Pixel Phones Getting Battery Health with Android 16, But Only Some Will See It

📝 Introduction#

Battery health is of the most requested features among Android users, and with Android 16, Google is taking a big step forward.

A new Battery Health section is now built into the system settings, showing you how much charge your battery can still hold compared to when it was new.

But before you get excited, there’s a catch:

✅ certain Pixel phones will support this feature.

📱 What Is the New Battery Health Feature?#

Introduced in Android 16 Beta 3, Google’s new Battery Health feature appears in:

Here’s what you’ll find:

• Battery capacity (%): Estimated remaining charge capacity compared to a new battery
• Health status: A simple “Normal” indicator if things look fine
• Charging optimization options: Moved below, like Adaptive Charging and Limit to 80%
• Helpful links: Articles and tips about battery care from Google

It’s a clean, user-friendly addition, much like what iPhone users have had for years.

❌ Which Pixel Phones Are Not Getting It?#

As of May 1, 2025, Google has confirmed that newer Pixel devices will get this feature:

✅ Supported Models:

• Pixel 9
• Pixel 9 Pro
• Pixel 9a
• Pixel 9 Pro Fold
• Pixel 8a

These are the models currently supporting the Battery Health Indicator in Android 16 Beta 3.

❌ Not Supported:

• Pixel 8, 8 Pro
• Pixel 7, 7a, 6, 6a, 5, 5a, etc.
• All earlier Pixel phones

According to Google’s response on the Android Issue Tracker:

That includes phones running Android 16,  but without the new battery health interface.

🧠 Why Aren’t Older Pixels Supported?#

Google didn’t go into detail, but this seems similar to the Battery Information (cycle count) feature from last year, which also launched on newer phones.

It’s likely due to:

• Hardware limitations
• Missing battery firmware support
• Different battery management chips

While the OS supports it, the phone hardware needs to report these metrics, which older Pixels might not be designed to do.

🛠️ What Can You Use Instead?#

If your Pixel phone doesn’t support the new Battery Health feature, don’t worry, there are reliable alternatives

🛡️ Battery Guru: Best Alternative for Android#

Battery Guru offers a detailed and proven way to:

• Estimate battery health by analyzing capacity over time
• Track charging sessions, temperature trends, and voltage stability
• Monitor screen-on time, charging speed, and discharging rate
• Get alerts when charging above recommended limits or heating up too much

It’s lightweight, accurate, and doesn’t require root, perfect for Pixel users left out of the new Android 16 feature.

🔗 Download Battery Guru from Google Play

💬 Final Thoughts#

Google bringing battery health to Android is a long-overdue move, and it’s great to finally see it.

But restricting it to newer Pixels is disappointing for many users, especially since older devices could benefit most from health tracking.

If your phone isn’t supported, don’t wait for an update that may never come. Install Battery Guru today to start keeping an eye on your battery’s true condition.