Bypass charging is an incredibly useful feature for gamers, video editors, content creators and just about anyone who wants to extend the life span of their smartphone.
We’ve compiled everything there is to know about bypass charging, including what it is, how it works, what it means for your performance and battery life and where you can find it.
Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about this hidden charging feature.
What is bypass charging?
Bypass charging is a charging feature that can be found on a range of devices, though we’ll priBypass charging can be found across a wide range of devices, including smartphones, tablets and laptops. Even so, it isn’t typically something that’s specifically mentioned in a device’s spec sheet, so your handset might be sporting the feature without you even realising.
While regular charging draws power from the charger and sends it to the battery, bypass charging instead sends power directly to the device, bypassing the battery entirely (as its name gives away).
As power doesn’t reach your battery when bypass charging, it’s worth noting that once you unplug your charger you’ll be back at whatever battery percentage you had when you first started bypass charging. This is because bypass charging gives you power to use in that moment, rather than topping up your device’s battery for later use.
Essentially, bypass charging provides your device with power during that moment, rather than topping up your battery. So if you’re looking to charge your phone before heading out then you shouldn’t use bypass charging as you won’t see any battery boost. Instead, bypass charging should be used during more intense tasks such as gaming or video editing and when you don’t want to drain the battery you have.
Does bypass charging improve performance?
Yes, one major benefit of bypass charging is that it can improve the performance of your device. This is especially handy if you’re gaming or editing a video on your phone and need your phone to remain cool and running smoothly.
Bypass charging generates less heat than regular charging, which helps prevent the battery and other components in your phone from overheating. Your phone can then prioritise performance rather than focus on managing that excess heat.
Benefits of bypass charging
The main benefit of bypass charging is that it maintains your device at a consistent battery for a long period of time, which should offer a more stable performance during your tasks. Plus, unlike regular charging where power is drawn to the battery rather than directly to the device, you should hopefully not notice as much heat build-up either.
There’s also thought that bypass charging actually helps your device’s battery and the reduction of heat helps preserve the battery.
Can bypass charging damage a battery?
Quite the opposite – bypass charging can actually extend the life span of your battery in the long term.
All smartphones have an estimated number of charging cycles they can handle before the battery health takes a hit. For example, Apple previously claimed that all four iPhone 15 models were designed to retain 80% of their original battery capacity for up to 1000 complete charge cycles. Because bypass charging skips the battery, it doesn’t result in one of these charging cycles, pushing that date further back and thus extending the life of the battery in the long run.
Is bypass charging safe?
When it comes to battery, it can feel slightly worrying to do anything too out of the ordinary. However, bypass charging is deemed to be safe and a good way to use your phone without impacting the battery life.
On the other hand, if you’re not actively using your device then there’s no need to engage in bypass charging.
Bypass charging phones list – the compatible handsets
Although many of the best smartphones support bypass charging, it’s rare to see the feature listed within its specs. In addition, it may not be immediately obvious where the setting to engage bypass charging is. For example, the first phone to include the feature, 2020’s Sony Xperia 1 II, had bypass charging listed as ‘Heat Suppression Power Control’.
Alongside the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and OnePlus 15, other manufacturers that have support bypass charging include:
- Asus
- Infinix
- IQOO
- Xiaomi
- ZTE
