Google Pixel 6a Users Warned About Battery Heating Issue: What The Company Said
Google has warned users about battery overheating issues with the Pixel 6a units that can be damaging for the device and the user
Pixel 6a users have been warned by Google about a major issue with the battery that can be only fixed by reducing its charging hold and capacity. The company is going to roll out an update that will throttle the battery usage on the Pixel 6a model and this will be mandatory for most users.
Google has started the process of reaching out to the affected Pixel 6a owners and they will be informed about the next steps in July and helping them address the issue.
Pixel 6a Battery Update: What's The Issue?
It seems the new Android 16 beta version has forced Google to rethink its OS strategy for the Pixel 6a model, which can face potential battery overheating issues. The new Android version is available for the Pixel 6a device and somehow it feels like the culprit behind these problems.
Google has mentioned that the update will be mandatory for the Pixel 6a users which will reduce the capacity of the battery as well as its charging speed to control the possible heating issues. The company will apply these throttles once the Pixel 6a unit reaches 400 charging cycles.
Pixel 6a is the latest device to face overheating issues, and this confirmation from Google makes it a worrying situation. Google faced similar issues with the Pixel 4a model earlier, for which the company has offered free battery replacement if the particular model/unit was affected and eligible for the free of cost change. You could avail it by heading to the near service centre and get it replaced by the company.
Google is likely to take some time before issuing this battery-related update for the Pixel 6a users and we will gradually come to know about the affected number of users and how they will be helped with the process. Either Google will change the battery like the Pixel 4a or should consider other ways to mitigate the problem for the consumer.
First Published:
June 12, 2025, 14:53 IST
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
40 minutes ago
- Mint
Tea App Hacked: 72,000 private images including women's IDs and selfies leaked online
A massive data breach has rocked the Tea app — a fast-growing platform marketed as a safe, anonymous space for women to share experiences about men — after tens of thousands of private images, including selfies and government IDs, were leaked online in a targeted cyberattack. The incident has sparked widespread outrage and renewed scrutiny over how digital platforms protect sensitive user data. The Tea app, which recently surged to the top of the Apple App Store as a safe digital space for women to discuss men, has been hacked — exposing tens of thousands of private photos including government-issued IDs and selfies. A spokesperson for Tea confirmed the cyberattack on Friday afternoon, stating that approximately 72,000 images were accessed in the breach. Among these, 13,000 were verification selfies and official ID photos submitted by users to gain access to the platform. Tea bills itself as a 'virtual whisper network' for women. The app allows users to search men by name, share photos, and label individuals as a 'red flag' or 'green flag' based on past experiences. It also includes the option to run background checks and reverse-search images to help identify catfishing. Users are required to upload a selfie during sign-up to verify they are women — a process Tea claims is followed by immediate deletion of the image after review. Anonymity is guaranteed, and the app even blocks screenshots to protect privacy. But now, that very promise is under fire after sensitive user data appears to have been leaked and circulated online. According to the company, the hacker accessed a database dating back over two years, which was originally retained for compliance with law enforcement in connection with cyberbullying prevention. The breach was first reported by 404 Media on Friday. A post on 4Chan, a notorious online message board, included a download link allegedly containing the stolen data. Many of the leaked images — including verification selfies and ID documents — have now surfaced across 4Chan and X (formerly Twitter). Adding to the alarm, an anonymous user has created a Google Map claiming to display the coordinates of affected users. While no names or addresses are included, the map has amplified concerns around personal safety. Tea Responds: 'Protecting Our Users Is Our Highest Priority' In response, Tea stated that it had hired third-party cybersecurity experts and was 'working around the clock to secure our systems.' 'Protecting our users' privacy and data is our highest priority. Tea is taking every necessary step to ensure the security of our platform and prevent further exposure,' Tea's creator, Sean Cook, has said the app was born out of his own mother's harrowing online dating experience — involving catfishing and unknowingly dating men with criminal histories. The app aims to offer women tools to protect themselves in an era of digital dating risks. Tea also claims to donate 10% of its profits to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, a claim confirmed by the organisation to NBC News. As Tea's popularity exploded — reportedly gaining nearly 2 million new signups in recent days — it also sparked backlash online. Some men, particularly on forums like 4Chan, have criticised the app and even called for coordinated hacking efforts. In a Thursday night thread, users on 4Chan discussed plans to 'hack and leak' the app, shortly before the breach occurred. Other groups have floated the idea of a male-only version of Tea. One such attempt, an app called Teaborn, was pulled from the App Store after its creator was accused of facilitating the sharing of revenge porn. Interest in the app remains high. Tea said in an Instagram story that new signups have surpassed 2 million, though many users continue to report being stuck on waitlists. In the wake of the breach, concerned users flooded the app's Instagram page, questioning whether their data is truly safe.
