Can The Pixel 3 Charge And Listen To Music Simultaneously? (Find Out!)

As music lovers, we really can’t go long periods without listening to our favorite jams.

Sometimes, though, we do have to let go of our phones (more specifically our Pixel phones) and let them recharge (so that they have enough juice for more music-playing).

Wait a minute– can’t we just charge the phone and listen to music at the same time? I’m sure we’re not the only ones who have had this thought.

So, can users of the Pixel 3 charge and listen to music at the same time?

Well, the answer is yes and no.

The Pixel 3, unfortunately, only has one port.

That means you can either connect your headphones- or the charger- but not both at once.

However, you can still listen to music by playing it through the phone’s speakers or connecting Bluetooth headphones!

Cool, right?

How To Charge Your Pixel 3 And Listen To Music At The Same Time

This is a question that many music lovers have pondered throughout the past decade.

How can you charge a phone and listen to music simultaneously- especially if you want to do so privately with headphones?

Android phones without support for a 3.5mm headphone jack usually only have a single port to connect a USB-C cable.

With this, you can plug either a charger cable or the headphone cord in (but not both). Using both however would require other, more creative means, such as connecting to an additional adapter or a splitter.

Theoretically, an adapter would solve this problem. However, theory and reality don’t always match up perfectly.

There are hardly any decent adapters that let you plug in a charging cable and a 3.5mm jack simultaneously. Cheap adapters that purport to do this aren’t usually worth the money.

Headphones are popular because we can use them in almost all situations, with charging the Pixel 3 being a glaring exception.

The iPhone fares slightly better in this aspect, though to be honest we don’t really understand why smartphone manufacturers make things so difficult for users.

Buying third-party connectors, adapters, and splitters don’t make sense when the phone can theoretically support more than one decent port.

Of course, you can play the music out loud through the phone’s speakers. However you probably already knew that, and that isn’t the solution we’re looking for!

But hey, there is still one option left. What’s that, I hear you asking?

Wireless headphones with Bluetooth connectivity.

Why worry about tangled wires and charging cables when you can go completely wireless?

Simply connect your Pixel 3 with wireless earphones and listen to your favorite music even while the phone is charging.

You might start to get smart at this point and wonder, “Does this mean you can try the other way round and use wireless charging while plugging in wired headphones?”

No. Don’t ever do that.

The Pixel charger’s safety manual clearly states not to connect the phone to any wires or cables when it is charging wirelessly.

This is highly risky, especially since the headphones will be nestled in your ears, and you’ll have to sit close to a charging phone.

It’s much better and safer to use wireless Bluetooth headphones while the phone is connected to a wired charger. Let’s keep that electricity far, far away from our brains!

How Does Listening To Music While Charging The Phone Affect The Battery?

We’ve talked about the feasibility of listening to music when charging the phone. Let’s now understand if it’s a safe thing to do or not where your phone itself is concerned.

Older smartphone models generally have two slots; one for the USB-C cable, and another for the 3.5mm jack. That made it easy to plug in different cables at the same time.

However, does that mean it’s safe to use them both simultaneously?

The answer, somewhat surprisingly, is no. It is not entirely safe to listen to your earphones when the phone is charging. There have been reports of people suffering electrocution accidents by doing just this.

Personal safety aside, how does this affect the phone battery?

After all, we can continue to use the phone with wireless headphones while charging it.

While it isn’t recommended that you use your phone actively while it is charging, it is okay to listen to music (with wireless earbuds). However, keep in mind that doing so will affect the battery life.

Battery life is measured in cycles (charging, and discharging).

When you use the phone as it’s charging, you’ll be disturbing this cycle and subsequently affect its battery life and overall health.

A battery may lose its capacity and start to discharge faster if you regularly use it when charging. Using a phone while charging also increases its temperature and can lead to being a fire hazard in certain circumstances.

Related Questions

In Summary

So, can you charge your Pixel 3 and listen to music at the same time?

That really all depends on how you want to listen to your music.

Since the Pixel 3 only has a single port, you can’t connect two cables simultaneously unless you use a third-party adapter.

That means you can’t use wired headphones and charge the phone concurrently. However, you can still use wireless headphones, or listen to music through the phone’s speakers.

Remember, never get fancy and try to use wired headphones while the Pixel 3 is charging on a wireless charging mat! This can be dangerous, and you’ll be leading wires from an electrical source right to your brain.

It’s always best to play it safe- Let your phone charge first, then use it afterward to your heart’s desire!

Headphones are one of them. Want to know what the other 14 Most Essential Smartphone Accessories are this year? Click HERE to find out!