Google is bringing Extreme Charging Mode to the Pixel 10 series. The company debuted the feature with the Pixel 11 series earlier this year, along with a promise to reduce charging times.
Extreme Charging arrives on the Pixel 10 series
Extreme charging is coming to Pixel 10 devices, but there's a catch. | Image by YahooTech
Several Pixel 11-exclusive features are trickling down to the Pixel 10 family with the latest November 2026 Pixel Drop update.
Extreme Charging is one of these features, and just like on Pixel 11 phones, the option pops up when the battery of the Pixel 10 phone is below 50% and you're charging it with an appropriate charger.
How to manually enable Extreme Charging on your Pixel 10 phone
How to enable Extreme Charging on your Pixel 10 device. | Image by Android Authority
Of course, you can enable this new feature manually by following the steps below:
Tap on Settings
Choose Battery and charging
Tap on Extreme Charging Mode
Select the "Turn on now" button
After you activate this feature for the first time, it will become easier to access via a Quick Settings tile. The mode will automatically switch off when you disconnect the charger or when the battery level reaches a certain threshold.
Bear in mind that you need to activate this mode for every charging session, and it doesn't work with wireless charging—only when you're connected to a compatible wired charger.
The catch — what is Extreme Charging, and what does it do?
Extreme Charging Mode temporary pauses background activities. | Image by Google
Sadly, Google naming this feature "Extreme Charging" is an overkill. The mode is purely a software optimization that doesn't pump more power into your battery, but rather deals with background activities, apps, and processes.
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When you enable Extreme Charging, the software pauses the aforementioned activities to allow all the incoming power to go to the battery.
In reality, though, these processes drain so little battery that in the end, charging times with the feature on and without it are pretty similar.
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What battery and charging upgrade would you like to see on your Pixel 10?
Pixel 10a is excluded from the update
The news gets even worse for Pixel 10a owners, as the budget Google offering won't be getting this Extreme Charging mode anytime soon.
Google says the Pixel 10 Pro supports up to 30W wired charging and can charge from 0 to 55% in about 30 minutes. The larger Pixel 10 Pro XL supports up to 45W wired charging and can reach 70% in the same amount of time.
Expect just a one- or two-minute improvement, depending on the background processes your Pixel 10 device is running during charging.
What battery and charging upgrade would you like to see on your Pixel 10?
Read more about new Pixel features and software updates here:
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