Pixel phones combine solid specs and clean software for an really nice, overall Google-y experience — but they don't come without their fair share of issues. From cameras problems on the Pixel 2 to touchscreen bugs on the Pixel 4a, being first in line for software updates can sometimes have a price. Pixel 4 owners have complained about a weird battery bug for months now, and it seems like the recent Android 11 update hasn't fixed anything — and may have only exacerbated the issue.

While the problem can manifest itself in various battery-related ways, the most common seems to be a situation where the battery charge indicator gets stuck around 50%. Affected Pixel 4/4 XL units can experience rapid discharging that results in sudden shutdowns. Sometimes the phone will display a question mark inside the battery symbol instead of the current charge.

It's difficult to diagnose issues like this from varying online sources, but it seems like applying firm pressure just to the right of the Google G logo on the back with your thumb works to temporarily relieve the issue for some people. This may indicate that a loose battery cable or the lack of brackets could be responsible for the strange issues Pixel 4 owners are encountering.

A uBreakiFix employee who wishes not to be named suggested to us that these types of Pixel 4 problems aren't uncommon, either. If you're going through something like this with your device and don't live near a uBreakiFix location, requesting an RMA might be the simplest way to permanently solve this problem. We've reached out for more information from Google, and will update this post if anything new comes to light.

Source: Pixel Community Forum (1), (2), (3), (4), (5); Reddit (1), (2)