The Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are two of the most anticipated smartphones of 2023, boasting impressive features such as the Tensor G3 chipset, the 50MP main camera, and the 6.4-inch and 6.7-inch OLED displays. However, with great power comes great responsibility, and these devices also need a lot of juice to keep them running smoothly. If you are a Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro owner, you might be wondering how to extend your battery life and make the most of your phone. In this blog post, we will share some tips and tricks on how to optimize your battery on Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, based on our own experience and some web search results.
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Enable Battery Saver
One of the easiest ways to save battery on your Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro is to enable the Battery Saver mode, which reduces your phone’s performance and limits some features to conserve power. You can turn on Battery Saver manually or set a schedule for it to activate automatically. To do this, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Saver and toggle it on.
- Tap Set a schedule and then select the Based on your routine option.
- This will allow your phone to learn your usage patterns and turn on Battery Saver when it predicts you will need it. You can also choose to turn on Battery Saver based on your percentage or never.
Use Adaptive Battery
Another smart feature that can help you optimize your battery on Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro is the Adaptive Battery, which learns from your app usage and limits the battery for the apps that you don’t use often. This can prevent unnecessary battery drain and extend your phone’s lifespan. To enable Adaptive Battery, follow these steps:
- Navigate to Settings > Battery > Adaptive Battery and enable it.
- Tap View by apps to see how much battery each app is using and whether it is optimized or not.
- You can also tap on an app to review or change how it uses the battery. For all apps, we recommend that you keep battery optimization turned on.
Change Screen Display
The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro have stunning OLED displays that can deliver crisp and vibrant visuals, but they can also consume a lot of battery, especially if you have high brightness, resolution, or refresh rate settings. To save some battery life, you can tweak your screen display settings to use less power. Here are some suggestions:
- Reduce screen brightness: Swipe down with two fingers from the top of your screen and move the slider left.
- Turn on Dark theme: Go to Settings > Display > Dark theme and turn it on. This will make your screen use less light and save battery.
- Turn off live wallpapers: To save some battery life, turn off live wallpapers. Learn how to change wallpaper.
- Turn off your screen when you’re not using it: Go to Settings > Display > Lock screen and turn off Always show time and info.
- Let your screen turn off sooner: Go to Settings > Display > Screen timeout and pick a time, such as 30 seconds.
- Turn off Smooth Display (Pixel 4 & later, including Fold): Go to Settings > Display > Smooth Display and turn it off. This will disable the 90Hz refresh rate and save battery.
- Have screen brightness change automatically: Go to Settings > Display > Adaptive brightness and turn it on. This will adjust your screen brightness according to the ambient light.
Reduce Background Battery Drain
Some apps and features can run in the background and use up your battery even when you’re not using them. To prevent this, you can limit the number of apps that run in the background and turn off some features that you don’t need. Here are some tips:
- Turn off Motion Sense (Pixel 4 only): This feature allows you to control your phone with gestures, but it can also drain your battery. To turn it off, go to Settings > System > Gestures > Motion Sense and toggle it off.
- Turn on Adaptive Connectivity (Pixel 4a (5G) & later, including Fold): This feature automatically switches between 4G and 5G networks depending on your usage, which can save battery and data. To turn it on, go to Settings > Network & internet > Adaptive Connectivity and toggle it on. Learn more about Adaptive Connectivity.
- Turn off Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS when not in use: These features can use a lot of battery, especially if they are constantly searching for signals. To turn them off, swipe down with two fingers from the top of your screen and tap the icons.
- Turn off notifications for apps that you don’t need: Notifications can also use battery and distract you from your tasks. To turn them off, go to Settings > Apps & notifications > See all apps and tap on an app. Then tap Notifications and toggle them off.
- Uninstall or disable apps that you don’t use: Some apps can use battery even if you don’t open them. To uninstall or disable them, go to Settings > Apps & notifications > See all apps and tap on an app. Then tap Uninstall or Disable.
Update Your Software
Keeping your software up to date can also improve your battery life, as updates can fix bugs, improve performance, and introduce new features that can optimize your battery. To check for updates, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings > System > Advanced > System update.
- Tap Check for update and follow the instructions.
Check Your Battery Health
If you have tried all the tips above and still find your battery draining fast, you might want to check your battery health and see if it needs to be replaced. To do this, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings > Battery > Battery usage.
- Tap the three-dot menu at the top right and select Battery health.
- You will see a percentage that indicates your battery’s health and a message that tells you if your battery needs to be replaced.
If your battery health is below 80% or you see a message that says “Replace battery soon”, you should contact Google or an authorized service provider to get a new battery.
Use a Compatible Charger
Finally, one of the best ways to extend your battery life and prevent damage is to use a compatible charger that supports your phone’s specifications. The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro support 27W and 30W wired charging, respectively, and 18W and 23W wireless charging, respectively, using the Pixel Stand 2nd Gen. They also support 12W wireless charging using any Qi-compatible charger. However, these chargers are not included in the box, so you will have to buy them separately or use your own charger. To ensure that your charger is compatible and safe, you should look for the USB-PD 3.0 PPS logo on the charger or the packaging. You can also check the list of certified accessories on the Made for Google website.
We hope that this blog post has helped you learn how to increase your Google Pixel 8 battery life and enjoy your phone for longer. If you have any questions or feedback, please leave a comment below. Thank you for reading! 😊