On Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy smartphones, one of the tricks I use to ensure the fastest-possible charging speeds is to turn on Low Power Mode or Power saving mode, respectively. By doing so, the system reduces background activities and optimizes the interface for low power consumption. This can help when in a pinch, allowing for battery top-ups to take effect to as unadulterated a degree as possible.

Over on the Pixel side of things, however, Google has long disabled the option to have its own Battery Saver mode running while simultaneously charging up. To address this gap in functionality, Google has launched an all-new feature starting with the Pixel 11 series of handsets: Extreme Charging Mode.

Brand

Google

SoC

Google Tensor G6

Battery

4750 mAh

Ports

USB-C 3.2

Operating System

Android 17

Dimensions

6.1 in (height) x 3.0 in (width) x 0.4 in (depth) folded; 6.1 in (height) x 5.9 in (width) x 0.2 in (depth) unfolded

The Pixel 11 Pro Fold is Google’s latest-and-greatest book-style foldable smartphone, with the Tensor G6 processor, a triple rear-camera setup, and a new HiLight LED function.

What is Extreme Charging Mode?

A Pixel feature that optimizes charging speeds

Extreme Charging Mode, which is currently exclusive to the Pixel 11, the Pixel 11 Pro, the Pixel 11 Pro XL, and the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, is a software feature tucked away within Settings that purports to accelerate charging speeds by way of temporarily pausing background activities such as application updates (without forgoing essential notifications like calls or text messages).

Google doesn’t quantify just how much faster of a charge you can eke out using Extreme Charging Mode, and results are likely to vary based on a number of factors like whether you use your phone during top-ups, the ambient temperature, and what wattage your power brick is maximally capable of.

In my experience, Extreme Charging Mode has helped me speed up charging by a small degree on my Pixel 11 Pro Fold, though it’s far from a miracle feature. Anecdotally, the battery top-up speed improvement is honestly quite negligible, but, hey, every bit counts, right? Plus, for added peace of mind, Google does say that the feature automatically manages temperature changes to keep your battery within a normal range, which is appreciated.

How do I enable Extreme Charging Mode?

You’ll need one of Google’s latest handsets

To turn on Extreme Charging Mode on your Pixel 11 series smartphone, follow these steps:

1. Launch the Settings application.
2. From here, navigate to Battery & charging > Charging > Extreme Charging Mode.
3. From within the main Extreme Charging Mode settings page, tap or click on Turn on now.

Note that in order to enable Extreme Charging Mode, your Pixel will need to have an under fifty percent battery charge level, and it’ll need to be actively plugged into power. Without these two prerequisites, the Turn on now button will simply be grayed out and will therefore be unavailable to press.

Extreme Charging Mode will automatically disable itself when your Pixel reaches a high battery percentage, or as soon as you unplug your Pixel from power. Optionally, you can also access the feature from within Quick Settings — the tile will become available within said interface after you activate the feature for the first time within Settings.

The downside with Extreme Charging Mode is that you have to manually enable it each and every time you want to use it. At the time of writing, there’s no native way to automate the process, or to have it kick in automatically when you plug your Pixel into power. With this in mind, I recommend adding a Quick Settings tile to your Pixel for improved ease of access.

While I appreciate Google implementing Extreme Charging Mode into its latest Pixel lineup, I do think the feature has room for improvement. Aside from automatic enablement, I’d love to see the option added to enable the mode even when above a fifty percent charge. Ultimately, I hope to see hardware-level improvements in the next generation Pixel hardware cycle that negate the need for Extreme Charging Mode — my Pixel 11 Pro Fold maxes out at 30W wired charging, and I’d love to see that number doubled next year.