The Google Pixel 4a is known for giving users a great Android experience in a smaller, easy-to-handle phone. Many people loved their Pixel 4a, but they’re now upset because of a recent surprise update.

What Was Supposed to Be Good News

Google rolled out the Pixel 4a in 2020, so it doesn’t get the new promise of long-lasting OS and security updates. So, when Google suddenly decided to update the Pixel 4a, users were initially excited. Google named this update the “Pixel 4a Battery Performance Program,” suggesting it would make the phone’s battery last longer. But, they also mentioned it might reduce battery life between charges. Many users thought this wouldn’t be a problem, but a discussion on Reddit proved otherwise.

One user shared, “I thought Google was doing us a favor by updating this old phone. Boy, was I wrong! Now, my phone barely works. I was going to buy the new model, but not anymore. They should be sued for this.”

Calls for Legal Action

The Reddit thread is full of angry Pixel 4a owners, some even suggesting legal action against Google. One comment read, “They made it sound so good, but now my battery only lasts an hour!” Another person wrote, “I updated on Saturday and my phone went from full to 2% in just 5 hours with very little use. What a mess!”

The main issue is that Google didn’t explain why this update was necessary or what problem it should fix. If there was a serious hardware issue, Google should have been more open about it. Without clear information, reverting to the old update doesn’t seem like a safe bet either.

A Silver Lining

However, there’s some relief for those affected. Google has started a program where users can get their battery replaced for free. Alternatively, users can opt for a $50 payment or a $100 credit towards buying another Pixel device from the Google Store. This might help soothe some of the frustration, but many are still left feeling disappointed by the unexpected turn of events.

Google Photos has recently introduced a new feature called Quick Edit, which lets you fix up your pictures before you share them. But now, it looks like Google is thinking about giving users the choice to turn this feature off.

Here’s how Quick Edit works: when you click the share button on a photo, a special editing page pops up. This page gives you a couple of tools to quickly tweak or improve your photo before you send it off. It’s great for those who like to make last-minute changes, but it adds an extra step that not everyone might want.

For those who find this extra step a bit of a hassle, especially if you’re not into editing photos every time you share them, Google seems to be preparing a way to skip it altogether. In the newest version of Google Photos (version 7.14.0.718134140), there’s a new button on the Quick Edit page. It’s shaped like a pill and is located in the top-right corner, making it easy for you to turn off Quick Edit if you don’t need it.

Also, Google might change how the cropping tool works within Quick Edit. Right now, there’s a crop button that takes you to another part of Google Photos to do the cropping. But soon, this could change, and you might be able to crop directly from the Quick Edit screen without going anywhere else.

These updates aren’t available yet in the current version of Google Photos, but they could be coming soon. We’ll keep this article updated as soon as these changes start showing up for everyone.

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Google Calendar is already a great tool for managing our busy schedules, letting us sync events across different devices and share them with others. We’ve been looking at some updates Google is planning, and it seems they’re making it simpler to handle various calendars, along with giving the app a fresh look.

We’ve explored the new 2025.03.0 build of Google Calendar. This version isn’t out yet for public use, but we’ve managed to activate some of the upcoming changes to give you a sneak peek. Here’s what we’ve noticed about the new design. In the pictures we’re showing, you’ll see the current Calendar look on the left, compared to the new changes on the right.

The new design brings more color to the screen, making things easier to see. There are thicker lines on the calendar grid with rounded corners, which helps them stand out more. Google is also thinking about using more space by showing full names of the days instead of just letters.

On the functionality side, there’s news about managing multiple calendars. Right now, on Android, you can pick which calendars you want to see, but you can’t unsubscribe from them like you can on the web. However, there’s a new “Unsubscribe” button in the works that could change this.

Sharing calendars has been a bit cumbersome since you need a computer to do it. But it looks like Google is planning to fix this by adding a “Shared with” feature on Android. This would let you invite others to view your calendar right from your phone, manage who can see it, and even remove access for certain people. The settings menu is also getting some new icons to make it easier to use.

While the visual updates are nice, they’re not a big deal. But the ability to control sharing directly from your phone is something users have been needing for a while. Hopefully, Google will roll these features out soon.