It appears that the Pixel 4 refuses to work with some USB cables

Damien Wilde | Dec 16 2019 - 5:28 am PT

While the Pixel 4 is a solid device let down by some glaring errors, it is still a great smartphone that seems to have a bit of an issue with many third-party USB cables.

According to Android Authority, the Pixel 4 simply doesn’t work with quite a few third-party USB cables. They found that the reliance on USB Power Delivery means that USB-C to USB-C cables work just fine. It’s USB-C to USB-A cables that pose problems with the device.

So, USB-C to USB-C works just fine. However, I simply couldn’t get the Pixel 4 to charge with other USB-A chargers at first. Quick Charge ports, USB BC 1.2 power banks, and even standard USB ports on my PC and laptop wouldn’t work. It was only when swapping out to another cable that I was able to get the Pixel 4 to connect to these devices. However, every other phone I tested, including the Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3a, works just fine with this same cable.

It’s worth noting that the type of cable determines whether it will work, as it simply wouldn’t be recognized by the Pixel 4 when plugged in. Weirder still, AA found that the same cables would work just fine with the Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3a.

They noted that after testing around 18 USB-C to USB-A cables, those from Huawei and Honor were unable to connect to the Pixel 4 at all. The iconic red charge cables from OnePlus seem to work just fine.

After testing 18 different cables, it’s not entirely clear what upsets the Pixel 4. Older Huawei 5A cables were the only smartphone cables that refused to work. The original cable that kickstarted this investigation is also a 5A cable designed to work with fast charging devices. Both sport a purple identifying color inside. However, these work fine with every other phone I tested. Interestingly, high current cables from OnePlus and Oppo were deemed acceptable by the Pixel 4.

We don’t know for certain why some cables simply won’t work or be recognized. Google could simply be blocking charge cables that don’t conform to the correct 56kΩ pull-up resistor specification. If you have encountered issues with third-party cables on your Pixel 4, let us know down in the comments section below.