Your phone’s power is low, and you plug the charger into its socket as you normally do.
However, today, an interesting notification pops up:
“Charging Rapidly.”
This gets you immediately wondering, “Just why is my Pixel 2 charging rapidly?”
“Charging rapidly” is a feature in the Google Pixel series whereby the phone can be charged at a maximum charging speed that is faster than the regular charging speed.
Technically speaking, your phone should be fully charged in less time if the screen displays the “charging rapidly” notification due to more efficient power delivery.
Nevertheless, that’s not always the case with the Pixel 2. Many users actually observe that their phone doesn’t charge any faster even when the indicator shows “charging rapidly”!
The phone’s battery needs to be at a temperature of 69 degrees Fahrenheit (or 20 degrees Celsius) or higher in order for it to accept quick charging.
Rapid charging also depends on the charger and USB cable you use to charge your Pixel 2. Not all chargers are designed to support the rapid charging feature, even if the phone is capable of the function.
Why Does My Phone Say “Charging Rapidly”?
The Google Pixel 2 series has a variety of indicators when it comes to charging.
The phone screen will display notifications such as “charging slowly”, “charging rapidly”, and “charging” to indicate the current power delivery process. It also gives a rough estimate for the time required to fully charge the phone to 100%.
In ideal conditions, “Charging rapidly” means exactly that. It is an indication that your phone is being charged more quickly than normal, and that it should take less time to charge fully.
It is similar to the fast-charging ability of other brands; many of our readers will know about the Turbo and fast chargers of brands such as Motorola and Samsung that also allow users to charge their phone faster than average.
The same principle is applied here with the Pixel 2. “Charging rapidly” should mean that the phone will charge more quickly.
However, the Pixel 2 doesn’t always adhere to the ideal conditions. Users have noticed that the phone doesn’t always charge more quickly when the indicator shows the “Charging rapidly” notification.
Moreover, the fast-charging feature can not always be activated anyway. The Pixel 2 may take the regular amount of time to charge (or charge even more slowly!) depending on various factors:
- The first factors to consider are the USB cable and charging port used for the purpose.
Are you using a charging cable or a data transfer cable? A charging cable transports power faster than a data cable, though the latter does also have a power wire in it.
- Which charging port are you using?
Connecting to a laptop/ computer for charging may not always lead to rapid charging.
You need to use the 3.0 port on the laptop to facilitate fast charging. It is generally always recommended to connect to an electric power source directly.
- Another factor that influences the rapid charging feature is the temperature of the phone’s battery.
The battery should have a minimum temperature of 20 degrees Celsius (69 degrees Fahrenheit) to start fast charging. If the battery has a lower temperature, the Pixel 2 will not charge rapidly even if the screen displays this message.
- This is something that the Google team observed when users complained that their phones didn’t charge more quickly despite the message.
- If you are in colder regions (or if the temperatures are low at the moment), your phone will most likely not be able to charge rapidly. However, it is possible to manually set the battery temperature to force the function by using third-party apps like Accubattery.
- The final factor to consider is that the phone will not charge rapidly from 0% to 100%.
The cutoff point for rapid charging is 70%. After this, the charging speed will revert to normal- no matter which charger you use.
Is “Charging Rapidly” Bad?
The verdict is pretty divided when it comes to rapid charging. While some will sing its praises to the high heavens, others simply state an adamant “no”.
The majority of the latest smartphones in the market have rapid charging capability, and can be charged using special fast chargers utilizing 7W to 25W of power.
All Google Pixel phones accept fast charging- and not only that, models from Pixel 3 onwards have a wireless charging feature and can be fast-charged wirelessly as well.
However, the question remains: Is charging your phone rapidly good or bad? Let’s try to answer this below.
As we’ve already explored above, rapid charging is where more power is sent to the battery to charge a phone more quickly.
However, that is quite a vague and generalized definition of fast charging.
In reality, the charger regulates the amount of power sent to the phone’s battery. This means that sometimes the phone doesn’t charge rapidly even when it gets more power.
This is because the controller reads current and voltage differently in fast charging. Your phone will not be subjected to excess power just because there’s an excess supply of it.
The good thing about fast charging is that it doesn’t generate heat, so it won’t make your phone hotter than normal.
In contrast, phones can actually heat up during slow charging. In fact, charging a phone at a slower rate can be more dangerous than fast charging!
That all goes to say: While “charging rapidly” may not always result in a phone being charged more quickly, it shouldn’t be any more harmful than regular charging- and definitely better than charging too slowly!
Related Questions
How can I know if my phone is fast charging?
Many models- such as the Google Pixel 2- provide an indicator on the screen that will read either “charging rapidly”, “fast charging”, and more.
iPhones, on the other hand, ding twice when you connect to fast charging (and only once for regular charging).
You can also use third-party apps from the App Store to measure the voltage and input current of the phone.
Also, while some wireless charging mats also provide fast charging, these are not as fast as USB fast chargers.
What are the pros and cons of fast charging?
• Saves time by charging the phone more quickly
• Useful in emergencies
• Keeps the phone alive throughout the day
• Fast charging has a cutoff point to ensure device safety
Cons:
• The performance of the battery may be reduced
• The phone can become overheated (depending on the environment and equipment used)
• Fast chargers from different brands work differently
How can I fix fast charging on my phone?
• Wrong USB cable
• Different brands of fast charger
• Dusty charging port
• Too many background apps on the phone
• Software update required
In Summary
You may see your Google Pixel 2 show ‘charging rapidly’ simply because the phone is capable of charging more quickly at certain times!
In other cases, it may display the notification of fast charging without actually experiencing an increase in power supply.
This has been a common problem with all models in the Pixel 2 range, and Google has admitted that it can occur due to environmental factors.
Regardless of whether you are concerned or not, there isn’t really anything to worry about when it comes to rapid charging.
In most instances, it is not a bad thing and will not harm your phone. Your Pixel 2 is quite safe, even if it shows the notification.
Make sure to always use a direct power supply (as well as the charger provided by the company) to charge your phone.
In cases where you notice your phone is becoming very hot or overheated during the rapid charging process, the best thing to do would be to take it to a trained technician for an inspection!