Summary
Android is all about choice and customization, but to some, that identity is fading away. Every version of Android that ships with a commercial phone is a far cry from the basic Android Open Source Project release, complete with custom manufacturer tweaks — and restrictions. Pixel phones arrive with Google’s vision for Android, sometimes mistakenly referred to as “stock Android.” In many ways, it’s more limited than the Android skins you get from Samsung or Motorola. I’ve written about one way Pixel phones are limited by software: the Battery Health Assistance feature you can’t turn off. It’s designed to preserve the long-term health of your battery by throttling voltage and charging speed. However, there’s a flip side to Battery Health Assistance. If you have an older Pixel, Battery Health Assistance is enabled by default, but you can manually disable it. I pulled my Google Pixel 8a review unit out of the drawer, fired it up for the first time in over a year, and I’m here to walk you through how to reclaim your older Pixel’s battery life and charging speed. Battery Health Assistance is a trade-off Ease your battery into degradation, but at a cost Before you go ahead and turn off Battery Health Assistance, you should know what it does. Battery Health Assistance debuted on the Google Pixel 9a, a midrange Android phone released in 2025. At the time, Google said that “Pixel software will manage battery performance to help maintain battery health as your battery ages.” Later, we learned the full extent of Battery Health Assistance in a support document: As your battery ages, you may notice small decreases in your battery’s runtime. Based on adjusted capacity, Battery Health Assistance also tunes the phone’s charging speed. You may notice a slight change in battery charging performance. The simple version is that Google is proactively limiting your battery’s performance in an effort to preserve its long-term health. It’s doing so by decreasing the battery’s maximum voltage in stages, which in turn reduces relative battery life and peak charging speeds. It happens gradually, beginning at 200 cycles and continuing through 1,000 cycles. This might be preferred if you’re the kind of person who keeps their phone until it breaks, or through the modern Pixel’s seven-year software support window. On the other hand, those who replace their phone every few years might sacrifice battery performance without reaping the benefits. Battery Health Assistance launched with the Pixel 9a, and has shipped with every new Pixel phone since. On these devices, Battery Health Assistance can’t be turned off. It came to the Pixel 6a, Pixel 7 series, Pixel 8 series, and Pixel 9 series (excluding Pixel 9a) in a software update. Following the Android 16 update, a server-side push made Battery Health Assistance available on these phones. There’s a small group of Pixel phones that have Battery Health Assistance and can turn it off, so here’s how to do it. Only some Pixel users can disable the feature But it’s on by default, even for older Pixel phones To make things clear, owners of the following Pixel phones can disable Battery Health Assistance: Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 7a, Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel 8a, Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold. If you have one of these models, you’ll see a new Battery Health page in Settings following the Android 16 update. Since we’re now on Android 17, you’ve probably updated to Android 16 already. I turned off the feature by navigating to Settings → Battery → Battery Health. Here, you’ll see your phone’s relative battery capacity, AI-powered battery health tips, and your Charging Optimization preference. At the very bottom, you’ll find Battery Health Assistance — that’s the one you should tap. This opens a page that explains Battery Health Assistance. There’s a toggle beside Use Battery Health Assistance that is enabled by default, but you can tap it to flip it off. Of course, you can also choose to leave it on and maximize the lifespan of your battery. It’s easy enough if you have the right Pixel model, but remember, this toggle isn’t available on the Pixel 9a and newer. While you’re in the Battery Health menu, you can tweak the Charging Optimization mode. Luckily, every Pixel owner can modify this setting if their device has it. You can disable it entirely, use Adaptive Charging to finish charging when you usually unplug, or use Limit to 80% to set a hard charging cap. Should every Pixel get this toggle? Google doesn’t let newer Pixel owners decide Batteries are consumable components, and they degrade over time. Features like Battery Health Assistance are designed to soften the blow and prolong battery health. That said, there are other options. Rather than use software-based battery throttling, you could budget for battery replacements and plan for a swap every few years. If you’re the kind of person that trades in your phone early and often, you’ll likely never see the major effects of battery degradation that Battery Health Assistance is designed to avoid. That’s why all Pixels should have the option to use Battery Health Assistance. I don’t blame Google for enabling it by default, but users should be able to choose to turn it off if they feel strongly about battery throttling. If you’re the owner of a slightly older Pixel, you get the best of both worlds. You have access to the feature if you want it, but aren’t locked into it.