Checking battery level while off & charging

[hybrisate]

On all my other Android phones, I was able to check the battery status when powered off and on the charger simply by pressing the power button once. The screen would light up briefly and show the battery icon and level, as well as an animation showing that it is charging (or a static, full battery icon once at 100%)

On my Pixel 2, I press the power button once and the battery icon comes so briefly that I cannot see the level. It does not matter anyway, since the phone then immediately powers on. Does anyone else have this problem, or do your Pixels work as I described my other phones above?

The power button works normally for locking, unlocking, and shutting down, so I do not think it is an issue with the button sticking. Seems like a software thing, but I can't be sure. I hope mine is not defective. Thanks for any feedback!

 

[sulla1965]

I don't think its possible. Just guestimate the level by the animated battery. Once fully charged it will show a full battery symbol.

 

[hybrisate]

I don't think its possible. Just guestimate the level by the animated battery. Once fully charged it will show a full battery symbol.

I am not looking for an exact number- I am used to guesstimating. The issue isn't checking the battery level's exact number - it is that the phone turns on immediately after showing the battery icon, instead of staying off and showing the animated battery. Maybe I should've used a better title, sorry.

 

[Rukbat]

I don't know the Pixel, but is there an LED showing "charging" and "fully charged"? (It doesn't matter if you interrupt the charge - if you need the phone, leave the charger plugged in and turn it on.)

 

[hybrisate]

I don't know the Pixel, but is there an LED showing "charging" and "fully charged"? (It doesn't matter if you interrupt the charge - if you need the phone, leave the charger plugged in and turn it on.)

No, just confirmed there is no LED on this phone while charging. I am not worried about interrupting charging; I am concerned because I've never had a phone power on from tapping (not long pressing) the power button while plugged in and off.

I just plugged into a PC using the stock USB-C cable, and tapping the power button did what I expected. As in, I tap the power button and the display lights up momentarily to show the battery icon with level and charging status. That happened twice; on the third attempt, the power button powered the phone on all the way. This is not normal from my experience with other phones.

 

[hybrisate]

Bump... Can anyone test this? Just turn your phone off, plug it into the charger, and tap your power button (don't hold.) There should be one of two outcomes:

1) Display briefly lights up to show battery level and charging animation (expected)
or
2) Battery icon shows up very quickly before phone powers on all the way (happening to me)

Thanks!

 

[Prath09]

Use an android wear watch and get a watch face with phone battery indicator.

 

[hybrisate]

Use an android wear watch and get a watch face with phone battery indicator.

I am just trying to troubleshoot a specific issue that I've never had on any other Android device. Thanks for the suggestion, though.

 

[PowrDroid]

Bump... Can anyone test this? Just turn your phone off, plug it into the charger, and tap your power button (don't hold.) There should be one of two outcomes:

1) Display briefly lights up to show battery level and charging animation (expected)
or
2) Battery icon shows up very quickly before phone powers on all the way (happening to me)

Thanks!

Pixel 2 XL. Battery is at 45%.

OK, phone is powered off and charger is plugged in. I briefly tap the power button. A large white battery icon lights up with the bottom 45% of the icon solid white colored (representing charge level of battery) and top 55% of battery icon is transparent.

Within a second or two there is a two-step animation process where the solid white coloring progressively fills the transparent portion of the battery icon indicating it is receiving a charge. This animation repeats a couple of times and then the screen darkens.

When I unplug the charger the battery icon shows solid white coloring indicating the charge level of the battery. This stays on the screen for a couple of seconds and then the screen goes dark.

To power up my phone I have to press and hold the power button, whether it is on the charger or not.

Hope this helps.

 

[hybrisate]

Pixel 2 XL. Battery is at 45%.

OK, phone is powered off and charger is plugged in. I briefly tap the power button. A large white battery icon lights up with the bottom 45% of the icon solid white colored (representing charge level of battery) and top 55% of battery icon is transparent.

Within a second or two there is a two-step animation process where the solid white coloring progressively fills the transparent portion of the battery icon indicating it is receiving a charge. This animation repeats a couple of times and then the screen darkens.

When I unplug the charger the battery icon shows solid white coloring indicating the charge level of the battery. This stays on the screen for a couple of seconds and then the screen goes dark.

To power up my phone I have to press and hold the power button, whether it is on the charger or not.

Hope this helps.

Thank you so much, that's what I wanted to check on and I appreciate you being so detailed. Mine is a Pixel 2, but I think it should behave just like the XL. I wonder if this is hardware or software related. Maybe I will try without my case on just to rule that out. Thanks again!

 

[sixty_four]

Re: Checking battery level while off & charging

Pixel 2 (non-XL) running 8.1.

Powered off, plugged in.

A brief "battery filling up" animation plays then the screen goes dark. Tapping (quick push lasting less than .5 seconds) the power button shows the same animation for several seconds before going dark. The phone does not power on.

Update...

I unplugged my powered off and fully charged phone and just tapped the power button and the phone powered on.

 

[Danv1369]

Thank you so much, that's what I wanted to check on and I appreciate you being so detailed. Mine is a Pixel 2, but I think it should behave just like the XL. I wonder if this is hardware or software related. Maybe I will try without my case on just to rule that out. Thanks again!

Do you have a case on your phone that covers the power button? If yes, I wonder if the case is depressing the power button longer then you think you are.

I have Pixel 2 and will try to test to see if I have the same results as you.

 

[Danv1369]

Do you have a case on your phone that covers the power button? If yes, I wonder if the case is depressing the power button longer then you think you are.

I have Pixel 2 and will try to test to see if I have the same results as you.

Ok I tested and have the same issue you are experiancing. When the phone is off and I quickly tap the power button the battery icon flashes on the screen very quickly and then the phone poers on. I would also suspect the same as the Xl but looks like that is not the case.

 

[PowrDroid]

Ok I tested and have the same issue you are experiancing. When the phone is off and I quickly tap the power button the battery icon flashes on the screen very quickly and then the phone poers on. I would also suspect the same as the Xl but looks like that is not the case.

Looks like there is a subtle difference between 2 and 2 XL regarding how it handles this.

 

[Kangda]

Re: Checking battery level while off & charging

Pixel 2 (non-XL) running 8.1.

Powered off, plugged in.

A brief "battery filling up" animation plays then the screen goes dark. Tapping (quick push lasting less than .5 seconds) the power button shows the same animation for several seconds before going dark. The phone does not power on.

I tested my Panda, and this is what happens for me.

 

[hybrisate]

Ok I tested and have the same issue you are experiancing. When the phone is off and I quickly tap the power button the battery icon flashes on the screen very quickly and then the phone poers on. I would also suspect the same as the Xl but looks like that is not the case.

My case seems to make it worse, but it still happens without it sometimes. Seems like you have to be very careful to tap it as quickly as possible, but it doesn't always make a difference. And yes it seems from what you and others have said, that the XL does not seem to be exactly the same.

I think this is odd behavior, but I am relieved it is not just my phone. I wonder if this is on Google's radar.