Pixel users raise concerns over charge limit following March update

By Cristina Alexander Published March 10, 2025

If you noticed that your Google Pixel 9 is reaching full charge faster than you would like it to, you’re not alone. Pixel users are reporting issues regarding changes to their phones’ charging limit following the March update that dropped over the weekend.

According to a report on Android Authority, Pixel owners complained about their phones charging to 100% faster than usual after the latest Android update despite setting the charging limit to 80%. Over on Reddit, some users mentioned that their phones charged up to 100% the first couple of times after the update went live, only to charge up to 80% again after turning off the limit and re-enabling it. U/asteria99 commented that those charging bursts are likely due to recalibration.

“This is likely by design. It will occasionally charge up to 100% to ensure the software’s battery reading is calibrated to the battery’s actual value,” they said. “For this update, Google probably enforced this for the first charge. It should function normally after the first 100% charge.”

A product expert on the Google support forums, confirmed that the recalibration process is a feature and not a bug in a comment to another Pixel user posting about the same issue. They wrote that in order for the phone to complete recalibration, it needs to stay connected to the charger until the shield icon appears over the battery symbol in the status bar, which will stay there for two hours after the phone is fully charged. Every charge after that will be limited to 80% again. However, the shield icon won’t show up if you’re using a wireless charger. If that’s the case, the phone needs to be left on the wireless charging platform until the lightning bolt icon disappears.

The charging limit issue isn’t limited to the Google Pixel 9, as it also hit the Google Pixel 8 Pro and Google Pixel 9 Pro, among other Pixel phones that can upgrade to the latest software update. That same update brought AI-powered scam detection, satellite messaging upgrades, Pixel Mode personalization, and more.