If your Pixel phone has been guzzling battery life like it’s trying to set a world record, you’re not alone—and you’re probably not going crazy. In a brief support post this week, Google confirmed that a bug in Instagram was to blame for unusually rapid battery drain on Android devices, particularly Pixel models running the May 2025 update. The culprit? An errant process in Instagram’s code that seems to have gone haywire immediately after Google’s monthly software patch rolled out earlier this month.

Starting today, Instagram is rolling out version 382.0.0.49.84 on the Play Store, which Google says contains the fix. Users who haven’t manually updated yet can head to Google Play and tap Update, while those who already have the latest build installed won’t see the prompt. If you want to double-check your version, simply long-press the Instagram icon, tap App info, and scroll down to find the full version number at the bottom.

This battery-bloating issue seems to have impacted every Pixel model that received the May patch—from the Pixel 6 and 6a to the flagship Pixel 9 family—though Google hasn’t explicitly ruled out other Android devices. But Google’s statement directed users to its Android Help Community post, which mentions a “battery drain issue on Android devices” without naming specific manufacturers.

Earlier this month, my Pixel 3 began dying on me by mid-afternoon, even though my usage patterns hadn’t changed. With a wedding to attend, I performed a factory reset (backup in tow) and reinstalled only the essentials, but the problem persisted. In a panic, I deleted every unused and social media app, rebooted, and charged to 100%. Suddenly, my battery rocketed back to normal, cruising above 70% by the end of a full day with intermittent web browsing. That night, after a week-long social media detox, my phone still hovered around 65% by bedtime, proving that sometimes less is more.

Fast forward to this week: I re-installed Instagram and Facebook, and while both did eat into my battery more than basic apps, they nowhere near matched the catastrophic drain I saw post-May update. It seems Instagram’s latest build has tamed the rogue processes responsible for the energy hemorrhage—though if you’re extra-cautious, you might stick with Instagram Lite or limit background activity until you can confirm the fix holds on your device.

This episode serves as a reminder that even the most polished, world-beating apps can misbehave after system updates, and that sometimes the “big three” social platforms are heavy digital gym rats in disguise. If you want your phone to last all day on a single charge, consider paring down to essentials—phone, messaging, and minimal web browsing—while keeping a close eye on battery usage stats (Settings → Battery → Battery usage). And of course, always keep your apps up to date: sometimes the cure for a problem is just a tap away.

So, pixel warriors: update Instagram to 382.0.0.49.84, reclaim your battery life, and enjoy those scroll sessions without watching your juice slip away. And if you notice any lingering hiccups, don’t hesitate to file feedback through the Android Help Community—the next fix might be right around the corner.