Instagram was secretly killing your Android battery—here’s the fix

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If your Android phone’s battery runs out faster than your patience for endless Reels, you’re not alone.

For the past couple of weeks, Android users have noticed Instagram eating up way more battery than usual, prompting a surge of posts from frustrated users online.

According to Android Authority, reports started trickling in from users noticing that Instagram was chewing through way more battery than other apps—even when just doomscrolling for under an hour.

One user’s Samsung Galaxy A53 saw Instagram gobble up 12.4% of the battery in just 54 minutes, while WhatsApp, with nearly the same usage, used a measly 2.4%. w

The pattern held up across different phones and brands—from Pixels to Galaxies, Instagram was the common denominator.

Some folks tried rolling back to older Instagram versions, hoping that would stop the power hemorrhage, only to discover their phones heating up like they were mining crypto in the background.

Others switched to Instagram Lite, which—surprise, surprise—didn’t murder their batteries nearly as quickly.

Google Steps In (Finally)

After enough noise from frustrated users, Google chimed in with an official word: yes, Instagram was the culprit.

The company urged everyone on its official Android forum to update to the latest app version (build 382.0.0.49.84), promising this would fix the battery leak.

According to Google, “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 to resolve this issue”

This wasn’t just a Pixel problem, either—Samsung Galaxy owners and just about anyone with an Android phone felt the pain.

Why Did This Happen?

While neither Google nor Meta (Instagram’s parent company) elaborated further on their statement, the best guess is that some background process in the app went haywire.

Background activity is a known battery killer, and this bug made Instagram act like it never actually closed, even when you swiped it away.

How to Fix It (And What to Do If You’re Still Suffering)

If you haven’t updated Instagram yet, do it—now.

Head to the Play Store and grab version 382.0.0.49.84 or newer. Most users report that their battery drain issues ended once they installed the update, and their phones stopped getting toasty for no reason.

Still having problems? Try uninstalling and reinstalling the app, or restrict Instagram’s background activity in your phone’s settings. If you’re desperate, Instagram Lite is a lighter, less battery-hungry alternative—even if it’s missing a few features.

The Takeaway

Instagram’s battery bug was real and unforgiving, but thankfulluy, a fix is here and you can resolve it right now via a quick update for frere.

If you’re still losing juice fast and Instagram’s the common thread, update your app and breathe easy. Or, if you want to keep your phone alive even longer, maybe try not scrolling for an hour straight. Just a thought.

What do you think about Instagram’s recent battery drain issue on Android? Have you experienced it yourself, and did updating the app fix the problem for you? Let us know below in the comments.

Kevin Raposo

Kevin is KnowTechie's founder and executive editor. With over 15 years of blogging experience in the tech industry, Kevin has transformed what was once a passion project into a full-blown tech news publication. Shoot him an email at kevin@knowtechie.com.