iOS 16.1 will give us the iPhone battery icon we’ve all wanted

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

Apple released two Developer betas for iOS 16.1 since the release of iOS 16, and both updates address the top complaints about the new battery icon support and design. iOS 16 brought the battery percentage back to the iPhone Status bar after Apple retired the feature with the release of the iPhone X in 2017 due to space requirements for various sensors like the camera and microphone.

So yes it’s back. But many iPhone users are not too happy about it. First, Some iPhones didn’t get the new battery percentage indicator. Secondly, some users don’t like the way it has been redesigned. Luckily for both groups, it turns out Apple was listening.

Continue reading: iOS 16 does not run on every iPhone. Will it work for you?

Here’s what you need to know.

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

iPhones used to show the exact percentage of your battery right in the status bar. But after the release of the iPhone X that introduced the notch – the black bar at the top of your device that houses a speaker and camera – there wasn’t enough screen real estate left to keep the battery percentage in the status bar, so Apple scrapped the feature.

Sure, you can swipe down from the top right of your iPhone to see the exact percentage in Control Center, but that means you can’t see the battery percentage from the inside any app or from the home screen. And it’s almost impossible to estimate the exact percentage just from the battery icon, which is no good when your iPhone is about to die.

iOS 16 reintroduces the battery percentage in the status bar within the existing battery icon.

Which iPhone models are not getting the battery percentage feature back?

Not all iPhone users running iOS 16 see the new battery percentage feature in the status bar, which is frustrating for some. While there’s no official explanation as to why certain models are excluded from the feature, it appears to be due to lower pixel density on some devices and lack of space on others.

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

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

However, the new battery percentage feature will be available for iPhone XR, iPhone 11, and iPhone Minis running iOS 16.1, which was released to developers last week. Here you can read how to download itbut it should be released to the general public soon enough.

Even some people who have this 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 full whether the phone is idle, charging, or in sleep mode – only the color changes. So it can be a bit confusing just by looking at it.

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

On twitter, Michael Johanson created a mockup showing the battery icon changing along with the percentage. Thousands of people have liked the tweet and many agree that it is an improvement over the current design.

There’s nothing wrong with what Apple has released, but I think I would have preferred something like Alternative A for the battery gauge pic.twitter.com/a44879RIFk

— Mikael Johansson (@michaelnevernot) August 10, 2022

Apple listened and is redesigning the battery percentage icon with iOS 16.1

Apparently, Apple heard the criticism from iPhone users and redesigned the battery percent icon with iOS 16.1, which is currently in its second developer beta. As the mockups Mikael Johansson posted online showed, many people preferred a battery icon that was draining along with the percentage.

And that’s exactly what Apple is changing the battery icon on, as you can see in the tweet below posted by Federico Viticci. Rather than just the percentage going down, the battery icon design goes down too, making it easier to see how full (or empty) your battery life is.

However, iOS 16.1 is still far from being released to the general public. If you really want it now How to download the developer beta.

How to get back the battery percentage in the iOS 16 status bar

Regardless of your thoughts on the design, you should at least try the battery percentage feature if your iPhone supports it.

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

Once updated, you should see the percentage in the battery icon in the top-right corner of your screen from anywhere on your iPhone. This way you can keep a close eye on when your iPhone is charged or almost empty and when you should start charging.

Although the setting is on by default, you can switch to it settings > battery and turn it on battery percentage option to make sure it works. When your device is charging the battery icon will turn solid green and show you the percentage, while it’s in sleep mode the battery icon will turn solid yellow but again with the percentage inside.

iPhone 14 pre-orders are open and the phone itself will be available on Friday September 16th. Find out more about what Apple unveiled at its Far Out event last week.