In a move to help users maintain the health and longevity of their phone batteries, Google recently introduced a feature on Pixel phones that allows you to limit your device’s charging to 80%. This is a great way to prevent the long-term wear and tear that can occur when constantly charging your phone to 100%. However, some users may notice that even with the charging limit set to 80%, their Pixel phone occasionally charges to 100%. This isn’t a glitch—it’s a feature designed to help calibrate your battery and ensure more accurate battery life estimates.
Let’s dive into the details of how the charging limit works, why your Pixel might override it occasionally, and how to adjust your settings to keep your battery in top shape.
Why Does Your Pixel Charge Past 80%?
Google’s 80% charging limit feature is designed to improve battery health over time by preventing the battery from charging fully every single time. Keeping your battery at 100% can degrade its health faster, especially over prolonged use. By limiting the charge to 80%, you reduce wear and extend the lifespan of the battery.
However, there are times when your Pixel may ignore this charging limit and charge to 100%, even if you’ve set it to stop at 80%. This behavior is intentional and helps calibrate the battery, ensuring that the device can accurately estimate battery life. Over time, the system needs a full charge to recalibrate, which is why your Pixel might charge all the way to 100% on occasion—don’t worry, this is not a malfunction.
Apple devices have a similar feature. iPhones with charging limits also have an override feature that allows the phone to fully charge occasionally for calibration purposes. So, if you notice your Pixel charging beyond the limit now and then, it’s completely normal.
How to Change or Disable Charging Limits on Your Pixel
If you’re ready to set or adjust the charging limit on your Pixel to preserve battery health, follow these simple steps:
- Open Settings: Go to the Settings app on your Pixel phone.
- Navigate to Battery: Scroll down and tap on Battery.
- Battery Optimization: Next, tap on Battery Optimization under the Battery section.
- Set Charging Limit: Toggle the Charging Optimization option to turn it on. Then, select Limit to 80% to set the charging limit. This will stop your Pixel from charging past 80% when plugged in.If you’d like to keep things a little more flexible, you can opt for Adaptive Charging. This feature pauses charging at 80%, but it will top up the battery to 100% just before you typically unplug the device. It’s a good compromise if you don’t want your phone to stay at 80% all day, but still want to preserve battery health.
What Else Should You Know About Battery Optimization?
In addition to the charging limit, it’s a good idea to ensure that your Pixel’s battery is optimized to its fullest potential. Battery optimization on Android devices helps reduce power consumption, prolong battery life, and maximize performance.
To take full advantage of battery optimization on your Pixel, make sure the following settings are enabled:
- Battery Saver: Enable Battery Saver mode when your phone’s battery is running low to help extend its life.
- Adaptive Battery: Adaptive Battery learns your usage patterns and prioritizes battery power for apps you use most often. It can also limit the background activity of unused apps to conserve energy.
- App-Specific Power Usage: In Settings, you can also monitor how individual apps are consuming power and limit background activity for apps that drain the most battery.
By enabling these features, along with the charging limit, you can help ensure your Pixel’s battery remains healthy for as long as possible.
iPhone’s Charging Limit Feature
If you’re an iPhone user, you’ll find a similar battery optimization feature on Apple devices. iPhones have an Optimized Battery Charging setting that works by learning your daily charging habits and adjusting the charging process to protect your battery’s health. For users with older iPhone models, you can set the charging limit to 80%, preventing your phone from charging all the way to 100%.
For those with iPhone 15 or newer models, Apple now offers even more granular control, allowing you to set charging limits at 80%, 85%, 90%, or 95%. To adjust these options:
- Go to Settings: Open Settings on your iPhone.
- Navigate to Battery: Tap Battery, then select Battery Health & Charging.
- Enable Optimized Charging: Toggle on Optimized Battery Charging to allow the device to intelligently manage your charging habits. You can also manually adjust the charging limit if you want to restrict it further.
Setting charging limits on your Pixel or iPhone is a simple yet effective way to extend your phone’s battery life and keep it running smoothly for longer. Google’s new feature for Pixel phones offers an easy way to prevent your device from constantly charging to 100%, which can degrade battery health over time. While your Pixel may occasionally charge to 100% to calibrate the battery, this behavior is intentional and helps improve battery accuracy.
Make sure to enable battery optimization settings on your Pixel, and take advantage of features like Adaptive Charging to maintain optimal battery health. By doing so, you’ll be able to enjoy your device for longer without worrying about battery degradation.
