Google Pixel users will have more control over battery life with Android 15

Google teased future features of Android 15 during its most recent I/O conference, and since then, the company has been hard at work rolling out beta builds. The most recent version, Beta 4, has just been released. It fixes a number of faults for Pixel devices and also shows off a neat new feature that is being worked on for the battery.

On Pixel phones, Google may eventually let you set a manual charge limit.

With Android 15, Google plans to provide a charge optimization function that will allow Pixel owners to manually select an 80% charging limit. Pixel phones only charge to 80% of their battery capacity once activated.

Code discovered in the SystemUI app indicates that Settings > Battery is where you'll find the charging efficiency option. There is a switch to turn it on there. When activated, you will be able to select between the new "limit to 80%" mode and the current "Adaptive Charging" mode.

The charging optimization page's release date and the Pixel devices that will receive it are currently unknown. This feature probably won't be available for Pixel phones until the first Android 15 QPR update, which is anticipated to roll out around the end of the year, given that the Android 15 stable release is quickly approaching.

When it happens, though, it would be good to see Google expand the manual charging limit settings above 80%, following Apple's latest iOS 18 release.

Every smartphone will require a battery replacement at some point. The duration of this process varies, but controlling the charging process is one method users can increase the battery life of their devices.

When the battery reaches a particular percentage, many smartphone manufacturers offer battery health features that limit or slow down charging. Google Pixel phones, for example, offer an Adaptive Charging function that monitors how you charge your phone and maintains the charge at 80% until around one hour before it anticipates you will disconnect it.

Although Adaptive Charging typically suffices to keep batteries in good condition, it's a good idea for Google to include the ability for consumers to manually select a charging limit of 80%.