Instagram caused battery drain on Android phones, confirms Google
Instagram is undoubtedly one of the most used apps on Android devices. The Meta-owned social media platform, which has more than a billion users worldwide, is one of the most preferred ways to share images, videos and see what others are up to.
In the last few weeks, several Android smartphone users have been complaining that the Instagram app has been eating up a large amount of battery. As it turns out, the app was consuming power even when even it was not active in the background.
While the app developer did not say anything about the problem, Google is now advising Android users to update to the latest version of the app to fix the issue.
In a new support post, Google said that Instagram on Wednesday, May 28, is rolling out an 'updated app that should fix a battery drain issue on Android devices.' The tech giant is also advising users to head over to the Google Play Store to install Instagram build 382.0.0.49.84 to prevent battery drain. However, neither Google nor Instagram has clarified as to why Instagram was suddenly draining battery.
Some users who downgraded to an older version of the app to fix the battery drain problem said that their device heated up significantly, while others said that they temporarily switched to Instagram Lite and confirmed that the problem was caused by the Instagram app.
While Google did not specify which phones or Android versions were affected by the battery drain issue, it did say that all Pixel devices which received the May update were affected by the problem. Also, it is still unclear if Android phones from other manufacturers were affected by the Instagram battery drain issue, or if it is something else eating up their battery.
Recently, the US Federal Trade Commission accused Meta of acquiring potential rival platforms Instagram and WhatsApp to establish an illegal 'social network monopoly' of sorts.
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