Not just you: Several Google Pixel Watch owners are experiencing severe battery drain

Google Pixel Watches have had their fair share of software teething problems over the years. Now, users across multiple generations of Google’s smartwatch lineup are reporting severe, unprovoked battery drain that is cutting runtime by more than half.

Several users on Reddit are complaining about a new battery drain affecting multiple generations of the Pixel Watch, with reports specifically mentioning the Pixel Watch 2, 3, 4, and 5. Affected users report that watches that normally coasted through 24 to 48 hours on a single charge are suddenly dying in under 12 hours. In some cases, the Pixel Watch is said to have lost as much as 20% of its battery every four hours while sitting idle, with Always-on Display turned off and background activity kept to a bare minimum.

Several users suspect a misbehaving app or a stalled background service as the likely culprit behind the battery drain. While older Pixel Watch 2 units could theoretically experience natural battery health degradation over time, the identical and near-overnight symptoms on newer hardware like the Pixel Watch 4 point squarely to software as the likely cause rather than hardware.

As for fixes, community members have tested a few workarounds with mixed results. If you’re experiencing a similar sudden battery drain on your Pixel Watch, start by restarting your watch to see if it improves the situation, though other users say this doesn’t solve it. It’s also a good idea to check for any pending software and app updates and install them all. The most success seems to be coming from a clean factory reset without restoring your data backup, though this is quite a nuclear solution for most users. If you are on the Pixel Watch 2 or the original Pixel Watch (1), you might also benefit from a battery replacement at this stage.

Google has not yet officially acknowledged this new Pixel Watch battery drain issue. If your Pixel Watch is suddenly struggling to make it to dinnertime, waiting for a patch might be your best bet, unless you don’t mind a clean factory reset. We’ve reached out to Google for comments and will keep you updated when we learn more.