I was charging my OnePlus 13 all wrong, and it was degrading my battery — here's what you need to know

Phone Arena

2 days ago

- My OnePlus 13 , randomly
Fair enough. I mean, I have this option enabled, alongside other cool battery-adjacent features, such as 'silent charging'. But what is this 'battery limitation' thing? Essentially, when the phone gets fully charged, it will stop charging until the battery falls back to 95%, even if it remains plugged in. This is a beneficial feature, because it helps keep the battery's health in check, instead of overcharging and overheating it. This is especially useful for users like me, who charge their phones overnight.
But here's the twist: I was getting this notification randomly throughout the day. Sometimes I would get it an hour or two after I had gotten up, and other times, late in the afternoon. At those times, my phone was not plugged in and charging, which made the notification not only pointless, but fascinatingly weird.
After I did a bit of digging, I found out that I may be facing one of the following issues:
A temporary software glitch, caused by stuck cache or a faulty update
A dirty USB-C input port (or charger)
An issue with the phone's battery capacity
A hardware issue, which meant I had to replace the phone
And since I severely dislike that last option, I opted to go through all the rest first, like any other rational human being would. After a quick inspection, my USB port and charger seemed just fine, but I cleaned them out with a cotton swab and canned air just in case (while being careful not to leave any unwanted bits in there). However, testing each potential fix one at a time would've taken forever, so I carried on with the next steps.
I uninstalled some apps I had forgotten about, made sure that everything was up-to-date, then deep cleaned my OnePlus 13 's cache and deleted all empty folders. After a quick restart, I was certain that if this was some sort of temporary glitch, I had taken care of it.
Last on the list was the battery capacity. To cross this one off the list, I had to drain the battery of the phone and recharge it as best I could. Then I remembered that OnePlus was one of the brands that had proprietary cable tech for a reason. So I dug deeper.
The cable conspiracy exists, and it's good for you(r phone)
Image by PhoneArena
As it turns out, using a genuine OnePlus-branded cable when charging your OnePlus phone is essential. A legitimate brick is also recommended, but not mandatory if you're someone like me.
But I wasn't using either of those. When I bought my OnePlus 13 , directly from OnePlus, I could pick a charging brick as a free bonus, but they were all out of those. I had to pick something else, and quick if I wanted to catch the discount I was aiming for.
I had already decided that I needed a new charging brick, but after comparing prices, I settled (hah!) for one from Verbatim. Why? Well, this thing has four ports:
One USB type-A port with 30W output
Two USB type-C port with 100W
One USB type-C port with 65W
And if you're a techie, you already know why this is good. This would allow me to charge or power several of my smart-things all at once, while complying with their power demand. Given that the price difference between this and the official OnePlus charger wasn't that big, I opted for this one for the sake of convenience.
But there was a true reason for me to consider the official OnePlus brick. It enables phones like the OnePlus 13 to do one hell of a trick: 100W SuperVOOC fast-charging. Even if your OnePlus phone supports 100W charging, you won't be able to take advantage of it unless you have an official OnePlus charging brick, specifically labeled to support 100W charging.
I typically charge my devices overnight, so this isn't really something I'm super-interested in, which is why I decided to go for the other charger. This way, it could power my smart lamp while providing charging for my phone and my smartwatch too. This setup even leaves me with one port to spare, which makes it perfect for travelling, as this way my wife won't need to pack her charger at all.
While she won't need to pack her cable, I'll have to pack mine (the right one). See, OnePlus cables have a special chip inside, which helps to communicate the correct charging speed between the charging brick and the phone. Many people refer to this as a 'handshake'. And in the case of SuperVOOC charging, for example, that even means two handshakes: one between the 100W-enabled charger and the official cable, then another between the cable and the compatible phone.
This is what I had been doing wrong all along: I was using a third-party, off-brand, but high quality cable. I really liked it, because it was braided, long and had this neat little screen which told me the exact power that was going through it. And you know us tech nerds: we love our screens.
But I'm going ahead of myself. Before charging, I'll have to drain this beast of its battery.
Silicon-carbon batteries are heftier than you might think
Image by PhoneArena
Listen, your mileage will vary here. Our own Vic found the OnePlus 13 's battery to be lacking when compared to other modern flagships, but that's because he's much more of a power user than I am. As such, depending on your own habits, things might be different for you.
But in my case, the OnePlus 13 is a two-day phone in 99% of cases, and a 3-day one in 30% of them. I am absolutely comfortable with going on a two-day trip with 70% of battery on this phone, without packing a charger. That being said, I am a lite user: I prefer doing things not on my phone, I'm not big on social media and I don't spend too much time on mobile games nowadays.
So yes: mileage may vary. But draining this phone from 80% to 0% was hard .
When I realized what I had to do, I immediately pumped up the brightness, turned on all possible toggles like Location, Bluetooth and even the flashlight. I then set a 3 hour, 4K video of the aurora borealis to play and left the phone.
Two hours later, it had lost only 18% of battery. I had to step it up.
