Pixel 11 Battery Drain: Wi-Fi Routers May Be The Culprit

Some Pixel 11 owners are reporting excessive idle battery drain, with Wi-Fi showing unusually high battery usage. A detailed test found that certain routers repeatedly woke the phone, preventing it from sleeping properly. This issue has been observed with routers from brands such as Tenda, TP-Link Omada, and Fritz!Box.

The test, conducted on a Pixel 11 Pro XL, found that the phone lost roughly 2.5% to 3% battery per hour while sitting idle on Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi activity was waking the phone about 135 times per minute, preventing it from properly going to sleep for 59% to 67% of the test. However, when the same Tenda Wi-Fi 6 mesh system was switched from Wi-Fi 6 to Wi-Fi 5, the Wi-Fi wakeups decreased dramatically from about 135 per minute to 2.4.

Further testing revealed that the issue may not be solely related to Wi-Fi 6. Connecting the same Pixel to a HUAWEI Wi-Fi 6 router produced only 5.4 wakeups per minute and 0.8% failed suspend time. This suggests that the problem may be related to specific router firmware or settings, rather than Wi-Fi 6 itself.

## What happens next The exact cause of the issue remains unconfirmed, and it is unclear whether Google or the router manufacturers will release a fix. In the meantime, Pixel 11 owners who are experiencing excessive idle battery drain may want to try switching to Wi-Fi 5 or using a different router to see if it improves their battery life.

The issue is a concern for Pixel 11 owners, as excessive battery drain can be frustrating and affect the overall user experience. The fact that some routers seem to be causing the problem, while others do not, suggests that there may be a compatibility issue at play. As more information becomes available, it is likely that a solution will be found to address the issue and improve the battery life of affected Pixel 11 devices.

## Why it matters The Pixel 11 series was expected to have improved battery life, thanks to its new MediaTek modem. However, the discovery of this issue suggests that there may still be some underlying problems that need to be addressed. The fact that some Pixel 11 owners are experiencing excessive idle battery drain is a concern, as it can affect the overall user experience and make the device less reliable. As the investigation into the issue continues, it is likely that a solution will be found to improve the battery life of affected devices and provide a better experience for Pixel 11 owners.