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Google improves the Pixel battery widget by adding a new feature

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By Alan Friedman

Published: Oct 02, 2022, 12:32 PM

Google improves the Pixel battery widget by adding a new feature

Back in March, Google added a useful battery widget for compatible Pixel models. The widget shows an icon and the name of the device whose battery is being tracked by the widget, and a light blue shading indicating the percentage life remaining for the battery which also appeared on the widget at the very end in numerical form. Besides your Pixel, the widget tracks the battery life of your left Pixel Bud, right Pixel Bud, and the wearable's carrying case.

We'd expect the widget to also track the battery life of the Google Pixel Watch when it is released later this month. It already shows the battery life of smartwatches that run Wear OS. According to 9to5Google, the latest update to the Pixel battery widget adds another feature in Settings Services v1.1.0.476812811.sr. With the new feature, the widget will not only show you the percentage of battery life remaining but it will also show you how much time your device has before the battery conks out.

So far, this feature hasn't appeared in the stable version of Android 13 but has surfaced in the Android 13 QPR1 Beta which means that those of you on the stable path might have to wait for the December Pixel Feature Drop to get the updated version of the battery widget. You can join the beta by going to google.com/android/beta and tapping on the box that says "View your eligible devices." From there, you will see an image of your Pixel device with a box that says "Opt in." Tap on the box and within 24 hours (usually, it comes immediately), you will receive the update.

The change to the Pixel battery widget found in the Android 13 QPR1 Beta in two different sizes. Credit 9to5Google

To install the update, go to Settings > System > System update. Now here is the caveat. Once you install the Beta, you cannot go back to the stable version of Android 13 until the December Pixel Feature Drop unless you wipe the data from your phone. Once the Feature Drop is, well, dropped on December 5th (the first Monday of that month), you'll be able to opt-out of the Beta without having to wipe the data from your Pixel phone.

Keep in mind that you can also see how much time your battery has left by going to Settings and looking for the Battery listing. There, you will see the approximate amount of time remaining until your Pixel's battery rolls over and plays dead.

Speaking of the battery, we have seen a marked improvement in battery life lately on the Pixel 6 Pro. And don't forget that this Thursday, October 6th, Google will unveil the Pixel 7 series, the Pixel Google Watch, and a couple of Nest devices. We also might see previews for the Pixel Tablet and the foldable Pixel Notepad. The festivities begin at 10 am EDT (7 am PDT).

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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.

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