Is your phone battery draining too quickly? Google blames Instagram and recommends this solution.

The battery draining faster than expected on Android phones wasn't just a user sensation, but a reality that Google has now confirmed. Not only has it identified the problem, it has also found the culprit, and it claims it's Instagram .

For several weeks now, many users, especially those with Motorola phones or Google Pixels, have been seeing their batteries drain more quickly, and repeated complaints on social media have prompted brands to respond to address the issue.

For a few days now, complaints from users of Pixel phones and other brands using the Android operating system have been multiplying on forums and social media. Many have noticed that their devices' batteries were draining much faster than usual, even without intensive use.

The Threads app was first targeted, but a few days later, suspicion quickly shifted to Instagram, and Google itself came forward to confirm the cause. The Android team identified poor behavior in recent versions of the app , which was generating abnormal resource usage, especially in the background.

Instagram on Android

Google reported that it has already worked with Meta to resolve the issue, and that the latest version of Instagram on the Google Play Store fixes the bug . Therefore, the official recommendation is that users update the app as soon as possible.

“If you're experiencing unusual battery drain, make sure you have the latest version of Instagram installed,” a Pixel spokesperson explained on Google's official support forum .

To check if Instagram is the cause of the problem, users can go to:

Settings > Battery > Battery usage

There you can see the percentage that each application consumed during the day.

If Instagram is listed among the top tier versions, even if you haven't used it much, you most likely have a version affected by this bug.

This type of issue isn't new. Popular apps like Facebook and TikTok have had similar experiences , where a poorly optimized update can cause excessive battery consumption without the user immediately noticing.

The difference this time is that the response was relatively quick , with an update already available and clear communication from Google, something that doesn't always happen in these types of cases.

Although it has been resolved, the incident has once again brought into focus the importance of performance testing for mobile apps, especially when they reach millions of users. In an age where battery life remains a central aspect of the mobile experience, a poorly optimized app can ruin anyone's day .

• Update Instagram: Search for the app on Google Play and click “Update” if available.

• Restart your phone : After updating the app, restarting it helps ensure everything works properly.

• Disable background refresh: This helps minimize battery usage by not using it all the time.

• Activate battery saving mode: This option is only useful if you identify high consumption during the day.