Although Apple had earlier announced iOS 16 at its WWDC in June, the tech giant only released the Beta 5 version to developers on August 8, 2020. This OS’s top feature is the battery percentage return on the iPhone’s status bars.
Before 2017 when iPhone X came out, all iPhones used to come with a battery percentage display. However, since the introduction of the edge-to-edge screen design, where a notch sits somewhere in the upward center of the phone, this feature no longer shows.
The notch reduced what information can show on the status bar, and users only had to monitor the progression of their battery depletion without knowing the exact percentage remaining. Those who may choose to find out would have to manually check for it at the Control Center – something that didn’t go well with many.
But five years later, Apple is seeing the need to re-introduce this feature into its iPhone with the Face ID feature. With this update, you will see the battery percentage inside the icon. However, the battery’s full status remains unchanged until it drops to 20%.
iPhones That Support The New Battery Percentage Display
Unfortunately, not all iPhones have the capacity to support this feature made possible by the latest iOS 16. The compatible models are:
- iPhone X
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XS Max
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 13
- iPhone 13 Pro
- iPhone 13 Pro Max
From this list, it’s evident that iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 12 mini are not compatible. Of course, this omission has caused debates among pundits. Why would recent Apple iPhones not support the battery percentage display?
The most probable explanation is the low resolution of these non-supported models, which many people opine would not bring the figures out as Apple would have it. But since this OS is still not released officially, Apple can still address the problem before it makes its way to the market.
How To Enable The Battery Percentage Display?
In its wisdom, Apple has made this comeback feature optional. So, if you are not interested, you may choose not to enable it.
The first thing to note is that your iPhone must be among the supported models, and you must have the iOS 16 Beta installed on it. iOS 16 is not yet out, but the developers’ version is accessible, and that is what you will install before its official release. If you aren’t an Apple developer, you will have to wait till iOS 16 comes out in September.
For an annual fee of $99, a developer registered with Apple can test their apps against the OS by following these steps
- Login to developer.apple.com with your Apple ID
- Check out the left-hand section to see the Download menu. Select the iOS 16 as you scroll down and “Accept” and “Install Profile.”
- The next stage is opening the Settings App. Once you do so, you will see “Profile Downloaded” somewhere on the screen; you should toggle on this menu. Alternatively, you can head to General>>VPN and Device Management and toggle on the menu that reads “iOS 16 Beta.”
- Install the iOS 16 Beta app after you have read and consented to the terms and conditions.
- Restart your iPhone after installation.
- Head to Settings>>General>>Software Update to see if the Ios 16 Beta is now available. It should be available if you’ve done everything well. Install it again by tapping on it.
- Your phone may take a few minutes to complete the update and download. Your device is now running on iOS 16 Beta when this process is over.\
- To enable the battery percentage display on your new OS, follow Settings,>>Battery and switch the display to show on the main screen.
People’s Reaction To The Battery Percentage Display
While many users applaud Apple for deeming it fit to return the critical features, others condemn it together for creating confusion. The alleged confusion is because the battery icon remains the same while only the percentage changes. So, from afar, a user can be deceived by thinking their phone is still fully charged when it has dropped to 45%.
It is only when the battery is as low as 20% that it turns red and, after a while, becomes empty. But again, this feature is optional, and iPhone users can choose to turn it off.
Other Accompanying Features of the iOS 16
The latest Ios update from Apple comes with new features besides the battery percentage inclusion. A few of them include:
- Customizable Lock Screen
iOS makes customizing lock screens on your iPhone easier by allowing you to tweak the fonts and colors, for instance. Its widgets now allow weather forecasts, Activity rings, and everything you desire to see on the screen quickly – battery percentage inclusive. Guess what? You can develop multiple Lock Screens too.
- Messages
With this latest Ios, Apple says users can do these three things even after sending their SMS: edit, un-send, and unread any thread. It’s undoubtedly a revolution because even the Memojis are now customizable with new colors, nose shapes, headgear, and hairstyles.
- Dictation
Apple is introducing a massive improvement to the dictation feature of its iPhone with the iOS 16. This effort will ensure you can dictate seamlessly and include your preferred emojis through voice.
Further improvements to mail, such as the ability to recall an already sent email, are part of the Ios 16 big surprises. It also reminds you of any forgotten attachment, just as you informed when you or the recipient of a mail haven’t responded.
- Haptic Keyboard
For those desiring to get a keyboard feeling while typing on their phones, iOS 16 comes with that feature. You get a “tick feeling” as you press each alphabet on the screen, bringing some satisfaction.
Battery Percentage Display: What Do You Think?
For us, re-introducing the battery display is a welcomed development. And like other users have commented, it’s about the most requested feature recently. But do you think it’s a great idea? You can use the comment space to air your views.