Economic Times
3 hours ago
- Economic Times
Meta names former OpenAI researcher Shengjia Zhao as Chief scientist for superintelligence lab
Meta taps former OpenAI researcher Shengjia Zhao as Chief Scientist of its new Superintelligence AI Lab, signaling a bold move in the AGI race. Meta Platforms has appointed Shengjia Zhao, a former OpenAI researcher and co-author of the original ChatGPT paper, as the Chief Scientist of its new Superintelligence AI group, the company confirmed Friday (July 25). Zhao, who joined Meta in June, was a key contributor to OpenAI's early breakthroughs, including the development of ChatGPT and the company's first reasoning model, known as o1. The model helped set off a new wave of 'chain-of-thought' AI systems adopted by companies such as Google and DeepSeek. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Zhao's formal appointment in a post on Threads, calling him 'our lead scientist from day one.' Zuckerberg added: 'Now that our recruiting is going well and our team is coming together, we have decided to formalize his leadership role.' Zhao will report to Alexandr Wang, the former CEO of Scale AI, who joined Meta in June as Chief AI Officer. Wang is leading Meta's efforts in building artificial general intelligence (AGI), AI that can think and reason at or beyond human capability. The move comes amid Meta's aggressive recruitment campaign in the AI sector. Over the past two months, the company has hired more than a dozen researchers from OpenAI, Apple, Google, and Anthropic. That includes two top Apple AI scientists, Tom Gunter and Mark Lee, according to Bloomberg. Meta launched the Superintelligence Lab in June 2025 as part of its renewed focus on developing advanced AI models. The lab is separate from Meta's long-standing AI research group FAIR, which will continue to be led by Yann LeCun, who now reports to Wang. Meta's recent hires have drawn attention for the size of the compensation packages involved. Some reports suggested offers exceeding $100 million, although the company has denied rumors of higher figures, including claims of $300 million current open-source model, LLaMA 4, has not yet matched the capabilities of OpenAI's GPT-4 or Google's Gemini models. The company is expected to release a more advanced model, internally codenamed 'Behemoth,' later this expressed optimism about the lab's future, saying, 'Together we are building an elite, talent-dense team that has the resources and long-term focus to push the frontiers of superintelligence research.'
Mint
3 hours ago
- Mint
Meta Clashes With Apple, Google Over Age Check Legislation
(Bloomberg) -- The biggest tech companies are warring over who's responsible for children's safety online, with billions of dollars in fines on the line as states rapidly pass conflicting laws requiring companies to verify users' ages. The struggle has pitted Meta Platforms Inc. and other app developers against Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc.'s Google, the world's largest app stores. Lobbyists for both sides are moving from state to state, working to water down or redirect the legislation to minimize their clients' risks. This year alone, at least three states — Utah, Texas and Louisiana — passed legislation requiring tech companies to authenticate users' ages, secure parental consent for anyone under 18 and ensure minors are protected from potentially harmful digital experiences. Now, lobbyists for all three companies are flooding into South Carolina and Ohio, the next possible states to consider such legislation. The debate has taken on new importance after the Supreme Court this summer ruled age verification laws are constitutional in some instances. A tech group on Wednesday petitioned the Supreme Court to block a social media age verification law in Mississippi, teeing up a highly consequential decision in the next few weeks. Child advocates say holding tech companies responsible for verifying the ages of their users is key to creating a safer online experience for minors. Parents and advocates have alleged the social media platforms funnel children into unsafe and toxic online spaces, exposing young people to harmful content about self harm, eating disorders, drug abuse and more. Meta supporters argue the app stores should be responsible for figuring out whether minors are accessing inappropriate content, comparing the app store to a liquor store that checks patrons' IDs. Apple and Google, meanwhile, argue age verification laws violate children's privacy and argue the individual apps are better-positioned to do age checks. Apple said it's more accurate to describe the app store as a mall and Meta as the liquor store. The three new state laws put the responsibility on app stores, signaling Meta's arguments are gaining traction. The company lobbied in support of the Utah and Louisiana laws putting the onus on Apple and Google for tracking their users' ages. Similar Meta-backed proposals have been introduced in 20 states. Federal legislation proposed by Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah would hold the app stores accountable for verifying users' ages. Still, Meta's track record in its state campaigns is mixed. At least eight states have passed laws since 2024 forcing social media platforms to verify users' ages and protect minors online. Apple and Google have mobilized dozens of lobbyists across those states to argue that Meta is shirking responsibility for protecting children. 