How to Turn on Battery Percentage on iPhone 12 (Updated 2023)
After iPhone X and later started rolling out, we slowly started saying goodbye to the iPhone's home button.
However, along with the home button, another important section in the iOS UI ceased existing - the battery percentage being shown on the home and lock screen.
This is an important feature for both Android users who decided to switch to iPhones, as well as users who had iPhones such as iPhone 8 or earlier, both of which could see the battery percentage on their home screens.
Therefore, the biggest concern remains - is it possible with newer iPhone releases to have your battery percentage shown on your home screen and lock screen, and how?
How do I turn on the battery percentage on my iPhone?
We’re sure that by now you know the only way to see your exact battery percentage - swiping down from the upper-right corner of the screen.
This will open the Control Center, and in the upper-right corner you’ll see the exact battery percentage.
However, is there a way to have the battery percentage shown constantly, even when your phone is locked?
If you already updated to iOS 16, you'll be glad to hear that the battery percentage feature has been brought back.
Now, you can activate the option from your phone settings, and the exact battery percentage will show up on top of the battery icon, regardless if your iPhone is locked or unlocked.
Follow these steps:
- Open 'Settings' on your iPhone, and tap on 'Battery'.
- On the following page, toggle the switch next to 'Battery Percentage'.
How to add a battery widget on iPhone
In addition, swiping down on the Control Center will show you the battery percentage from your lock screen, home screen, or whichever app you might have running at the moment, if you decide to opt out of the newly released feature.
Luckily, for those that don't like the iOS 16 UI, there is a way for you to have an additional insight into your battery percentage. You can add a widget which will be showing you the exact percentage at any given moment.
Follow these steps to add it to your home screen:
- On the home screen of your iPhone, tap and hold on any empty space, until your apps and folders start shaking.
- In the upper-left corner, click on the ‘+’ sign, and the widgets menu will open.
- Scroll down through the options, until you see the ‘Batteries’ widget.
- Click on it, and swipe right to choose the appearance you want to have on your home screen.
- Press ‘Add Widget’ and choose which home screen page you’d like to see it on.
- All of the widgets will give you insight into the exact battery percentage of your other Apple products - such as your Apple Watch or AirPods, if you have them connected to each other.
Alternative ways to see your Battery Percentage
Asking Siri
If you’re too busy, and just making sure your battery will push through your working hours, you can always ask Siri to let you know at what percent your battery is. It doesn’t show you your percentage, but it comes handy when your hands are busy at the moment.
Third-party apps
If you’re not satisfied with Apple’s current ways to check your battery, you can always download an app which will show you which apps drain your battery, the exact temperature of the battery, and usage patterns. The best app we found on Apple’s App Store is Battery HD+.
Conclusion
With the release of iOS 16, Apple users can get back to checking their battery without having to complete multiple steps.
However, for those that don't like how the battery percentage is displayed, or simply don't want to download the newest software update, we covered some alternative ways to checking your battery.
