This guide will cover the Nexus 5x, Nexus 6P, Nexus 6, Nexus 9, Pixel C and more. Including Android 7.1.2 Nougat and Google Pixel issues.

Android Nougat offers a host of exciting new features like split-screen mode, instant apps, and revamped notifications. Unfortunately, the update isn't perfect and instead of improving battery life, it actually makes it worse for some.

How to Fix Nexus Android Nougat Battery Life Issues

Heading over to Reddit or even the official Google forum bug tracker, you'll see plenty of complaints about a wide range of issues. Most notably, Nexus Android 7.0 battery life issues.

Abnormal battery drain is a common problem, especially after large software updates.

We are here to try and help fix some of the Nexus Android 7.0 battery life issues that users are having. Android 7.1.1 and 7.1.2 fixed many bugs, but some remain.

Find battery draining apps

The first thing users should do if battery life is an issue is to check for rogue apps. It could be a faulty app that is not ready to work properly with Nougat, an app keeping the system awake, or other things.

By generally heading into settings > battery > and looking at the list of battery draining apps, you'll get a good idea of ​​what's going on. Android system or screen (display) is usually at the top of the list, but we found an issue where "Android OS" takes the most, followed by Android system. One should be there, the other should not. The Android system is usually one of the highest drains, but not the operating system.

While Google services or Android system often use battery to perform important tasks in OS, you should not see Android OS on top. Also, screen brightness is usually what's at the top of the list. If not, something is wrong.

As for a fix, it's kind of weird to turn off Bluetooth if you don't need it. Android Wear, Android Auto, and other devices require Bluetooth, but many users have noticed significantly better battery life when Bluetooth is off.

Check the list of apps in battery settings to see if something else is causing the drain. Apps like Facebook and Snapchat can also be the problem, so keep that in mind. Selecting an app and hitting "Force Stop" can kill the process and improve battery life, but don't kill anything unless you know what it's doing. Reinstalling a misbehaving app is also another good idea.

Finally, try booting into safe mode. Safe Mode will disable third-party apps and allow you to narrow your search to find any potential issues.

Check account synchronization

Similar to apps draining your battery as mentioned above, synced and backed up apps could also be the culprit. Several Reddit users have noticed that on the Nexus 6P, the device is not syncing properly leading to huge battery life drain. Imagine your phone trying to sync with the cloud and saving all your contacts, photos, Google Drive documents or Google Music over and over again. This will surely affect the battery life.

The user recommends heading to Settings > Accounts > and looking for those that have the sync icon or a (!) next to them, suggesting sync failed. To make matters worse, manually refreshing the accounts to sync didn't fix the problem. One owner went into each Google account sync option and did it manually. For Google Drive, Fit, Photos, Music, Keep, and even third-party apps like Skype, and re-sync each of them. Several users have noticed a substantial improvement in Nexus battery life after doing this.

Going further, Skype sync was causing the issue for a few users, so be sure to check all apps and accounts to make sure the sync is working. Then, continue for the rest of our tips.

Disable unused services

If your apps are working fine, try disabling unnecessary services on your Nexus phone or tablet. Disabling connections and other services when you're not using them can save battery life. We mentioned Bluetooth above and we'll say it again. In fact, we get a lot of complaints about Bluetooth issues, and some of them could lead to battery drain. Disable it if you don't need it.

We strongly recommend that you turn off Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS, and Cellular Data connectivity when you don't need it. You can turn them off from the Nexus Quick Settings menu or you can turn them off from the regular Settings menu. It seems that with every update a small group complains about Bluetooth issues. Another idea is to change location settings to "Battery Saver Mode" which uses WiFi and networks instead of GPS. This is because the GPS will hog all the batteries.

If you're in an area with weak signal, try turning on Airplane mode. Airplane mode will kill all services on your device, but it might prevent battery drain. When you don't have service, the phone will constantly scan for one, so turn on airplane mode and save some juice for later. In fact, most phones can last 4-5 days in airplane mode.

Restart your Nexus

Sometimes apps just start draining the battery, or even the Android system and OS when it shouldn't. If I've taken my Nexus (or any Android) out of the charger and it's draining faster than expected, I reboot quickly. This usually fixes any random battery killing issues.

Hold down the power button and turn it off, then turn it back on, or press restart on some devices. This restarts the whole system and can fix many small bugs, including bad Nexus battery life. Sounds silly, but I reboot my phone once every 2-3 days, for the best experience.

Auto Brightness

It's the one everyone should be familiar with and it's not really advice, but I constantly see users with a phone set to around 90-100% brightness. Full brightness is not needed on most devices, even outdoors. Instead, try setting it around 35-40% brightness and see how long the phone lasts.

Head to Settings > Display > and uncheck Auto, then hover the slider to a more manageable and realistic brightness setting. It might take a few hours to get used to the lower screen level, but your battery will thank you.

Wipe cache partition

If none of this works, there are more drastic steps you can take to fix your Nexus Android Nougat bad battery life. One of these steps is to wipe the cache partition.

Clearing cache has done wonders in the past to fix low Nexus battery life in general, and some have said it helped drain the battery on the Nexus support forum. Here's how to wipe your cache partition:

This fixed several small issues after a software update. From battery life to WiFi and Bluetooth issues, GPS issues and many other little things. We recommend doing this after any major update, so your Nexus can start with a clean slate.

Factory reset your device

This is the last resort, but like clearing the cache, it's also a good idea to start with a clean slate and clear out any leftover unwanted files. Doing a factory data reset will erase everything, so back up any important files first and be prepared to set aside about an hour to set your phone up as it was.

Most should know how to do a factory reset, if not, Google has put together a comprehensive guide that outlines the correct way to factory reset Nexus smartphones and tablets. Take a look at this information, back up your device and get started.

Downgrade to Marshmallow

If you absolutely need better battery life and can't fix it with any of these suggestions, and can't wait for Google to release an update to Android 7.1.2 Nougat, some owners can still downgrade to Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow.

This guide explains how to manually install Android Nougat, but the same instructions (and factory images link) will allow users to download any version of Android 6.0 and install it in 10-15 minutes. Use it to switch back to Marshmallow if you don't need Nougat and want better Nexus battery life.

I wouldn't recommend it but to each his own.

Try the Android O beta

The next logical step is to try out the recent Android O update, which is available now as a preview beta. Android O offers a host of new features, improvements, bug fixes and has made major changes to improve battery life. Apps can't just run in the background because the OS limits them after a set period of time. Users will enjoy many new features and hopefully better battery life.

Android O isn't perfect, and it's still beta software, but it could dramatically improve your experience.

Here's how to install Android O today.

Other ideas

If none of this seems to work, try looking for another fix. Google 's Nexus Help Forums are a great place to start. There are tons of helpful users on XDA Developers not to mention custom third-party builds of Android that you can install that may have better results.

We also recommend getting a portable battery that can charge your device anytime and anywhere, which isn't ideal, but a great accessory to have anyway. We'll be on the lookout for more complaints, details, possible fixes, and report back once we know more. Is the battery life of the Nexus Android Nougat bad? Let us know in the comments below.