Google has confirmed suspicions about the Instagram app relating to Android smartphone battery life, and has revealed that a fix is in the works.
A number Android users (including Samsung Galaxy and Pixel phones) have noted battery drain issues of late, and have pointed the finger at the Instagram app as a likely culprit.
It’s been observed that the popular social media app has been sapping a lot more energy than other apps within the Meta family.
Reported Instagram battery drain issue
This particular Reddit user (via Android Authority) notes that while WhatsApp and Facebook have been sapping 2.4% and 5.3% respectively across about 50 minutes of screen time, Instagram has been draining a whopping 12.4%.
Some responders to this initial post noted that rolling back to older versions of Instagram hasn’t helped, even going so far as to cause excessive heat built up.
Switching to the Instagram Lite app seems to have done the trick for some, but moving to an inferior version is far from ideal. What we need is a fix, and thankfully one has just arrived.
Adrian Sobolewski Kiwerski
Update your Instagram app now
A representative of Google has issued a post on its support page confirming these suspicions that the Instagram app is guilty of excessive battery drain. The Community Manager also revealed that corrective measures are imminent.
“Starting today, Instagram is rolling out an updated app that should fix a battery drain issue on Android devices,” reads the post.
“Please make sure you have the latest version of the Instagram app (build 382.0.0.49.84) to resolve this issue.”
The initial verdict on this apparent fix appears to be positive, with users since reporting that battery drain is no longer an issue post-update. If you’ve been struggling with your Android phone’s battery life and you’re an Instagram user, make sure you update the app as soon as possible.
