After Swollen Pixel 7a Batteries, the Pixel 6a Is Catching Fire

There has arguably never been a bigger fiasco in the smartphone industry than Samsung’s Note 7 smartphones blowing up across the globe. To be honest, it’d be pretty hard for any other company to mess up on a comparable scale, to the point where the device was banned from being taken onto airplanes.

Google isn’t close to that extent, but reports on its Google Pixel 6a smartphone catching fire definitely don’t do it any favors. The worst part is that these reports are coming only some weeks after the company started a program to replace swollen batteries in Pixel 7a devices worldwide. This certainly isn’t the kind of press the company is looking for.

Google Pixel 6a Units Are Starting to Catch Fire and It Could Be a Serious Problem

The Google Pixel 6a launched in the first half of 2022, joining the Pixel 6 series that came out in 2021. The most vulnerable time for a new phone is the first month or two of its launch, and the Pixel 6a navigated that without any major issues. It’d be normal for anyone who bought the device to believe that they could use it safely for the next several years. Unfortunately, the devices have decided to surprise users three years later.

Users on Reddit have reported that their Pixel 6a units spontaneously combust, and I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that’s not expected behavior. Here are three instances where the phone decided to blow up:

• User Zaliver on Reddit was charging the device overnight. The phone was in a case, and he admits that the charger was off-brand, but he hadn’t had any problems with it for more than a year prior. This happened today.
• In December 2024, user GroundAny1309 also reported a similar circumstance. Their phone set on fire when it was charging overnight while using a non-Google-branded charger.
• Last month, another user reported on Google’s forums that their device, in a rugged case, but not charging, suddenly began to smoke and then caught fire. Fortunately, it had been on his nightstand, and not in his hand or pocket at the time.

The last instance shows that there isn’t necessarily a pattern to this behavior, and it isn’t limited to people charging their smartphones. This is a very worrisome issue, especially since it can result in bodily harm if the explosion happens at the wrong time. Hopefully, Google will address this.

Here’s What You Can Try to Reduce the Risk

If you’re facing this issue, there are a few things you can try to reduce the risk of explosion, though a phone that’s built to standard shouldn’t require you to do all of this. Here are the tips anyway:

• Use a Google-branded charger and charging cable
• Take your phone out of its case when charging
• Do not cover it with a cloth, pillow, etc. when charging, to ensure heat dissipation
• Look out for any signs of battery swelling, like a bulging or lifted back panel, and replace the battery if noticed

This Comes Not Long After Google Opened a Free Battery Repair Program for the Pixel 7a

The worst part is that this is coming weeks after Google started free battery replacements for users with a Google Pixel 7a, after reports of swollen batteries became widespread.

Is there something intrinsically wrong with the Pixel “a”-series of devices? I’m not too sure about that, but it is starting to look that way, and if that’s the case, that could mean that Pixel 8a and Pixel 9a users will start to see issues of their own in just a matter of time. Hopefully that’s not the case.