Android 14 could fix the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 overheating issues

If your Google Pixel 6 or Google Pixel 7 is getting rather warm at times, help may be at hand: users are reporting that these overheating problems are getting fixed with the rollout of the new Android 14 software update.

As per threads on Reddit (via Android Police), Google’s most recent phones before the Pixel 8 are apparently running much cooler, overall, and seeing extended battery life as well – presumably because the processor isn’t being worked as hard.

Reports of toasty temperatures on the Pixel phones from 2021 and 2022 have been pretty widespread, and it’s common knowledge that the Tensor G1 and Tensor G2 chipsets inside these handsets tend to push thermal capacities to the limit.

We’ve written ourselves about how excess heat has somewhat spoiled the experience of using the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 7 – but it would appear that Android 14 has applied the necessary tweaks and optimizations to keep everything a bit more chilled out.

Like a new phone

Google hasn’t specifically mentioned an overheating fix for older phones in Android 14, so we’re left to speculate about what has happened here. As Android Police notes, it’s possible that the software is stopping the CPUs from running quite as fast.

While that would have an impact on performance, it may be too small to notice in most scenarios – with the upside being less heat given off. As for the latest handsets, the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro run the Tensor G3 chip, and we didn’t notice any issues with overheating in our Pixel 8 first looks or our Pixel 8 Pro hands-on (granted, we didn’t have much time with either phone).

“I’m amazed by how much cooler my phone is” wrote one Redditor with a Pixel 7, while a Google Pixel 6a owner said that it’s like having “a new phone” since the software update. In the comments underneath, some users say they’ve had similar experiences, but it doesn’t seem to have worked for everyone across the board.

If you’re running a Pixel phone launched in the last couple of years, it’s certainly worth updating to Android 14. Google isn’t the only manufacturer with overheating issues of course – it’s something Apple is grappling with too.

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