Hate the new iPhone battery icon on iOS 16? You won’t have to wait too long for a fix

This story is part Focal Point iPhone 2022CNET’s collection of news, tips and advice on Apple’s most popular product.

If you run iOS 16 on your iPhone and explored many new features, you’ve probably noticed the redesigned battery percentage icon in the status bar. Apple dropped the feature with the release of the iPhone X, due to space requirements for various sensors like the camera and microphone, and now it’s back – but not everyone is happy with it .

Read more: 7 hidden iOS 16 features we were surprised to find

First, some iPhones did not receive the new battery percentage meter. Second, some people don’t like the way it’s been redesigned. Luckily for both groups, it turns out that Apple listened.

Although software updates have yet to be released for the general public, Apple’s iOS 16.1 developer betas provide fixes for two major issues that many have regarding the new battery icon on iOS 16.

Here’s what you need to know.

What’s wrong with the battery status indicator on the iPhone?

iPhones included the exact percentage of your battery right in the status bar. But after the release of the iPhone X, which introduced the notch – the black bar at the top of your device that houses a speaker and a camera – there was no longer enough space on the screen to keep the battery percentage in the status bar, so Apple has canceled the feature.

Of course, you can swipe down from the top right corner of your iPhone to show the exact percentage in the control center, but that means you can’t watch the battery percentage from inside any app or from the home screen. And it’s almost impossible to gauge the exact percentage from the battery icon, which is no good if your iPhone is about to die.

iOS 16 reintroduces the battery percentage to the status bar, inside the existing battery icon.

Which iPhone models will not regain the battery percentage feature?

Not all iPhone users with iOS 16 will see the new battery percentage feature in the status bar, which is frustrating for some. Although there has been no official statement as to why certain models are excluded from the feature, it seems to be due to lower pixel density for some devices and lack of space for others.

According to this Apple support page, the following models do not support the feature:

The only way to view your battery percentage on iPhones that don’t support the new feature is to add a battery widget to your lock screen/home screen or swipe down from the top to right side of your iPhone to show the battery percentage next to the battery icon (instead of inside).

However, the new battery percentage feature will come to iPhone XR, iPhone 11, and iPhone Minis with iOS 16.1, which was released to developers last week. You can find out how to download it herebut it should be released fairly quickly to the general public.

Even some people who have the feature are frustrated with its design

Not everyone is happy with the design of the new battery percentage icon. Although the battery percentage itself is always visible in the status bar on supported devices, the battery icon itself always shows as full whether the phone is idle, charging, or in low power mode – only the color changes. So it can be a bit confusing if you take a look at it.

The only time the design really changes is when the battery reaches 20% or less – then the battery icon shows as depleted, or about a fifth full, and turns red.

On Twitter, Mikael Johansson created a mockup that shows the battery icon changing with the percentage. Thousands of people liked the tweet and many agreed that it was an improvement over the current design.

Nothing wrong with what Apple posted, but I think I might have preferred something like alternative A for the battery indicator pic.twitter.com/a44879RIFk

— Mikael Johansson (@michaelnevernot) August 10, 2022

Apple listened and redesigned battery percentage icon with iOS 16.1

Apparently, Apple heard the criticism from iPhone users and redesigned the battery percentage icon with iOS 16.1, which is currently in its second developer beta. As the mockups posted by Johansson show, many people prefer a draining battery icon, along with the percentage.

And that’s exactly what Apple is changing the battery icon to, as you can see in the tweet below posted by Federico Viticci. Instead of just decreasing the percentage, the battery icon design also depletes, making it easier to see how full (or empty) your battery life is.

iOS 16.1 should be released this year, but if you want it now, this is how you can download the developer beta.

How to Get Battery Percentage in Status Bar on iOS 16

Regardless of your design thoughts, you should at least give it a shot with the battery percentage feature if your iPhone supports it.

To view your battery percentage in your iPhone’s status bar, all you need to do is upgrade to iOS 16. You can wait for your iPhone to alert you with a pop-up notification or force an update manually by going to Settings > General > Software update.

Once the update is complete, you should see the percentage in the battery icon in the upper right corner of your screen – from anywhere on your iPhone. This way, you can keep a close eye on when your iPhone is full or about to run out of battery, and when you need to start charging it.

Although the setting is enabled by default, you can access Settings > Battery and activate it Battery percentage option to make sure it works. When your device is charging, the battery icon will turn completely green, showing you the percentage, while being in low power mode will turn the battery icon completely yellow, but again with the percentage at the bottom. interior.

For more, check out everything Apple revealed at its “Far Out” event. Additionally, here are the best iPhone 14 deals.