For years, iPhone users were forced to guess exactly how much battery life they had remaining. When Apple introduced the “notch” on the iPhone X, they completely removed the battery percentage numbers from the top right corner of the screen to save space, leaving only a vague, filling battery icon.
Fortunately, Apple relented to massive user complaints. In iOS 16, they finally brought the exact numerical percentage back to the main status bar, but they did not turn it on by default. If you want to see exactly how much juice your phone has left without swiping, you have to enable it manually.
How to Enable the Battery Percentage Indicator
Turning the numbers back on takes about five seconds.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down the main list (past General and Display & Brightness) until you find Battery. It has a green icon. Tap it.
- At the very top of the Battery menu, you will see a toggle switch labeled Battery Percentage.
- Tap the toggle switch so it turns green.
Look at the top right corner of your screen. The battery icon will instantly change. Instead of a solid white bar, the exact number (e.g., “82”) is now permanently stamped directly inside the battery icon itself.
How to See the Percentage Without Changing Settings
If you don’t like the new design (some users find reading tiny numbers inside the battery icon visually cluttered) but you still want to check your exact percentage occasionally, you have two alternative methods that don’t require changing any settings.
Method 1: The Control Center Swipe
This is the classic workaround that users relied on for years before iOS 16.
- Unlock your iPhone.
- Swipe down from the extreme top right corner of your screen (directly over the battery icon).
- The Control Center will open. Look at the top right corner again.
- The exact battery percentage will be prominently displayed next to the battery icon for as long as the Control Center is open. Swipe up to close it.
Method 2: Add a Battery Widget to Your Home Screen
If you want a massive, highly visible indicator, you can use an iOS Widget.
- Go to your Home Screen.
- Press and hold on any empty space (or any app icon) until the icons start jiggling.
- Tap the Plus (+) button in the top left corner of the screen.
- Scroll down the list of available widgets and tap on Batteries.
- Swipe left and right to choose a size. The medium and large sizes will explicitly show the numerical percentage.
- Tap Add Widget.
The widget will now permanently sit on your home screen, giving you a massive, unmissable readout of your battery life (and the battery life of any connected Apple Watches or AirPods).