Pixel owners on Android 15 report Google Discover lags and Play services battery drain

Upgrading to a brand new operating system is supposed to be exciting, but for some Google Pixel users, the arrival of Android 15 has been more like a rollercoaster ride. While many are enjoying the new features, others have reported a few snags that are putting a damper on their experience.

We’ve already seen reports of some bricked Pixel 6 devices and issues with back gesture and ‘Wallpaper and Style’ function after Android 15 update. There are even some missing features for several users, and now issues with sluggish Google Discover feed and excessive battery drain that seems tied to the latest Google Play Services update that arrived alongside Android 15 are beginning to pop up in various forums.

The Google Discover feed, a one-stop shop for personalized news and updates, seems to be suffering from a case of the Mondays. Some Pixel users have reported experiencing lag and unresponsiveness when swiping between the home screen and the leftmost page, where the Google Discover feed lives. Some users described a white screen appears for several seconds before the feed content loads.

Essentially, if you have a second page for the home screen, swipe right to the Discover page, then start swiping left to go back to the home screen, and continue left to the second page. At this point, you’ll notice the touch becomes unresponsive, but if you give it a second between swipes, it finally catches up. Others lamented that swiping gestures to the feed weren’t always registering, making it a frustrating experience.

The problem seems to persist across various Pixel models, including the Pixel 6, 7, 8, and even the new Pixel 9 series. Some users reported that the issue was present even in the Android 15 beta and, unfortunately, didn’t get ironed out before the stable version rolled out. While some users reported the issue persisted even after a factory reset, others found a temporary solution: disabling the swipe gesture for the Google Discover feed altogether. Let’s hope a fix is coming soon to get that news feed flowing smoothly again.

Another culprit causing frowns among Pixel users is Google Play Services. This suite of essential background services seems to have developed a bit of an appetite for battery power since the Android 15 update. Several users reported seeing Google Play Services mysteriously appearing at the top of their battery usage charts, sometimes consuming a whopping 50% of their battery life.

Clearing the cache and data for Google Play Services hasn’t fazed the issue for some users. While the cause of this increased battery consumption remains a mystery, Pixel users are hoping that a future update will tame this battery hog and restore their normal battery life.

It’s important to note that not all Pixel users are experiencing these troubles. Many are happily enjoying the new features and functionality that Android 15 brings. And for those who are facing these challenges, there are temporary workarounds and the promise of future fixes from Google.