Google Warns Against Qi Wireless Charging Of Pixel Watch: Will It Cause Damage?

Google's Pixel Watch ships with a wireless charger. But Google has warned the smartwatch shouldn't be charged using any third-party wireless chargers. Moreover, the device doesn't charge when placed on smartphones that support reverse wireless charging.

Pixel Watch Supports Wireless Charging But Only On Google's Dock

Google started shipping the Pixel Watch right after it officially announced the device. Early adopters who got their hands on the Pixel Watch started experimenting with the device's ability to charge wirelessly.

The Pixel Watch doesn't have any physical pins or pads and gets charged wirelessly when placed on the dock Google provides. Hence, it seemed plausible the watch may charge wirelessly when placed on third-party wireless chargers.

They told us it won't work, well....#madebygoogle pic.twitter.com/GsrcD7NDPC

— Nils Ahrensmeier (@NilsAhrDE) October 6, 2022

Some buyers placed the Pixel Watch on Pixel smartphones and other phones that had reverse wireless charging enabled. This technique merely seemed to work. Some Redditors tried to use a power bank that supports Qi-compatible wireless charging, but the watch failed to charge. This is primarily because the Pixel Watch only supports Google's dock and its proprietary wireless charging standard.

Will Third-Party Qi Wireless Chargers Damage The Pixel Watch?

Google has come forth with a clear warning against using any third-party wireless chargers to charge the Pixel Watch. The company issued a statement after a team at 9to5Google discovered the watch's display indicated it was charging when placed on Qi-compatible charging pads and devices with reverse wireless charging. However, in reality, the watch's battery was draining. Google has now released a statement confirming the Pixel Watch does not support Qi wireless charging:

"Qi charging is not supported on the Google Pixel Watch. There may be some charging configurations where reverse wireless or Qi charging appears to work. This will be very device and charger specific and is not guaranteed to provide a consistent, steady, or strong charge. Note that in some cases, this could cause the device to discharge while on a charger. Pixel Watch only supports charging with the inbox charger provided."

Qi wireless charging is quite popular and mainstream. The method involves two induction coils. One transmits power and the other receives it. The charger and the device getting charged need to be in close proximity for such wireless charging to work.

NGL, this is a big miss. You can't charge the Google Pixel Watch with reverse wireless charging on the Google Pixel. This also seems to infer that it won't work on the Pixel Stand 2, which is insane.

Now we know why the PW left at a restaurant couldn't be charged #teampixel pic.twitter.com/2bfQQjLnUD

— M. Brandon Lee | THIS IS TECH TODAY (@thisistechtoday) October 8, 2022

Google has essentially warned that Pixel Watch will need to be placed only on the proprietary wireless charger which is shipped with the device. Hence, it is inadvisable to use any other wireless charger or reverse wireless charging.

The Pixel Watch should have internal safeguards to prevent charging when placed on third-party wireless chargers. This is evident from the fact that the device discharges slowly even though the UI indicates otherwise. But there are several unknown risks, and hence, Google has asked to stick to the dock it provides.