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There might be something wrong with the Google Pixel Watch 2

Nadeem Sarwar
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A person wearing the Google Pixel Watch 2.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Google introduced an updated charging system on the Google Pixel Watch 2 that juices up the battery inside at a quicker pace. It’s also more secure than the previous charger and doesn’t get quite as hot. For the most part, it’s a good upgrade.

But it seems some users of the smartwatch are facing charging woes. Multiple users are reporting that the supplied charging kit won’t fill up the second-generation Pixel Watch’s battery.

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What’s wrong with the Pixel Watch 2

The Google Pixel Watch 2's sensors.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

In a detailed Reddit post, one affected Reddit user explained how two official Google chargers failed them, while the Pixel Watch 2 worked with a few third-party chargers. Another user mentioned in a post that even nonofficial charging bricks won’t work, and their Pixel Watch 2 is essentially a dead wearable.

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From the updates and responses under the original posts, it seems the supplied charger might be at fault here, but mixed results with third-party bricks suggest that there might be some issue with the watch itself. Now, this isn’t a widespread problem, so it’s entirely plausible that the complaints are limited to a handful of defective units.

There are also reports of aggressive idle power drain on the Pixel Watch 2, but these issues are often addressed through software-side optimization delivered via corrective updates. Notably, it appears that the users of the original Pixel Watch also ran into similar charging issues, as documented in this Google Community forum thread.

How to fix Pixel Watch 2 charging issues

The Google Pixel Watch 2's charging puck.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Google is apparently aware of the charging issues, as there is a dedicated support page titled “Fix a Google Pixel Watch that won’t charge.” If you’ve got a Pixel Watch 2 that won’t charge, here’s what Google suggests:

  1. Let the watch sit on the charging dock for 10 minutes. 
  2. Wait until you see the lightning bolt-shaped white charge icon appear on the screen.
  3. Once you see the icon, wait for 35 seconds, and then press the digital crown. Doing so should show the battery level.
  4. After seeing the battery percentage, wait for seven minutes till you see the colorful “G” icon appear on the screen. It’s a sign of a successful software boot and uninterrupted charging.

Google also suggests that you try disabling the Battery Defender feature, which is there to prevent the battery from reaching the 100% charge status. This is a tactic to avoid chemical degradation due to the battery completing charging-discharging cycles frequently. Simply put, doing so allows the battery to last longer.

The main workout screen on the Google Pixel Watch 2.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Now, it’s worth keeping in mind that Google doesn’t seem to offer much help when it comes to fixing Pixel Watch problems, especially those originating at the hardware level. The only alternative is to request a replacement, a process that is detailed on a separate support page.

However, having to haggle with official support channels has been a mixed bag for Pixel buyers historically. Digital Trends has reached out to Google for more clarity into the Pixel Watch 2 charging issues and will update this story as soon as we get a response.

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Nadeem Sarwar
Nadeem Sarwar
Contributor
Nadeem is a tech journalist who started reading about cool smartphone tech out of curiosity and soon started writing…
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