GoKawiilTaylor Kerns / Android Authority
TL;DR Pixel phones’ optional 80% charging limit works differently than it used to.
As of the March update, phones with the setting enabled charge to about 77% at a normal rate, then slow charging drastically from that point to 80%.
Some users don’t like the new charging behavior, complaining that it makes bypass charging more difficult to achieve.
Like many other modern gadgets, Google’s Pixel phones offer a setting to limit battery charging to 80 percent of maximum capacity to protect long-term battery health. Over the past few days, users have been reporting that with this setting enabled, getting to that 80 percent mark is taking a lot longer than it used to.
A bunch of Pixel users have taken to Reddit (via Android Police) to speak up about this new behavior. It seems like the change is affecting multiple Pixel models and started with the March Pixel Drop that started rolling out earlier this month. As it turns out, though, the new behavior doesn’t seem to be a bug, but rather a conscious change on Google’s part.
Don’t want to miss the best from Android Authority? Set us as a favorite source in Google Discover to never miss our latest exclusive reports, expert analysis, and much more.
to never miss our latest exclusive reports, expert analysis, and much more. You can also set us as a preferred source in Google Search by clicking the button below.
Following the March update, with the 80% charging optimization feature enabled, Pixel phones are reaching a charge percentage in the high 70s at a normal rate, but once the phone reaches 77 or 78%, charging slows significantly. One Pixel 10a user on Reddit says their phone is taking “about an hour” to get from 77 to 80%.
Another user shared a screen recording showing that with the 80% limit imposed, their Pixel starts pulling less than one watt at a 77% charge, versus 12 to 14 watts at the same charge level with the setting turned off.
... continue reading