Google Confirms Instagram Was Killing Battery Life on Android and Pixel Devices

Google Pixel users have been dealing with serious battery drain issues lately. Recently, Google said it’s not their fault but your favorite social media app that’s responsible for this problem. Instagram was the reason Pixel devices kept running out of battery all the time. Now it looks like Google has confirmed a bug in the Instagram app is causing excessive battery drain on many Android devices, especially Pixel smartphones.

This saga actually started after an update in May, when a number of Pixel users noticed their phones losing charge way faster than usual. Google investigated and pinpointed the problem to a buggy Instagram version. Now, Google says Instagram is rolling out an updated app to fix the issue. Users should update to Instagram build 382.0.0.49.84 ASAP to stop the drain and protect their battery life.

Google hasn’t officially confirmed whether this problem affects only Pixel phones or a wider range of Android devices, but Pixel users have definitely been hit the hardest. Reports on Reddit and other user forums have flooded in about Instagram rapidly draining battery and causing overheating.

Some users tried uninstalling updates or reverting to older Instagram versions, but none of these workarounds helped much. A few even switched to Instagram Lite and saw big improvements in battery life.

Now that the official update is rolling out, all these problems should get fixed. So if you’re struggling with battery issues and have Instagram installed, head to the Google Play Store and update your app to the latest version immediately.