Robi Maddison Tech 04.22.2022 03:Apr AM EDT

Google Messages Bug May be Draining Your Battery — Is There a Fix?

(Photo : by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

9to5Google reported that Google Messages has a new bug that keeps your camera running in the background, consuming your battery and heating up your device.

Within the Google Messages app, you can instantly snap a photo and attach it to a message, which you can then share to a friend. There's also a live feed from your camera in the view for attaching photographs from your gallery.

A bug in the Google Messages app has caused this camera feed to run even when it's not on screen, including when Messages is in the background. This results in tremendous battery depletion and excessive heat.

As per the report of XDA, Reddit user u/CozyMicrobe claimed that the camera indicator on Android 12 stays on after closing the Messages app, confirming that the program continues to use the camera after being closed.

How to Temporarily Fix the Bug on Google Messages?

You can get some temporary relief by using a simple workaround. Closing the app from the Recents view is the quickest way to resolve the problem right now, as per 9to5Google.

However, if you don't use the Google Messages viewfinder, the simplest solution is to deny the app access to use your phone's camera.

You may completely block Messages from using your camera by heading to:

Step 1: Go to "Settings"
Step 2: Click "Apps"
Step 3: Choose "Messages"
Step 4: Select "Permissions"
Step 5: Tap "Camera"
Step 6: Selecting "Don't allow"

(Screengrab from Infinix Hot11s Smartphone)

Another option is to press and hold your launcher's Messages app icon and then tap the info icon. This should bring you to the Settings app, then you can do steps 4 to 6.

You can also use an alternate text messaging app while the bug hasn't been fixed.

But as per the report of The Verge, Scott Westover, Google's communications manager, said that the bug has been discovered, and a solution is currently being rolled out to users.

This Is Not the First Time a Bug Appeared on Google Messages

According to Android Police, some Google Messages users have reported issues with the app more than a year ago, including blank screens, empty threads, and lengthy delays when it does operate, all accompanied by obnoxious "Messages is doing work in the background" notifications.

The problem's specific symptoms are consistent among users who are affected, but the frequency and presence of the issues are not. The most obvious symptom is a blank screen on opening the Messages app, albeit this is a rare occurrence that can occur once or twice over the course of hours or days. The list of messages may show at other times, but loading a single thread may result in a blank screen, or bouncing between threads may cause the problem. When it does work correctly, many people suffer overall lag and delays sending or receiving messages, as well as an intermittent notification that says "Messages is doing work in the background," which has been reported to occur innocuously in other situations, but is also linked to this issue.