Skip to main content

Wireless charging not working on your Pixel with Android 13? You aren’t alone

Android 13 has been hotly anticipated for months, but following its rollout to Pixel users last Monday, many have been reporting issues with wireless charging. As first spotted by 9to5Google, Pixel owners have been posting their issues to Reddit in hopes of finding a simple community fix, but based on the number of complaints, there seems to be more at work.

While the hope is always that companies like Google will put their best foot forward when launching new software, sometimes new bugs are found after pushing an update globally. If your Pixel is having trouble with wireless charging, don’t worry: you’re not alone.

Recommended Videos

What does the issue look like?

Google Pixel 6 Pro in hand.
Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Luckily, knowing whether your phone may be experiencing the issue is relatively simple. If you can connect your Pixel to a wireless charger of any kind and get juice from it, your Pixel is in good shape. If not, it looks like you may have the bug.

Some comments on the Reddit posts speculate that it could be the result of a faulty wireless charger instead of Android 13. While some people were able to find success in fixing the issue by tweaking some of their wireless charging station’s settings, others had no such luck.

Which Pixel models are affected?

So far, this seems to be an issue across all Pixel devices. Across Reddit, owners of Pixel 4, 4XL, 6, and 6 Pro have all chimed in to say that they’re experiencing issues. In my search, I didn’t encounter anyone complaining about problems with wireless charging on the Pixel 5, but that’s not to say it isn’t happening on that phone. From what it looks like, just about any Pixel that’s currently running Android 13 may be experiencing the issue.

Possible fixes

If you’ve discovered that your Pixel isn’t able to charge wirelessly, there are a few things you can try to fix the issue. The first, as mentioned above, is taking a look at your wireless charger’s settings. Some users reported that their issues were resolved after clearing the storage and cache for the apps associated with their wireless chargers, specifically the Pixel Stand. After doing that and restarting their devices, some commenters claim to have stopped experiencing the issues. Others, however, were still unable to charge wirelessly, as not all chargers have apps to even clear.

Google Pixel Stand with a Pixel smartphone attached.
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Another possible solution would be to re-download Android 12 and wait for Google to solve the issue. This isn’t ideal as only the Pixel 4 and 5 are able to go back to Android 12, and even then, it means that users won’t be able to capitalize on all of the new features that come hand-in-hand with the software update. If you have a Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro, you’re unable to roll back to Android 12 if you have Android 13 — meaning this isn’t even an option for you.

The third solution is the least involved but possibly the most frustrating: wait until Google fixes the problem. So far, Google hasn’t responded to the issue in any capacity, so it might be a while until an official fix gets pushed. While the company’s silence could simply be because the issue is still relatively new, Google doesn’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to making quick fixes for its software.

Hopefully, the issue gets resolved soon. Because Google is still working on launching Android 13 to all compatible devices, it’s possible that a fix could be coming relatively quickly since a smooth launch for the software update is crucial for its success.

Peter Hunt Szpytek
A podcast host and journalist, Peter covers mobile news with Digital Trends and gaming news, reviews, and guides for sites…
This app could be killing your Pixel phone’s battery life
Pixe 7a home screen.

No smartphone is perfect, but more so than almost any other Android phone, Google Pixel devices seem to find themselves in the spotlight for bugs and software issues. That reputation is being reinforced once again as numerous Pixel owners report that one particular app — specifically, the Google app — is causing significant battery drain and overheating issues.

If you look at the r/GooglePixel subreddit and Google's own Pixel Phone Help forums, you'll find numerous people complaining about their Pixel devices experiencing unusually bad battery life and/or poor thermals. These complaints have been ongoing since earlier this month, and one Pixel owner also reached out to Engadget to voice their concerns about what's happening. When looking through all these complaints, they all seem to come back to the Google app being the culprit.
The Google app is wrecking Pixel battery life

Read more
I really like the Pixel 7a, but there’s one big issue I can’t ignore
Google Pixel 7a laying on ground

Google revealed the Pixel 7a at Google I/O 2023, and it is available for purchase right now for $499. It’s the cheapest of the Pixel 7 lineup, and it packs in the Google Tensor G2 chip, a crisp display with a 90Hz refresh rate, and a 64MP main shooter, plus it’s the first Pixel A-series with wireless charging. The Pixel 7a even comes in four fun colors: Charcoal, Snow, Sea, and the Google Store-exclusive Coral.

But with all of those upgrades from its predecessor, the Pixel 6a, the Pixel 7a is $50 more than the original price of the Pixel 6a, which was $449 at launch. However, Google also decided to keep the Pixel 6a around (this is the first time the previous model has remained for sale) and even gave it a $100 price cut, so it is now just $349.

Read more
Sorry, but you’re all wrong — any Pixel 7 is a great buy
The Google Pixel 7a in a person's hand.

I bet you’re worried about buying a Google Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, or Pixel 7a, aren’t you? There are some nasty horror stories about terrible reliability out there, and they’re enough to send many potential buyers screaming into the waiting arms of a Samsung Galaxy S23 or an iPhone 14 Pro, each ready to provide comfort with their solid dependability.

Well, at the risk of sounding smug, I’ve used all three and had no serious issues with any of them. And how’s this for a daring follow-up statement: When someone asks me if any are worth buying, I’ll say yes. You heard me right, I think you should buy a Pixel 7 phone.

Read more