The Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro come without a charging adapter, controversially, but at least they come with a USB-C-to-C charging cable. It should be common knowledge that the cable that comes with your phone is the best one to charge it with, but it seems like Google's latest flagships will straight up refuse to charge if you try to use a cheaper cable.

As reported by 9to5Google, users are finding that their Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro devices won't charge when they use certain cables. No warning message is displayed; they'll just act as if no power source is connected. This is unsurprising since Google's support page says that "other Android cables and power adapters might not work with Pixel phones."

Both Pixel 6 models support USB-PD (Power Delivery), but many older/cheaper cables aren't compliant with this newer fast-charging spec, which means that even if they do charge the phone, it'll be slow. The same also goes for older/cheaper charging bricks. While USB-C is supposed to make charging all of our devices easier, the obvious flaw is there there are many different specs that use the same port now, which can be super confusing for many users.

It may be frustrating that the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro won't charge using some of your existing cables and chargers, but ultimately, it's for the right reason. Charging with cheap cables can damage batteries, as well as being slower, so using only the cable that came with your Pixel is the best way to protect your phone. If this is your first Pixel, that likely means you'll have to shell out for a new charging adapter, too, since USB-C bricks are still not super prevalent and even if you do have one from a previous product, there's no guarantee it'll charge your Pixel 6. Google is selling a new 30W charger, but beware, the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro won't actually charge anywhere near that fast.