Pixel 4a batteries were overheating so much an entire country issued a recall notice

In January 2025, Google rolled out a rather confusing update for the Pixel 4a. It said it was launching a Pixel 4a Battery Performance Program aimed at improving "the stability of [the] battery's performance." There was a big catch, though: Not all Pixel 4a devices would see improvements. Google said some devices would instead notice a decline in their battery health (among other battery-related issues), bad enough to be eligible to ask for a free battery replacement.