You nonetheless should not recreation in your Galaxy whereas it is charging, besides with this Samsung characteristic on

If you play video games in your telephone, I’m fairly positive you’ve got plugged it in to cost and saved enjoying with out something taking place. I’ve achieved it extra instances than I can depend, and I’ve completely no regrets. But after utilizing dozens of telephones and finally returning to a Samsung Galaxy, I’ve realized it is most likely not the best for your phone’s battery, particularly with all that additional warmth.

Now, I’m not going to recommend that you just cease gaming whereas your telephone is plugged in, as a result of I do know I’d by no means observe that recommendation myself. But when you’re utilizing a Samsung Galaxy, there is a a lot smarter option to go about it. Samsung has a helpful characteristic that takes some pressure off your battery when you’re gaming, and the most effective half is you do not have to alter the way you play. All it takes is popping on one setting.

Your Galaxy has a charging cheat code

The finest gaming trick is not within the recreation; it is within the Gaming Hub

On my Galaxy S26 Ultra, the characteristic known as Pause USB PD charging when gaming, and also you gained’t discover it within the common Settings app. Samsung has tucked it away inside the Gaming Hub app as a substitute, which might be why so many Galaxy users don’t even comprehend it exists. The excellent news is you solely have to allow it as soon as, and the entire course of takes lower than a minute.

Here’s easy methods to get it working in your Galaxy:

1. Open the Gaming Hub app in your Samsung Galaxy telephone.
2. If you’re opening it for the primary time, full the preliminary setup, together with accepting the phrases and circumstances and selecting your notification preferences.
3. Once you’re in, faucet the three-dot menu within the upper-right nook.
4. From the menu that seems, choose Game Booster.
5. Now, search for Pause USB PD charging when gaming. You would possibly discover that the choice is grayed out, however don’t fear. That’s normally as a result of your telephone isn’t linked to a appropriate charger.
6. Plug your telephone right into a appropriate USB Power Delivery (PD) charger, and the choice ought to grow to be accessible.
7. Finally, toggle it on, and also you’re good to go.

One factor to examine earlier than you begin is your charger. Samsung requires a USB PD charger rated at 25W or greater that helps PPS (Programmable Power Supply). So, any random USB-C charger gained’t do the trick, and even a higher-wattage charger won’t work if it would not assist PPS.

You’ll additionally see a short clarification under the toggle that explains what the characteristic does. Essentially, once you’re gaming with a appropriate USB PD charger linked, your telephone can draw energy instantly from the charger as a substitute of continually charging the battery. This helps cut back warmth and places much less stress on the battery throughout longer gaming classes.

What’s extra, your battery must be above 20% for the characteristic to work. As lengthy as you meet that requirement and have a appropriate charger linked, you’ll be able to preserve gaming with out worrying as a lot in regards to the additional warmth from charging.

The solely factor that ought to get cooked is your enemies

While you chase wins, your charger does the work

Now that you’ve got enabled the characteristic, let’s discuss what truly adjustments once you begin gaming. Normally, once you plug in your telephone, the charger provides energy and costs the battery. If you are enjoying one thing demanding on the similar time, you add much more warmth. That’s hardly supreme, particularly when you plan to play the sport for an hour or two.

This is the place bypass charging makes a difference. Instead of charging the battery, your Galaxy attracts energy instantly from the wall charger to maintain the processor, show, and different parts operating. The battery primarily sits this one out. As a end result, there’s much less warmth from charging, much less pointless stress on the battery, and probably extra constant efficiency throughout longer gaming classes. You’ll additionally discover that your battery share stays kind of the place it was once you began enjoying, quite than continually climbing prefer it ought to when charging.

I’ve enabled this on my Galaxy S26 Ultra, and the distinction is especially noticeable when I’m enjoying one thing demanding. Games like Genshin Impact could make the telephone fairly heat, and the identical goes for these longer Call of Duty: Mobile classes the place I preserve leaping from one deathmatch to a different. Previously, I might really feel warmth build up across the high of the telephone, particularly when it was plugged in.

With bypass charging enabled, that space would not get almost as heat in my expertise. The telephone nonetheless heats up, after all. After all, I’m pushing the processor and GPU fairly exhausting, and no charging characteristic goes to alter that. But eradicating the additional warmth from charging makes an enormous distinction. Not having to cost the battery continually whereas doing all that is another excuse I’m maintaining this characteristic enabled.

Your battery well being is value defending, too

If you personal a Samsung Galaxy telephone and commonly play video games, I strongly suggest maintaining this characteristic enabled. You won’t discover the advantages immediately, however over months of gaming, decreasing pointless warmth and charging stress might assist your battery age higher, particularly when you plan to maintain your telephone for a number of years.

After all, most of us solely begin worrying about battery well being when our telephones battle to final a complete day. If Samsung provides you a option to be just a little kinder to your battery with out altering how you utilize your telephone, why not make the most of it? It’s a easy change, and one I’d suggest each Galaxy gamer make.