Your Pixel can now run on wall outlet power alone

Key Takeaways

Google’s latest update includes an 80% charging limit for Pixel phones to extend battery lifespan.
The update also adds bypass charging to the Pixel 8 and 9 series, reducing battery wear.
Bypass charging on Pixel phones can reduce heat generation during heavy use.

With the December Pixel Feature Drop, Google rolled out a handy 80% charging limit for Pixel phones. It allows you to extend the lifespan of your Pixel’s battery by limiting its charge to 80%. It turns out this is not the only battery lifespan-extending measure that Google has introduced with Android 15 QPR1. The update also adds support for bypass charging on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 series, enabling these devices to run directly on AC power, bypassing the battery completely.

Google’s December Pixel Feature Drop is all about Pixel 9

Rolling out starting today

First spotted by Redditor takaxia, you must first limit your Pixel to charge to 80% by enabling the Limit to 80% option from Settings > Battery > Charging optimization. After this, once the phone’s battery hits 80%, it will automatically stop charging and directly use the AC power to run. This will help extend the battery’s lifespan by reducing wear caused by frequent charge and discharge cycles.

Third screenshot shows bypass charging in action

Without bypass charging, your Pixel will lose battery power while being used, even when connected to a power adapter. Once the battery drains slightly, the phone will charge the cell back to 80% and then stop again. This causes unnecessary damage to the battery, reducing its lifespan. Admittedly, bypass charging will only benefit a specific group of users who keep their Pixels plugged in for extended periods while using them throughout the day.

Bypass charging can help reduce the heat your Pixel generates

The best Samsung Galaxy phones and gaming phones, like the Asus ROG series, already support bypass charging. This is especially useful for gamers, who can play heavy games while their phone is still plugged into a power source without generating too much heat. It is also a handy feature to have if you use your phone heavily for navigation while keeping it plugged into a power source in your car. With bypass charging, your Pixel will generate less heat during extended use.

We could only verify bypass charging working on the Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 9 series running the latest Android 15 QPR1 build. If you have an older Pixel, you can use the Device Info HW app to check the charging status once the phone’s battery hits 80%. Do note that the phone can take a while to switch to AC power after the battery is full.