I don't play games as much, but I know some heavy hitters: Diablo Immortal and Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis. I waited for updates (on max brightness still), then spent a bit of time in both games. Shockingly, Final Fantasy managed to knock down a notable chunk of my battery for the 40 minutes I took to complete my dailies (which I hadn't done since I got the phone, funnily enough), but I just couldn't take it anymore. I felt like I was wasting my time.
So I amped it up to the max: I downloaded 3D Mark's ultimate benchmark test and ran it. And boy, does that baby drain battery (carbon or otherwise). It took one and a half runs before my battery hit 1%.
And that is the exact moment when I saw something, which I didn't even know existed: OnePlus's mandatory extreme battery saver. This phone really doesn't want to leave you hanging, and I appreciate that.
In this mode, I was limited to only using basic apps. If an app required internet access – I had to confirm that I wanted that. Ultimately, the best I could do was run a timer and a stopwatch while keeping the brightness at max levels, and the flashlight on. It took 52 minutes before the phone finally gave up and turned off.
All I could do at this point was salute it. I left it to cool down a bit, because it was running quite hot at this point. Half an hour later, I was ready to charge.
But wait – oh, no! – I can't do that. The cable that the phone came with is USB-A to USB-C. I have such a port on my charger, but that would leave me without a light. Furthermore: the port would be in the wrong wattage, which would mean I would be charging the battery wrong yet again, and that's the very thing I was trying to avoid in the first place.
The nightmare that is shopping for OnePlus cables
Image by PhoneArena
I have to start with the real question here: why am I even getting a USB-A to USB-C cable with my phone in 2025? I thought we had all agreed that the new standard is C to C. I can't be the only one who has upgraded their charging stuff to match this new requirement. As a PC user, it was especially annoying, because it meant changing my power outlets and swapping out to a box which can provide a USB-C port to begin with.
For a moment there, I felt like I was suffering the Mandela Effect, because I could've sworn that I've seen OnePlus 13 unboxing videos and reviews where the phone came with a charger and a USB-C to USB-C cable. The missing brick, in my case, was easy enough to explain: it was a freebie that I couldn't take advantage of, so I assumed that all of these folks had done that in my stead.
But after checking around, I wasn't remembering things wrong: the phone does ship with a USB-C to USB-C cable. In some regions.
Here's the breakdown:
In North America and India, the OnePlus 13 comes with a 100W SuperVOOC brick and a C-to-C cable
comes with a 100W SuperVOOC brick and a C-to-C cable In West Europe, the phone comes only with a USB-A to USB-C cable (for the record, I'm not living in this region, yet here we are)
In the rest of the EU, the phone comes with a C-to-C cable, but a 65W charger
This is incredibly confusing and weird. I'm not Tim Cook or anywhere near his level: I have no idea what black magic is behind things like supply-chains. But I believe that we can all agree that this is as anti-consumer as it gets.
Ultimately, I found out that my Microsoft Surface tablet's charger can give me 65W of power over USB-A, so I settled (wah-wah) on using this method. But I can't bring this massive charger everywhere with me, and I certainly can't replace the one on my nightstand with it.
If I wanted to charge my OnePlus 13 properly, I had to spend more, and get the right type of cable.
First I stumbled upon this really cute dongle, which was exactly what I was looking for: an officially licensed USB-A to USB-C converter. And after getting my order cancelled from three different retailers, I got the message: it wasn't just out of stock, it was out of production.
On OnePlus' official store, the only option for me to get a USB-C to USB-C cable was as part of a bundle with a SuperVOOC-enabled brick. But as previously established: I don't really need such a brick. I could make use of it, but the bundle was quite costly, and the Verbatim brick wasn't in any way cheap. I was after a quick, easy and cheap-ish solution to a problem, which I didn't even know I had.
And let me tell you a bit about that: if charging the OnePlus 13 with its own proprietary cable was this important, why did the phone fail to tell me about that? Yes, there is a tooltip under the SuperVOOC charging option in the menu, which lets you know that you need an official brick and cable to take advantage of it, but that's not the full story. You need the right cable to ensure that your OnePlus 13 isn't getting overcharged in any other scenario, which could lead to battery degradation over time.
OnePlus, if your team is reading this: a tooltip would be handy here. But I digress.
After a lot more digging, I found a few other genuine OnePlus-branded C-toC cables, but those got me even more confused. See, those were from an era, when OnePlus phones were still using Warp Charging. Do you know if there is any difference between Warp and SuperVOOC? Yeah, me neither – and I work here .
Ultimately, after checking with some people online, the products turned out to be identical, as is the technology within. 'Warp' was rebranded to 'SuperVOOC' as part of the Oppo acquisition, as an attempt to further integrate the brands (very consumer friendly again, might I add).
But there's another twist: even if I use a legitimate OnePlus cable with a 100W charger, I won't be able to reach beyond 85W in terms of speed, because only SuperVOOC-enabled bricks allow for 100W fast-charging. I know that all these options are confusing: don't worry, we'll review the entire thing down the line. The important thing is that I decided that 85W is good enough for me, so I got a genuine OnePlus-branded Warp Charging C-to-C cable for about $15, and moved on.
