Battery Share restriction means Pixel 9 phones can't give and take

Being able to use reverse wireless charging can be incredibly handy when you’re running short on power outlets or chargers. And if a phone with that capability is plugged in to charge, it could also be used as a makeshift charging pad to top off a second device at the same time — effectively two devices sharing one charger. However, Google has removed that option for the Pixel 9 series, with the phones disabling Battery Share while they are charging.

This marks a change from the behavior of previous Google Pixel models, many of which offered reverse wireless and wired charging simultaneously. The new Battery Share limitation applies to the Pixel 9, 9 Pro, and 9 Pro XL, while the Pixel 9 Pro Fold doesn’t offer the capability at all.

Google outlines the restriction on its Battery Share support page, as spotted by Android Police. There, the company outlines all the factors that have the potential to limit the feature’s availability, and another entry on that list could be a clue as to why Google has seemingly removed this handy capability from its latest handsets: Battery Share will shut off if your phone reaches too high a temperature, so it’s possible that Google wanted to avoid this possibility altogether.

All charging heats up and degrades your phone’s battery to an extent, but wireless charging can be particularly corrosive to battery health over time due to its inefficient nature. Plugging in your phone while it wirelessly charges another device only compounds the issue. Considering all Google has done to improve battery life in the Pixel 9 series, it probably would like the hardware to enjoy the fruits of those efforts for as long as possible.