Battery health monitoring expected on Android phones soon based on hidden page in Android 14 Beta

In yet another equalising move in the features race between Android and iPhone, Android phones are set to receive a battery health indicator, most likely with Android 15. A new settings page will show the level of battery degradation (and therefore effective capacity), and users will be notified about severely reduced capacity or a battery not being detected. This would help customers make an informed decision before buying a used phone, or knowing when a battery replacement is due.

Mishaal Rahman of Android Authority had previously tipped the arrival of the feature based on a system level API first seen in Android 14 Beta. This time, he has pointed out a new, hidden “Battery Health” settings page in Android 14 QPR2 Beta 2 which, when activated, would show the “estimated percentage of charge the battery can currently hold compared to when it was new”. Additionally, there are status icons that suggest that the Settings app may send “tips” if the battery is reduced in capacity, in the process of recalibration, or not detected.

On both occasions, these changes were found on Pixel phones. Additionally, the recent December Pixel feature drop added a new “Battery Information” page under the “About Phone” section of the settings, which shows the battery’s manufacture date and charge cycle count.

While battery health monitoring has been available on the iPhone for a few years now, Android users have had to rely on third-party apps to monitor battery health – an ineffective solution, since such measurement is most accurate when done from the start of the battery’s life, and the apps may not have enough data. 

One potentially undesirable consequence is that the OS could read the battery’s serial number and part status – “original”, “replaced” or “unsupported” – which might be used to discourage self-repair. Apple has been criticised for disabling health metrics on the iPhone 15 once a battery is replaced.

Based on the changes introduced so far, the battery health page is most likely to appear first on Pixel phones, like the new Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.