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Image: Google
Your smartphone is only as good as the charge it holds. It doesn’t matter if you have the newest flagship iPhone or Android—when the device’s battery dies, all the bells and whistles don’t mean diddly. And manufacturers know it.
For years, Apple and Google have managed to pack increasingly larger-capacity batteries into the phones they make. The larger the battery, the longer your phone can stay charged. But in recent years, both companies have also been turning to software features on their phones’ operating systems to help maximise battery life.
Apple added several software-based battery maximisation enhancements in iOS 26. Google has done the same with its popular line of Pixel phones, particularly those running Android 16. Here’s how to use them.
Android 16 brought a new feature to many Pixel phones called “Battery health.” Think of this as a one-stop dashboard that provides quick-glance access to critical information about your battery.
As noted by 9to5Google, Battery Health provides a quick overview of your battery’s condition on select Pixel phones running Android 16. This overview includes a visual indicator to show whether your battery is running normally, the charging type you selected (more on that below), and how much capacity your battery has left.
This capacity information is perhaps the most vital, as it shows how much charge your battery can hold compared to when it was new (a new battery has 100% capacity). As batteries age, their capacity decreases, and as that capacity decreases, your battery needs more frequent charging.
As a rule of thumb, if your battery’s capacity drops below 80%, it’s best to consider replacing your failing battery with a brand-new one, though some of the tips below may still help you extend battery life. The new battery health feature in Android 16 makes it easier than ever to determine if you should make that choice.
To access Android 16’s new Battery Health feature:
One feature that can help extend your Pixel’s battery life is found under the new Battery Health dashboard in Android 16. That feature is called Battery Health Assistance. This feature is limited to the Pixel 6a and later, so if you bought a new Pixel phone in the last several years, you should be able to take advantage of it.
As batteries age, their maximum capacity decreases. But the rate of that natural decrease can be slowed by adjusting the battery’s maximum voltage and the phone’s charging speed. Battery Health Assistance does just that, which is why it’s a good idea to keep the feature turned on. To do that:
Battery Saver is another feature built into Android that can help you save valuable battery life each day. The feature doesn’t target the battery itself. Instead, it works by adjusting power-hungry features on your phone—or turning them off completely—which, in turn, helps preserve battery life.
According to Google, Battery Saver does this by limiting some common features and apps: dimming the homescreen wallpaper, refreshing app content only when you open the app (instead of refreshing it in the background when not in use), and pausing location services when the screen is off. Battery Saver also automatically turns on the Pixel’s dark theme, which helps conserve power.
Taken together, these limitations can help you save precious juice. And the best thing about Battery Saver is that you can turn it on manually or have it come on automatically.
If you know you’re going to need all the battery you can get for a day, it’s best to just manually engage Battery Saver first thing in the morning when you wake up. You can do this by swiping down from the top of your screen and tapping the Battery Saver icon.
Alternatively, you can set your Pixel to automatically enable Battery Saver when your battery level reaches a certain threshold (e.g., 30%). To set up automatic activation of Battery Saver:
Set “Turn on based on battery level” to ON, then adjust the slider to your desired battery level, which, when reached, should trigger Battery Saver’s activation.
If you want to prolong your battery’s lifespan so it continues to hold as much charge as possible as it ages, turn on the Adaptive Charging feature on your Pixel phone. This feature can prolong your Pixel’s overall battery lifespan by dynamically managing when it charges.
Manufacturers say that charging your phone to full only right before you need it reduces strain on the battery, which can help it last longer. Adaptive Charging manages this for you. Here’s how to use it:
There’s one caveat to all the battery tips above. They aren’t available for all Pixel phones. Whether you can use the tips depends on which Pixel model you have and which Android operating system it runs. Google says the Battery Health feature requires a Pixel 6a running Android 16 or later. Additionally, some Battery Saver features require a Pixel phone running Android 11 or later.
As a rule of thumb, to maximise your battery life and your phone’s battery-saving features, it’s best to upgrade to the latest version of Android your Pixel phone can run.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael Grothaus is a novelist and author. His latest novel, Beautiful Shining People, has been translated into multiple languages