Apple Limiting iOS 16 Beta 5 Battery Percentage Display to Select iPhones: Here Are the Supported Devices

Apple this week brought back one of the most highly requested features from iOS users since the launch of the iPhone X in 2017: the ability to see your battery percentage directly in the status bar.

iOS 16 battery percentage
Ever since the launch of the iPhone X with the notch, Apple has not allowed users to show their battery percentage directly in the status bar, forcing them to swipe down into Control Center to glance at their current battery level.

With the launch of iOS 16 in just a few weeks, that's set to change. The fifth developer beta of iOS 16 includes a new toggle that allows users to always show their battery percentage in the status bar.

ios 16 battery indicator 2
When Low Power Mode is enabled, the battery glyph and the percentage turn yellow, and when low on battery, it turns red. When charging your iPhone, it turns green. The battery percentage is visible in the status bar across the system, including on the Lock Screen.

All flagship iPhones since the iPhone X have had a notch, yet not all customers with notched iPhones will gain this new feature.

Here is the list of iPhones that will gain the ability to display the battery percentage directly in the status bar:

  • iPhone 13 Pro Max
  • iPhone 13 Pro
  • iPhone 13
  • iPhone 12 Pro Max
  • iPhone 12 Pro
  • iPhone 12
  • iPhone 11 Pro Max
  • iPhone 11 Pro
  • iPhone XS Max
  • iPhone XS
  • iPhone X

All other iPhones, including the smaller iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 12 mini, the iPhone 11, and the iPhone XR, do not have the battery percentage option. As iOS 16 is still in beta testing, Apple may decide to expand the list to include other iPhones in the future so we'll have to wait and see.

While it's not entirely clear why Apple has chosen to limit the availability of this feature, it may be due to space constraints on the smaller displays.

Related Roundups: iOS 16, iPadOS 16
Related Forum: iOS 16

Top Rated Comments

CrazyForCashews Avatar
8 months ago
Having the battery percentage exclusive to select iPhones is one of the dumbest things Apple has ever done.

Sometimes I believe Apple thinks with their butt first then their head.
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
im_to_hyper Avatar
8 months ago
I bought a mini for a reason... let me squint
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tripps9000 Avatar
8 months ago
Kinda stupid in my opinion I have a 12 mini and I don’t see why they can’t put it on that phone?
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Danoc Avatar
8 months ago
By comparison it’s available for 24,000+ android smartphones.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Aless_depr Avatar
8 months ago
So the iPhone X get that and iPhone 11 not and the iPhone 11 is bigger than the iPhone X. Nice Apple
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mihirdelirious Avatar
8 months ago
What a stupid design decision to hide the Battery percentage in the first place! And now Apple only allows select devices to view the battery percentage!
Also, why can't the iPhone show battery percentage always on the Lock Screen? Just beneath the Date and Time.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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