The June update, although packed with new features like car crash detection and a new Google Home favorites widget, appears to have brought along a hidden bug impacting battery life. According to this report, several users onReddit and other online forums describe Pixel Watches losing significant charge within hours of recording workouts, despite starting with over 80% battery. The issue isn’t limited to exercise, either, with some users experiencing their watches completely drained overnight — frustrating considering they went to bed with a decent charge.
While the exact cause of this battery drain remains unclear, it seems to be linked to the aforementioned update. Some users have found temporary relief by disabling the newly added car crash detection feature, which uses sensors in the watch to detect the sudden impact and changes in motion that might occur during a car crash. Disabling it can potentially improve battery life, but it also means giving up this potentially life-saving feature.
Another option could be to perform a factory reset on your device. However, a factory reset wipes all your data and settings from the watch, returning it to its original state. This can be a time-consuming process, and you’ll need to re-configure all your settings and reinstall your apps. Because it’s a more drastic measure, resetting the watch is definitely the nuclear option and should only be considered as a last resort if other troubleshooting steps fail.
While the battery drain issue is undoubtedly frustrating, it’s important to remember that software updates often come with unexpected bugs. Additionally, the issue doesn’t appear to impact every user, as I have not personally experienced it on my first-generation Pixel Watch, but your mileage may vary. Hopefully, Google will address this issue promptly in a future update, restoring the Pixel Watch’s usual battery performance.