Is the Google app topping your battery usage charts? Here are six effective ways to stop the drain and get your battery life back.
There is nothing more frustrating than checking your battery stats at noon only to see your phone is at 40%, with the Google app listed as the main culprit. It’s supposed to be a helpful utility—powering your search, Discover feed, and Assistant—not a resource-hogging vampire.
Whether it’s a buggy update or a feature running rogue in the background, Google app battery drain is a common issue for Android users. Fortunately, it is usually easy to fix.
Here are six ways to troubleshoot and fix Google app battery drain on your Android device.
1. Update the Google App
Before you start digging into complex settings, rule out the obvious: a software bug. Google frequently pushes updates to patch glitches. If you are running an outdated version, you might be suffering from a battery drain issue that has already been fixed.
- Open the Google Play Store.
- Tap your Profile icon in the top-right corner.
- Select Manage apps & device.
- Tap Updates available.
- Look for Google in the list and hit Update, or simply tap Update all.
Note: It is also wise to ensure Google Play Services is up to date, as the Google app relies heavily on it.
2. Clear the Google App Cache and Data
Over time, the Google app accumulates temporary data (cache) that can become corrupted. This often causes the app to get stuck in processing loops, heating up your phone and killing your battery.
- Open your device Settings.
- Go to Apps (or Apps & notifications > See all apps).
- Scroll down and tap on Google.
- Select Storage & cache.
- Tap Clear Cache.
If the drain persists after a day or two, return to this menu and select Clear Storage (or Manage Space) > Clear All Data. This resets the app’s settings but won’t delete your personal account data.
3. Disable “Hey Google” Detection
The “Hey Google” (or “OK Google”) voice match feature keeps your microphone in a low-power listening state, waiting for your command. On some devices, or after bad updates, this process can malfunction and keep the processor awake, draining massive amounts of power.
If you don’t use voice commands often, turn this off:
- Open the Google app.
- Tap your Profile icon > Settings.
- Tap Google Assistant > Hey Google & Voice Match.
- Toggle off Hey Google.
4. Restrict Background Battery Usage
By default, Android allows the Google app to run freely in the background to update your Discover feed and weather. You can manually restrict this if the app is misbehaving.
- Go to Settings > Apps > Google.
- Tap on App battery usage (or just Battery on some phones).
- You will typically see three options: Unrestricted, Optimized, and Restricted.
- Change the setting to Restricted.
Warning: This may delay notifications from the Google app or stop the “At a Glance” widget from updating weather instantly, but it is a guaranteed way to stop the battery hemorrhage.
5. Uninstall Updates (Revert to Factory Version)
Sometimes, a new update is simply broken. If the issues started immediately after you updated the app, the best move is to roll back to the version that came with your phone.
- Long-press the Google app icon on your home screen or app drawer.
- Tap the “i” (App Info) button.
- Tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
- Select Uninstall updates.
Your phone will revert the Google app to its factory version. You can use it like this for a week until Google releases a patch for the newer version.
6. Leave the Beta Program
Are you a “Google Beta” tester? Beta versions give you access to cool new features early, but they are also testing grounds for unstable software. Battery drain is a very common side effect of running beta software.
Check if you are enrolled and switch back to the stable version:
- Open the Play Store and search for the Google app.
- Scroll down on the app page until you see the section titled “You’re a beta tester”.
- Tap Leave.
- Wait a few minutes for the process to complete, then Uninstall and Reinstall the app to get the public, stable version.
Is the Google App Still Draining Your Battery?
If you have tried all the above and your phone is still dying by lunchtime, you might want to consider disabling the Google Discover feed from your home screen (usually done by long-pressing the home screen > Home Settings) or temporarily disabling the Google app entirely via Settings until a system update arrives.
Most of the time, however, a simple cache clear or disabling “Hey Google” is enough to get your battery life back to normal.
