Google Pixel turns back on (won't stay off) when charging? You're not alone

If your Google Pixel phone has been playing an unwanted game of peekaboo by turning itself on while charging even after having turned it off prior to connecting to power, you’re not alone. Pixel users across the board are reporting a strange issue that has been causing quite a buzz for the past few months. The culprit? A dead battery seems to be the instigator.

Here’s the scenario: Your Pixel phone’s battery goes kaput, shutting down completely. You plug it in to recharge, hoping it’ll stay peacefully off. But surprise! Your phone suddenly springs back to life, turning on as soon as it’s connected to the charger. This odd behavior has been reported across various models, including the Pixel 6, 7, and the Pixel 8. Users are baffled, frustrated, and, in some cases, downright worried about what this means for their devices.

Some Pixel users enjoy the ritual of shutting down their phones before bed, plugging them in, and enjoying a quiet, tech-free slumber. But with this glitch, the phone has other ideas. It stubbornly refuses to stay off when charging, robbing you of that peaceful disconnect. It’s like the phone is sneaking out to party while you’re asleep.

At first, some users speculated that this might be related to Adaptive Charging, a feature designed to optimize battery health by charging slowly overnight. But even after disabling this feature, the problem persisted. Others tried different charging cables and power sources, hoping for a quick fix, but the phone’s refusal to stay off remained unchanged.

What’s particularly curious is that this issue doesn’t seem to be tied to a specific Android version or recent update. For some, the problem cropped up weeks ago; for others, it started only after their phone’s battery drained completely. One user reported that after buying a used Pixel 8 that arrived with a dead battery, the phone exhibited this unwanted behavior from day one. But it went away after they replaced it with a brand-new Pixel 8.

Thankfully, the issue hasn’t gone unnoticed. A Google product expert has confirmed that this behavior has been escalated to the Pixel team for review. According to the expert, the common theme among affected users seems to be a battery that drained to 0%, causing the phone to shut down. However, for users whose phones haven’t hit that battery nadir, the problem doesn’t appear to exist.

In the meantime, the Pixel team is asking for help from users who are dealing with this pesky problem. They’re gathering details like device model, Android build, and any patterns users have noticed. This data will help them pinpoint the cause and, hopefully, roll out a fix soon.