- Google has confirmed that older Pixel devices won’t get the upcoming battery health feature.
- The feature will only work on Pixel 8a, and the Pixel 9 series.
- Google says this is due to Product Limitations, which has left Pixel 8 users disappointed.
Android users have been asking for an iOS-like battery health feature for as long as we can remember. It’s a feature that’s been under works from almost two major Android versions and is expected to arrive in Android 16. Knowing your phone’s battery health could make it easier to rule out or fix battery issues by checking the battery health. If you’re rocking an older Pixel waiting for Battery Health feature, we’ve got some bad news.
In a response to a bug report submitted on the Android Issue Tracker , Google has confirmed that Android 16’s Battery Health feature will only be available from Pixel 8a and above devices. This means the feature isn’t coming to the rest of Google Pixel 8, Pixel 7, and Pixel 6 models.
The Battery Health feature mysteriously vanished for many Pixel users after Android 16 Beta 4 . While users considered it a bug, we now know that it was intentional. According to the search giant, the reason the feature isn’t coming to older Pixels is due to “Product limitations”.
The Battery Health Indicator feature is currently supported in Beta 3 on Pixel 8a and Pixel 9 products including 9 Pro Fold. Due to product limitations, this feature will not be available on older in-market Pixel devices.
If you own a Pixel device, you can go to Settings > Battery and tap Battery Health to check if it shows up. While the page shows up on our Pixel 6, it doesn’t show us the exact number, unlike our Pixel 8a, which does.
While this means old Pixel device users will not be able to check their device’s battery health, it’s not the end of the road. Apps like aBatt can still report battery health, albeit once you grant it the required permissions via Shizuku. This is a rootless process and is still an excellent way to find out battery health without any fuss.
Pixel 8 and 8a Are Just 6 Months Apart
It must be a disappointing day to be a Pixel 8 owner to know that one of the most awaited features isn’t coming to your phone. This deserves a broader explanation than “product limitations,” because it raises a question, “Will it be 7 years of equally feature-rich updates across the portfolio, or lower features as the devices get older”?
Abubakar covers Tech at Beebom, with his passion for technology tracing back to 2011 when he received a Dell Inspiron 5100 as a gift. He’s also a passionate advocate for the right-to-repair movement, believing in empowering users to maintain and extend the life of their devices. Outside the tech world, he enjoys watching anime and exploring his newfound enthusiasm for Japanese cars. In his free time, you’ll often find him immersed in Genshin Impact or researching his next gadget purchase. Before joining Beebom, he contributed to leading publications like Android Police, How-To Geek, and Fossbytes.
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- Android 16 Beta 3 enables Screen-off Fingerprint unlock on older Google Pixels.
- The feature was previously believed to be exclusive to Pixel 9 series.
- With this, you can now unlock your Pixel phone quickly without AOD and turning on the display.
The next version of Android has reached its final testing phase with the recent Android 16 Beta 3 update. This beta didn’t bring any major upgrades but added many improvements for existing features. Among them, is the screen-off fingerprint feature, which is now available on older Google Pixel phones.
The Screen-off Fingerprint Unlock option in the Fingerprint Unlock settings menu allows users to unlock their Google Pixel phone with the screen off. This means, unlike previously where users had to tap to wake up the screen and then use the fingerprint to unlock, they can now just press on the fingerprint sensor region to unlock the phone.
To enable this feature on Android 16, go to Settings > Security and privacy > Device unlock > Fingerprint Unlock , and turn on the Screen-off Fingerprint Unlock toggle under “When using Fingerprint Unlock”. To test it out, ensure Always-on Display is off. Turn off your phone’s screen and press any of your registered fingers in the sensor area. If this is active, your Pixel should automatically wake up and unlock.
For those unaware, Pixel 9 ( review ) series was the first to receive this feature with Android 16 DP 2 . We initially thought the feature would be Pixel 9-exclusive because of its ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. However, the feature is now available on Pixel 6 and newer models, which is a pleasant surprise.
Those who have Always-on display feature enabled can now disable it to save battery life. Instead, they can enable the Screen-off Fingerprint unlock feature for faster fingerprint unlock.
Abubakar covers Tech at Beebom, with his passion for technology tracing back to 2011 when he received a Dell Inspiron 5100 as a gift. He’s also a passionate advocate for the right-to-repair movement, believing in empowering users to maintain and extend the life of their devices. Outside the tech world, he enjoys watching anime and exploring his newfound enthusiasm for Japanese cars. In his free time, you’ll often find him immersed in Genshin Impact or researching his next gadget purchase. Before joining Beebom, he contributed to leading publications like Android Police, How-To Geek, and Fossbytes.
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