TL;DR Google has confirmed that the Pixel 10a’s Battery Health Assistance feature can’t be disabled.
This comes after the Pixel 9a and Pixel 10 series also shipped with mandatory Battery Health Assistance.
This feature throttles your phone’s charging speed and battery capacity over time.
Google introduced a Battery Health Assistance (BHA) feature to its phones last year, which reduces your phone’s effective battery capacity and charging speed over time. The feature is optional on older Pixels, but Google made this mandatory on its 2025 phones. Unfortunately, there’s bad news if you were hoping for optional throttling on the Pixel 10a.
Google confirmed during a media briefing that the Pixel 10a’s Battery Health Assistance feature can’t be turned off. This is a stage-based process that kicks in after 200 cycles, with maximum throttling taking place after 1,000 cycles.
What do you think of mandatory Battery Health Assistance on the Pixel 10a? 12 votes This is the wrong move by Google 83 % Google made the right move 17 %
Don’t want to miss the best from Android Authority? Set us as a favorite source in Google Discover to never miss our latest exclusive reports, expert analysis, and much more.
to never miss our latest exclusive reports, expert analysis, and much more. You can also set us as a preferred source in Google Search by clicking the button below.
All smartphone batteries degrade over time. For example, many Samsung phones are rated for 2,000 charging cycles before dropping to 80% effective capacity. Meanwhile, Google’s recent phones, including the Pixel 10a, are rated for 1,000 charging cycles before reaching 80% capacity. However, Battery Health Assistance appears to be an artificial degradation process on top of this standard degradation.
Battery Health Assistance first arrived after older Pixel-A phones suffered from major battery defects last year. Some Pixel 4a and Pixel 6a models were at risk of battery overheating, while at least five Pixel 6a units actually caught fire. The problems didn’t stop here, as some Pixel 7a units experienced battery swelling issues.
... continue reading