Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
TL;DR
- The Instagram app on Android was causing excessive battery drain, as users reported.
- Comparisons showed that lately, Instagram was using significantly more battery power than other apps with similar screen-on times.
- Google has acknowledged the problem and advised updating to Instagram build 382.0.0.49.84, which users say has resolved the battery drain issue.
Google has confirmed that the Instagram app has been draining the battery on Android phones, something many users, including several on Reddit, have noticed lately.
According to several Android users, Instagram has been consuming significantly more battery on their devices compared to other apps with similar usage. For example, one Redditor with a Samsung Galaxy A53 reported that Instagram used 12.4% of their battery during 54 minutes of screen-on time, while WhatsApp, with a comparable 49-minute screen-on time, used only 2.4%.
Some users who tried installing older versions of Instagram in hopes of avoiding the battery drain noticed their phones heating up instead. Others switched to Instagram Lite and saw a noticeable improvement in battery life, further suggesting the issue lies with the main app.
In response, Google has issued an advisory titled “Battery drain on Android devices,” urging users to update Instagram.
“Starting today, Instagram is rolling out an updated app that should fix a battery drain issue on Android devices. Please make sure you have the latest version of the Instagram app (build 382.0.0.49.84) to resolve this issue,” the company said.
Following the update, users are now reporting that the battery drain issue appears to be resolved.
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