Google found a way to make the Pixel 80% charging limit even more annoying

Source: Android Authority

Taylor 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.

Background

Google’s Pixel phones include an optional setting that limits battery charging to 80 % of the maximum capacity to protect long‑term battery health. Historically, the phone would charge to the 80 % ceiling at its normal fast‑charging rate.

Change Introduced in the March Update

After the March Pixel Drop rollout, the 80 % charging optimization behaves differently:

• The phone charges normally up to roughly 77–78 %.
• Once that threshold is reached, the charging rate drops dramatically, taking about an hour to go from 77 % to 80 %.
• In practice, the device may pull less than 1 W at 77 % with the limit enabled, compared with 12–14 W when the setting is off (see the screen‑recording example on Imgur).

User Reports

• Multiple Reddit threads discuss the change, e.g., a Pixel 10a user noting the hour‑long final climb.
• A screen‑recording demonstrates the drastic power‑draw reduction: .
• Users across several Pixel models have reported the same behavior.

Google’s Response

An Issue Tracker entry (ID 485148344) has been marked as fixed, with a Google engineer confirming that the new charging pattern is intentional: it is designed “to manage battery health.”

Impact on Users

• The practical loss in usable battery life when unplugging at 77 % instead of 80 % is only a few minutes of screen time.
• However, the slower charge near the ceiling makes bypass charging—where the phone runs directly off the charger without significantly charging the battery—harder to achieve. The battery may never reach a full charge if the device is in use while charging.

Community Reaction

Many users are urging Google to either roll back the change or make the slower‑charging behavior optional. The discussion continues in the comments sections of various tech sites and forums.