Thanks toGoogle’s Pixel drop for December 2024, you may now set your Pixel phone to stop charging at 80 percent. However, there are a couple of exceptions, including one that people are only now discovering.
You Can Now Set Your Pixel to Stop Charging at 80 Percent
Following the lead of other phone manufacturers, Google now offers Pixel owners the option to limit their phone to 80% charging capacity. This is designed to preserve and prolong the life of the battery, as charging phone batteries to 100% is known to increase stress on the battery, shortening its life.
To stop your Google Pixel charging at 80 percent, first, make sure that your phone is up-to-date. To do that, open theSettingsmenu, scroll down toSoftware Updates, and tap it. ClickSystem Update > Check for Update. If there’s an update available for your handset, it will be downloaded and applied.
Assuming you, a. have an eligible Pixel phone, and b. have applied the latest update (Android 15 QPR1), you will now be able to limit charging to 80%. To do so, open theSettingsmenu, scroll down toBattery, and tap it. Tap theCharging Optimizationoption, and selectLimit to 80%.
We have previously discussed the fact thatyour Google Pixel will sometimes charge beyond 80%(intentionally, to recalibrate the estimated capacity). However, there is another catch that Pixel owners hoping to utilize this feature in order to prolong the life of their battery should be aware of.
Your Pixel Will Charge up to 100 Percent If the Phone Is Off
Even if you have selected the option to have your Pixel stop charging at 80 percent, to do so, it will need to be powered on. If you let your phone’s battery die completely, or otherwise turn it off before plugging it in to charge, your phone will charge all the way back to 100 percent.
This isn’t entirely unexpected. As noted by9to5Google, this is likely down to the fact that the 80 percent charging limit is tied to the Android operating system, and not at a deeper system level. Which means that when Android isn’t running, the hardware has no way of knowing that it’s meant to stop charging at 80 percent.
This is slightly frustrating, but not a major problem. Especially as the vast majority of people keep their phones powered on constantly, and rarely let the battery run down to zero before plugging them in. But still, it’s a good thing for anyone planning to utilize the feature to know.
