How To Show Battery Percentage On iPhone With The iOS 16 Update
Now that iOS 16 has been out for over a week, you’ve probably been playing around with the best features the update has to offer, like the ability to edit sent messages and the crop photo tool. One feature you might not know (but definitely shouldn’t) is the new battery percentage monitor, which finally brings back the classic battery countdown that’s been missing since 2017. Best of all, turning the feature on is super easy – you just need it to know where to look. Here’s how you can see your iPhone battery percentage with the new iOS 16 update.
IYDK, Apple removed one of its most helpful features, the battery percentage counter, when the company released the iPhone X in 2017. According to The Verge, the reason for the change was that the then-new notch was taking up too much space for the once-important feature and made it so you can only check your battery life by pulling down the Control Center, which was up until iOS 16’s only option remained. With the 2022 software update, you can always know how much battery you have left — no matter what iPhone screen you’re on.
The new battery life feature shows the percentage inside the battery icon instead of next to it in the control center, making it the perfect space saver for the notch. Oh, and it looks super cute too.
At a loss how to get it? That’s because the battery percentage monitor doesn’t appear automatically once you update your phone, and you have to turn it on yourself. Fortunately, the process is very simple. So if you want the convenience of always knowing your iPhone’s battery percentage, here’s what you need to do.
How to show battery percentage on iPhone running iOS 16
Like many iPhone features, the battery percentage countdown can be enabled in Settings. To find it you just have to do the following:
- Open settings.
- Scroll down to the Battery tab and tap on it.
- At the top you should see an option that says “Battery Percentage” with a gray toggle next to it.
- Tap the switch to turn it green.
After that, your battery percentage should be displayed in the battery icon, which is located in the top right corner of the screen next to the WiFi icon. Yes, it’s that simple.
If you look closely, you’ll see that the percentage isn’t the only thing that differs about the battery icon. Once you enable the feature, the battery icon will no longer have a Discharging the battery level inside the battery icon like before. (If you don’t have the percentage enabled, the battery will appear to drain as it loses charge).
However, acc MacStories Editor-in-Chief Federico Viticcia beta for iOS 16.1, brings back the battery usage shown even if you turn on the battery percentage.
Why can’t I turn on battery percentage on iPhone?
If you’ve tried enabling the feature and it’s still not working, there may be a reason – and it may be taking a while before you can enable it. According to an Apple support page published after iOS 16 was released, the feature is currently not available for the iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone XR and iPhone 11, as well as older iPhone models like the iPhone 8 and earlier and the Second and third generation iPhone SE.
There’s no need to get excited just yet, however, because according to MacRumors, the iOS 16.1 beta will bring the new feature to the iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone XR, and iPhone 11, meaning all hope needn’t be lost. When you can expect to finally get the feature, 9to5Mac reports that the update will be available sometime in October 2022.
I know iOS 16 just came out but I can’t wait for iOS 16.1 already, TBH.