Google introduced the December Pixel Feature Drop for compatible devices last week. Among others, the update brought a new charging limit feature for Pixel smartphones, claiming that it could help prolong the battery life. A recent discovery highlighted on social media following the update suggests that the Pixel 9 series and select other models are able to run directly on power supplied by the wall outlet, bypassing the battery.
Bypass Charging on Pixel
The latest update for Pixel allows the user to set the charging limit of the battery to just 80 percent. It appears under the Charging optimisation header. In the GooglePixel subreddit (via Android Police), user takaxia claimed that if this feature is enabled, the Pixel can run on AC power alone, instead of drawing power from the battery. After reaching the 80 percent limit, the handset will avoid trickle charging, the post suggests.
This capability was already available on select Samsung Galaxy and Asus ROG devices and has now made its way to Google’s Pixel lineup. It is said to be available on the Pixel 9 and Pixel 8 series devices. The user shared screenshots of the bypass charging feature in action. When the Pixel is plugged in with the feature turned off, the battery status reflects as “charging”. But once enabled, it shows the battery status as “not charging”.
The user claimed that they ran the 3DMark benchmark test on the device with bypass charging turned on and the battery percentage did not drop. Gadgets 360 members were able to confirm the addition of this new feature on a Pixel 9.
Other Features
According to Google, the December Pixel Drop update introduces new ways of using Gemini — the company’s artificial intelligence (AI) large language model (LLM). It includes more personalised responses, access to more apps and services, and smarter replies when using the Call Screen feature.
The update brings updates to the Pixel Screenshots app, in addition to more features on Pixel Studio, Gboard, and other system improvements.