Pixel Watch can’t charge on your Pixel phone – or other Qi chargers

Have you bought a handy wireless charger from a Swedish furniture giant, or do you think you are going on holiday with your Pixel 7 without your Watch charger, you will be disappointed. Google has confirmed that the Pixel Watch cannot charge by placing it on your Pixel phone or using a different Qi wireless charger.

Pixel Watch

For a while it was thought that this was possible, but if you want to charge your Google Pixel Watch, you will really have to use the supplied charger. It is not possible to use a wireless charger or your own Pixel phone. Its a shame, but there is nothing to do about it. Now Pixel Watch is not released in the Netherlands, but if you import the popular gadget, make sure it comes with a charger specially made for the smart watch.

That may seem strange, because Pixel Watch also uses a variant of wireless charging, as we also know from Samsung and Apple smartwatches. However, the internal core of the Pixel Watch is constructed in such a way that it is not possible to charge the device in any other way than with the official charger. Although no pins are needed and there is indeed wireless charging, there is a different way. For that reason, the watch can’t charge on the new Pixel Stand, for example.

Wireless charging

It may happen that some wireless chargers do work with this device, especially if they are configured a little differently, but the chance is very small that this will actually work. In fact, it can even cause your Google watch to discharge and thus drain instead of charging, something already proven by putting the gadgets on the back of a Pixel 7 Pro or Galaxy 4 Fold. Also note: even if the watch does say that it is charging, it turns out not to do that at all, writes 9to5Google.

Too bad it doesn’t work differently, because that doesn’t exactly make it a very universal device to charge. Not very sustainable either, because that means that you still have to put a charger in the box, that if you forget it on vacation, you might have to buy a new charger, and so on. Hopefully, ways will be found soon to solve this differently, but otherwise: be very careful with your ‘thread’.

Should Google try harder to make its devices more compatible with other gadgets and chargers? Or should that not stand in the way of innovation? Leave your opinion with this article.