new phone, was offered.

When I heard about the Pixel 4a battery issues, I didn’t love it, but I didn’t worry too much. The phone is no longer supported and is several years old. As long as Google did right by Pixel ...

Naturally, there is a timeline for all of this, with Google setting January 8, 2026, as the end date. If you're in possession of a Pixel 4a, you have several months left to make a decision.

If this story sounds familiar, that’s because the Pixel 4a got a similar update. The issues with the Pixel 6a seem to be less wide-reaching, though, as fewer users were affected by battery issues.