Google won't bring Android 16's Battery Health page to older Pixels

The Pixel 9a in Iris beside the Pixel 8a in Aloe and Pixel 7a in Bay.
(Image credit: Brady Snyder / Android Central)

What you need to know

  • Android 16 is about to bring a robust Battery Health page to Pixel phones with key performance data.
  • The page will show estimated battery capacity as a real-time percentage compared to a new battery.
  • Notably, Google is confirming that only the Pixel 8a and newer will receive the useful features.

Google is adding a Battery Health statistics page to the Settings app for Pixel phones with Android 16, but most models won't be supported. The company says that the feature will be available "on Pixel 8a and Pixel 9 products including 9 Pro Fold" in a reply to an Issue Tracker ticket concerning Battery Health availability. That leaves out all Pixel models released before the Google Pixel 8a, including the rest of the Pixel 8 series and the original Pixel Fold.

"The Battery Health Indicator feature is currently supported in Beta 3 on Pixel 8a and Pixel 9 products including 9 Pro Fold," a Google employee wrote on May 1. "Due to product limitations, this feature will not be available on older in-market Pixel devices."

Newer Google Pixel devices already showed cycle count data as of last year, but the Battery Health page is set to bring more detailed analytics. Specifically, battery capacity will be shown as a percentage compared to its new state. This should give users an easy-to-understand idea of how their battery will perform on a daily basis, even years after their phone purchase.

The Android 16 logo on a Google Pixel 8a outdoors.

(Image credit: Brady Snyder / Android Central)

"This [battery capacity] is an estimated percentage of charge the battery can currently hold compared to a new standard battery," the Battery Health page in the Android 16 beta explains. "Battery capacity decreases over time."

Additionally, the Battery Health page shows a green checkmark and a Normal status if the battery is working as expected. It also offers quick links to battery-related support articles, and lists any charging optimization features that are enabled — such as Adaptive Charging.

While it's unclear what "product limitations" prevent Pixel phones older than the Pixel 8a from supporting the Battery Health page, it may have something to do with the batteries themselves.

Starting with the Pixel 8a, Google says Pixel phones can reach 1,000 charge cycles before needing a battery replacement. Older Pixel phones, namely the Pixel 3 through Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel Fold, are only rated for up to 800 charge cycles before a battery replacement is recommended.

Android 16, and the Battery Health feature for Pixels, will likely be shown off at Google I/O 2025. Here's everything you need to know about how to watch Google I/O 2025, and how much you should care.

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Brady Snyder
Contributor

Brady is a tech journalist for Android Central, with a focus on news, phones, tablets, audio, wearables, and software. He has spent the last three years reporting and commenting on all things related to consumer technology for various publications. Brady graduated from St. John's University with a bachelor's degree in journalism. His work has been published in XDA, Android Police, Tech Advisor, iMore, Screen Rant, and Android Headlines. When he isn't experimenting with the latest tech, you can find Brady running or watching Big East basketball.

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