'We see the legislation being pushed by Meta as an effort to offload their own responsibilities to keep kids safe,' said Google spokesperson Danielle Cohen. 'These proposals introduce new risks to the privacy of minors, without actually addressing the harms that are inspiring lawmakers to act.' Meta spokesperson Rachel Holland countered that the company is supporting the approach favored by parents who want to keep their children safe online. 'Parents want a one-stop-shop to oversee their teen's online lives and 80% of American parents and bipartisan lawmakers across 20 states and the federal government agree that app stores are best positioned to provide this,' Holland said. As the regulation patchwork continues to take shape, the companies have each taken voluntary steps to protect children online. Meta has implemented new protections to restrict teens from accessing 'sensitive' content, like posts related to suicide, self-harm and eating disorders. Apple created 'Child Accounts,' which give parents more control over their children's' online activity. At Apple, spokesperson Peter Ajemian said it 'soon will release our new age assurance feature that empowers parents to share their child's age range with apps without disclosing sensitive information.' As the lobbying battle over age verification heats up, influential big tech groups are splintering and new ones emerging. Meta last year left Chamber of Progress, a liberal-leaning tech group that counts Apple and Google as members. Since then, the chamber, which is led by a former Google lobbyist and brands itself as the Democratic-aligned voice for the tech industry, has grown more aggressive in its advocacy against all age verification bills. 'I understand the temptation within a company to try to redirect policymakers towards the company's rivals, but ultimately most legislators don't want to intervene in a squabble between big tech giants,' said Chamber of Progress CEO Adam Kovacevich. Meta tried unsuccessfully to convince another major tech trade group, the Computer & Communications Industry Association, to stop working against bills Meta supports, two people familiar with the dynamics said. Meta, a CCIA member, acknowledged it doesn't always agree with the association. Meta is also still a member of NetChoice, which opposes all age verification laws no matter who's responsible. The group currently has 10 active lawsuits on the matter, including battling some of Meta's preferred laws. The disagreements have prompted some of the companies to form entirely new lobbying outfits. Meta in April teamed up with Spotify Technology SA and Match Group Inc. to launch a coalition aimed at taking on Apple and Google, including over the issue of age verification. Meta is also helping to fund the Digital Childhood Alliance, a coalition of conservative groups leading efforts to pass app-store age verification, according to three people familiar with the funding. Neither the Digital Childhood Alliance nor Meta responded directly to questions about whether Meta is funding the group. But Meta said it has collaborated with Digital Childhood Alliance. The group's executive director, Casey Stefanski, said it includes more than 100 organizations and child safety advocates who are pushing for more legislation that puts responsibility on the app stores. Stefanski said the Digital Childhood Alliance has met with Google 'several times' to share their concerns about the app store in recent months. The App Association, a group backed by Apple, has been running ads in Texas, Alabama, Louisiana and Ohio arguing that the app store age verification bills are backed by porn websites and companies. The adult entertainment industry's main lobby said it is not pushing for the bills; pornography is mostly banned from app stores. 'This one-size fits all approach is built to solve problems social media platforms have with their systems while making our members, small tech companies and app developers, collateral damage,' said App Association spokesperson Jack Fleming. In South Carolina and Ohio, there are competing proposals placing different levels of responsibility on the app stores and developers. That could end with more stringent legislation that makes neither side happy. 'When big tech acts as a monolith, that's when things die,' said Joel Thayer, a supporter of the app store age verification bills. 'But when they start breaking up that concentration of influence, all the sudden good things start happening because the reality is, these guys are just a hair's breath away from eating each other alive.' (Updates with App Association statement in 24th paragraph.) More stories like this are available on
