Google allegedly investigating Pixel 9 series' wireless charging issues

The honeymoon phase might be over for some Pixel 9 owners, as the new devices are reportedly having a rough time when it comes to wireless charging. If you’re among those who’ve been eagerly slapping your Pixel 9 or Pixel 9 Pro XL onto a wireless charging pad, only to find it playing hard-to-get, you’re not alone. In fact, it seems like the Pixel 9 series has a bit of a commitment issue when it comes to staying charged wirelessly.

Early adopters have flooded forums with tales of their new Pixel 9 devices showing all the right signs — displaying the charging icon, for instance — but then swiftly deciding they’re not that into it after all. Some users reported their phones teasing them with a few seconds of charging before abruptly stopping, leaving their batteries hungrier than before. Others have noticed that even when the devices do decide to stick around for a longer charge, it’s more of a slow dance than a quick sprint, taking up to six hours to reach full capacity.

One Pixel 9 Pro XL user, in particular, found themselves going through a rigorous troubleshooting process. Removing the case? No dice. Switching to a different Qi charger? Still no love. Even the second-generation Google Pixel Stand, designed to be the perfect match, seems to be on the outs with the new Pixel 9, charging for a few seconds before calling it quits. Things got really interesting when the user tried charging the phone using a MacBook Pro’s USB-C port. Voilà — suddenly, the Pixel 9 was back in the game, charging as expected.

Other users echoed similar frustrations, noting that their once trusty wireless chargers, which had been faithful companions to their Pixel 8 devices, were now seemingly incompatible with the Pixel 9. Theories abound: Is it a software bug? A hardware glitch? A new, unannounced wireless charging standard? Some users even tried deactivating the Pixel Stand app, hoping for a workaround, and found that it did help — though that’s hardly a sustainable solution.

So, what’s Google saying about all this? Well, some users who reached out to Google support were met with the acknowledgment that the issue is indeed on their radar. The engineers are allegedly hard at work trying to figure out why the Pixel 9 series seems to be so finicky about its wireless charging partners. However, until a fix is rolled out, it looks like Pixel 9 owners might need to keep a wired charger handy or embrace the time-honored tradition of trial and error with different wireless chargers.

In the meantime, if you’re part of the Pixel 9 club and experiencing similar issues, consider dropping a line to Google support. The more voices they hear, the faster we might see a solution.