When Apple introduced the iPhone X in 2017, they made a controversial design choice: they removed the battery percentage number from the top-right corner of the screen to make room for the new camera notch. For years, users had to awkwardly swipe down to the Control Centre just to see exactly how much battery they had left.
Fortunately, Apple finally listened to user feedback and brought the battery percentage back to the status bar in recent iOS updates. However, it is turned off by default when you buy a new phone. Here is how to turn it back on, along with an even better alternative for tracking your battery life.
How to Enable the Battery Percentage in the Status Bar
To see the exact number inside the battery icon at the top of your screen, your iPhone must be updated to at least iOS 16.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down and tap on Battery.
- At the very top of the screen, you will see a toggle switch labelled Battery Percentage.
- Tap the switch to turn it On (it will turn green).
Look at the top-right corner of your screen. You will now see your exact battery percentage displayed numerically inside the battery icon. When your phone drops below 20%, the icon will turn red, but the number will remain clearly visible.
The Better Alternative: Use a Home Screen Battery Widget
While having the number in the status bar is helpful, the text is quite small and can be difficult to read at a glance. For a much clearer view of your battery life—including the battery levels of your connected AirPods or Apple Watch—you should add a dedicated Battery Widget directly to your home screen.
- Navigate to your iPhone’s Home Screen.
- Press and hold your finger on any empty space (or on any app icon) until all the apps begin to jiggle.
- Tap the + (Plus) button that appears in the top-left corner of the screen.
- A searchable widget menu will slide up. Scroll down the list of apps and tap on Batteries.
- Swipe left and right to view the different widget sizes. (The medium rectangular widget is usually the best, as it clearly displays the percentage for your phone and up to three connected Bluetooth devices simultaneously).
- Tap the blue Add Widget button.
- You can now drag the widget around your home screen to place it wherever you like. Tap Done in the top-right corner when you are finished.
Using the widget provides a much more glanceable, modern way to manage your device’s power levels throughout the day.