One night later, I unplugged my OnePlus 13 . It was waiting for me: turned on and everything. Wasn't warm, felt fine: so far, so good. Then I was shocked.
It might be annoying, but it works
Image by PhoneArena
I don't use my phone much in the morning, especially if it's a work day. Typically, this means that I lose about 5% of battery passively from 9AM to 11AM. Around that time, I stop working to make myself a second cup of espresso, all the while I check my phone out of habit.
After charging my OnePlus 13 with a genuine OnePlus cable, about the time I picked up to check my phone while waiting for my coffee, my phone was still at 100%. And I can't make this up. It's a day just like any other, so I didn't use it or ignore it more than I use to.
Typically, toward the end of a usual day, I'm at between 75% and 85% of battery. I checked my battery right now as I'm writing this, and I'm at 91%. Yes, I did my dailies in the one game that I play, I scrolled a bit of Instagram, I messaged my family: the typical stuff. The only thing missing was listening to music while working out, but that's because I'm still yet to do that today. But I doubt that would drain more than another 2-3%. And that's still a difference.
Is it a big deal? Not really. Is it notable enough? For sure. Because if not for anything else, I am now certain that I am not damaging a core component in a device, which I use daily, and have grown to love.
Here's what you need to know about charging the OnePlus 13:
Always use a genuine cable from OnePlus: Unless you want to damage the phone's battery, use OnePlus-branded cables. Topping up via third-party ones from time to time, or when travelling, won't be a deal-breaker. But you should focus on using genuine ones regularly, because that ensures that the right required amount of power is going in your phone. If you're okay with 65W or 85W charging, you can use any compatible charger, just make sure it's manufactured by a legitimate company – but use it with a cable from OnePlus.
Unless you want to damage the phone's battery, use OnePlus-branded cables. Topping up via third-party ones from time to time, or when travelling, won't be a deal-breaker. But you should focus on using genuine ones regularly, because that ensures that the right required amount of power is going in your phone. If you're okay with 65W or 85W charging, you can use any compatible charger, just make sure it's manufactured by a legitimate company – but use it with a cable from OnePlus. SuperVOOC requires the full kit: If you want to take advantage of SuperVOOC fast-charging — and I don't blame you if you do, it's awesome — you must use a OnePlus branded set of a SuperVOOC-enabled, 100W charging brick and cable. Just the one or the other won't work: you need that double-handshake action. Keep in mind: some OnePlus phones can still use SuperVOOC, but at 85W or 120W, so make sure to take that into consideration. From what I can tell, even if your charger is 120W-compatible, you can still use SuperVOOC at 85W if that is all your phone supports. So, you can go lower, but obviously — not higher.
If you want to take advantage of SuperVOOC fast-charging — and I don't blame you if you do, it's awesome — you must use a OnePlus branded set of a SuperVOOC-enabled, 100W charging brick and cable. Just the one or the other won't work: you need that double-handshake action. Keep in mind: some OnePlus phones can still use SuperVOOC, but at 85W or 120W, so make sure to take that into consideration. From what I can tell, even if your charger is 120W-compatible, you can still use SuperVOOC at 85W if that is all your phone supports. So, you can go lower, but obviously — not higher. The Warp is your friend: When it comes to OnePlus cables: don't worry about Warp charging and SuperVOOC marketing terms. They are the same thing. Warp-era cables are notably cheaper, at least where I shopped from, so maybe that can help you out to save a buck. There are some weird claims online that USB-A to USB-C cables can top up your phone faster, but that is nonsense, don't fall for it.
When it comes to OnePlus cables: don't worry about Warp charging and SuperVOOC marketing terms. They are the same thing. Warp-era cables are notably cheaper, at least where I shopped from, so maybe that can help you out to save a buck. There are some weird claims online that USB-A to USB-C cables can top up your phone faster, but that is nonsense, don't fall for it. Don't repeat my mistakes: Research before you buy. Depending on where you live, if you buy a OnePlus 13 , it may come with a charger, but it may also come with a cable you're not prepared for. This piece of advice extends beyond the brand: some phones don't have proprietary charging tech, but others do. I can think of at least one great resource online, where you can check (wink-wink, forums here).
I'll admit: I thought it was all marketing gimmicks to make me buy first party chargers and cables. Nowadays, this is a common tactic, which we're so accustomed to, that it's become harder to judge when someone is being genuine about such claims.
But I also have a bit of blame to put on OnePlus: in all of my months of experience with the OnePlus 13 , the phone never bothered to tell me that it's not happy about the way it's being charged. I would've liked to know, I think you'd like to know such things too.
And I can't believe what I'm saying, but there's a punchline to all of this. I got that weird notification again, so despite the entire journey described above, my core issue remains unresolved. It was one heck of a learning opportunity, but I'm happy to have shared it with you.
So, after all that, I'm almost right back where I started: with a fantastic, now properly-charged phone… That sends me ghost notifications. If any of you have leads for me – I'll be haunting the comments in the next couple of days.