Here’s how to get the Galaxy S23’s bypass charging feature on your phone

Samsung introduced a so-called “Pause USB Power Delivery” feature on the Galaxy S23 series, allowing phones to receive power from a charger without the battery being charged in turn. Fortunately, it looks like this bypass charging feature is coming to more Galaxy handsets.

SamMobile and NLTech report that the Pause USB Power Delivery option (found in the Game Booster app) is now available on devices like the Galaxy A73 5G and Galaxy Z Fold 2 or better. However, users on social media noted that devices like the Galaxy A33 5G and Galaxy Tab S8 have the feature too.

Redditor FragmentedChicken has posted a guide to enable the feature, and you’ll need a USB PD PPS charger (they note that a 25W and 33W charger worked), as well as the Game Launcher and Fast Charging settings enabled. SamMobile reports that you’ll need version 5.0.03.0 of the Game Booster app.

The steps are pretty easy from here:

1. Plug your phone into the required charger.
2. Open a game.
3. Launch Game Booster via the notification tray.
4. Enable “Pause USB Power Delivery.”

Can’t see this feature on your phone after getting to step four? Then you’ll likely have to either wait for a system update or you’re simply out of luck.

Here’s why bypass charging matters

Bypass charging is particularly handy as it means users can avoid heating associated with charging the battery, therefore opening the door for better performance in games and other demanding tasks (e.g. recording high-resolution video).

Another reason to use bypass charging while gaming instead of traditional charging is that the battery isn’t being constantly charged. And of course, constant charging translates into increased battery degradation over time.

It’s worth noting that Samsung isn’t the first to implement this feature though, as the likes of Asus and Sony have offered bypass charging for a while now. But we’re still happy to see Samsung adopt this feature anyway.