One of the more useful features of Pixel devices has been battery share, or reverse wireless charging, for a long time. The functionality hasn’t had any significant updates since it was first implemented. Additionally, it appears that Google is making changes to the new Pixel 9 series’ Battery Share feature, which will no longer allow users to charge accessories concurrently with the phone.
Similar to Samsung’s flagship models, Pixel phones have long been known for their ability to reverse wirelessly charge, a feature that is mostly useful for recharging Qi-enabled accessories and is functional even when the smartphone is plugged in. Regretfully, Google acknowledged on its support page that it has removed the Pixel 9’s ability to use reverse wireless charging.
What does this entail for the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro models, as reviewed? Reverse wireless charging and Battery Share are still available for charging other devices, however once you start charging the Pixel 9 or Pixel 9 Pro with a conventional USB connection, these features will be removed.
It’s interesting to note that the firm stated that, with the exception of the mid-range Pixel A series, earlier Pixel devices, such as the Pixel 8 to Pixel 5, will continue to support dual charging. Regarding the Pixel foldable, not even the Pixel 9 Pro Fold supports reverse wireless charging.
Why Google reduced the versatility of the Pixel 9’s reverse wireless charging
Google withheld the specifics of the modification. It is reasonable to presume, therefore, that this is because of the new battery safety features in the Pixel 9, which were created to control heat and charging load in order to safeguard and prolong the life of the battery.
The discovery from last week that the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro have a more aggressive charging speed throttle further corroborated this. This became especially noticeable when the phone started to heat up or when the battery reached a particular percentage. Google hasn’t disclosed any technical information about how this works, however it’s probably the same security measures that led to them disabling Battery Share in the Pixel 9.
The Pixel 9, especially the Pixel 9 Pro XL, has faster wired and wireless charging than the Pixel 8, even with the improvements to Battery Share.