Google’s Pixel phones can bypass charging

According to conventional wisdom, it’s best not to allow your phone’s battery to charge past the 80% mark. This is because it takes more energy to go from 80-100, which in turn can wear out the battery. If you own a Pixel handset, the latest Pixel Feature Drop lets you bypass charging.

Many smartphone makers have been introducing new software features that allow users to cap their phone’s charging at 80%. However, the question is when it hits 80%, what happens? Usually what happens is that it trickle charges to help maintain that 80% level, but this update will let Pixel phones bypass that completely.

This means that when your Pixel phone hits 80%, it will stop charging completely, even if the device is plugged in. According to Android Authority’s testing, it seems that it does work as intended. They tested it using apps that monitor battery and incoming power, and it does show that once it hits 80%, it switches from a charging state to a “not charging” state.

This is good news for those who are hoping to preserve the battery life on their phones for a bit longer. If you’re not the type that changes phones every 1-2 years, then this could potentially have a lasting impact. Of course, you’ll have to deal with having 20% less battery, but at least the option is there.