Battery widgets are the quickest way to see your phone’s charge percentage, charging status, and connected accessory levels without opening settings or swiping into Control Center. These home screen tools give you an at-a-glance view of your device’s battery life, helping you monitor usage and plan your day more efficiently.
What battery widgets show you at a glance
Battery widgets display your phone’s charge percentage, whether it is currently charging, and sometimes the battery levels of connected accessories like wireless earbuds or smartwatches. This information appears directly on your home screen, so you never need to dig into system menus or pull down notification panels just to check how much power remains. Some widgets also show estimated time remaining, charging rate, and battery temperature, giving you a fuller picture of your device’s power status.
How to add a battery widget on iPhone
To add it:
- Long-press any empty area on your Home Screen until the apps begin to jiggle.
- Search for Batteries in the widget gallery.
- Select your preferred widget size, then tap Add Widget.
- Tap Done in the top-right corner to save your layout.
Apple documents that this widget shows the battery levels of your iPhone and connected accessories, including AirPods and other Bluetooth devices. For third-party battery widgets like Smart Battery Widget (requires iOS 16.0 or later) or Battery Widget 2.0 (requires iOS 15.0 or later), download the app from the App Store first, then follow the same long-press and + button process to add its widget from the app’s available options. BatteryPhone works for both iOS and Watch OS. Usage Widgets shows device description including original OS, current iOS version, SIM card slots, screen type and size, and cameras installed. Smart Battery Widget includes a storage monitor showing free space available and a network monitor showing connection status and speed. Battery Widget & Color Widgets has storage, memory (RAM usage), and network monitors.
How to see battery percentage on iPhone without a widget
Apple offers three documented ways to check battery percentage without a widget:
- Settings path: Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Percentage and toggle it on. This adds the percentage to the status bar on iPhone models with Face ID running iOS 16 or later.
- Control Center: Swipe down from the top-right corner on iPhone models with Face ID to see the battery percentage displayed in the Control Center panel.
- Always-visible percentage: On iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd generation) and iPhone 8 or earlier, the battery percentage is always shown in the status bar without any additional settings.
How to add a battery widget on Android
Android does not have an official help page for battery widgets, so the exact steps vary by phone model and Android version. The general method is:
- Long-press an empty space on your home screen.
- Tap Widgets from the menu that appears.
- Scroll through the widget list or search for your installed battery widget app.
- Touch and hold the widget, then drag it to your desired location on the home screen.
- Release to place it, then tap outside the widget to finish.
Popular Android battery widgets include Ampere, Battery Monitor Widget, GSam Battery Monitor, and Battery Widget Reborn. Battery Widget Reborn is compatible with Android 11 phones. GSam Battery Monitor recently updated to be compatible with Android 12. Cross-Device Battery Monitor offered as a free trial; each device you want to add costs a one-time payment of $2.99. BatteryBot Battery Indicator PRO costs $2.99. Next Battery compatible with Wear OS smartwatches. Battery Widget % Level Plus has a signal finder feature that maps available cellular data signals (4G LTE or 5G) in your vicinity and offers 1x1 and 2x2 widget sizes, smaller than the usual 2x3 or 3x3 widgets. Battery Saver Frank-remark lets you kill or stop active and background apps. These apps generally show charge percentage, voltage, temperature, and battery health, though specific features depend on the app and your device hardware.
Other battery saving tips
Once you have a battery widget monitoring your power usage, you can take steps to extend battery life. For immediate savings, you can turn on battery saver to reduce background activity and performance. If you notice unusual drain, you can check for battery draw by reviewing which apps consume the most power in your system settings. If widgets themselves seem to be draining your battery faster than expected, you can save your iPad & iPhone battery life if widgets are draining it too fast by removing unused widgets or switching to simpler, lower-refresh-rate options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can battery widgets damage my phone?
No. Battery widgets are read-only apps that display information your phone already tracks. They do not affect charging, voltage, or battery health in any way.
Do battery widgets use a lot of battery themselves?
Most battery widgets use minimal power because they update only periodically (often every few minutes). However, widgets with live graphs or frequent refresh rates may consume slightly more battery than static ones.
Why doesn't my battery widget show the same percentage as my status bar?
Different widgets poll battery data at different intervals. The status bar updates in real time, while a widget may show data that is several minutes old. Refreshing the widget or choosing one with faster update rates can reduce this discrepancy.
Can I see battery levels for my AirPods or Apple Watch on iPhone?
Yes. Apple’s native Batteries widget shows battery levels for your iPhone and any connected accessories, including AirPods, Apple Watch, and other Bluetooth devices that report battery status.
Are there battery widgets that work on both Android and iOS?
No single battery widget works across both platforms because Android and iOS use different widget systems. You must choose an app designed for your specific operating system.
13 Best Battery Widgets for Android and iPhone
1. Ampere
Ampere is an Android-exclusive battery widget that shows your phone’s current temperature, maximum and minimum battery capacity, voltage input, battery type, and a general battery health display. The widget feature requires upgrading to the app’s PRO version.
2. Smart Battery Widget
Smart Battery Widget is an iOS widget that provides an overview of your battery percentage and status, with notifications for when your phone needs recharging or is nearly charged. It includes a calculated real-time estimate for battery life during songs, videos, calls, or games, plus a storage monitor showing free space and a network monitor showing connection status and speed.
3. Battery Monitor Widget
Battery Monitor Widget is an Android app that shows charging status, phone temperature, battery type, input or output voltage, and overall battery health. It includes a graph showing datasets over time and lets you set notices for low battery, full charge, and temperature thresholds.
4. Usage Widgets
Usage Widgets is an iOS-only widget that provides a graphed timeline of battery percentage, charging status, and operational battery time left.
5. Battery Widget Reborn
Battery Widget Reborn is an Android app compatible with Android 11 phones that shows real-time data including charge percentage, input or output voltage, temperature, overall battery health, and operating battery time left. It features a graph of charging history and average long-term statistics.
6. Cross-Device Battery Monitor
Cross-Device Battery Monitor is an Android app that shows battery information for your phone and other registered devices. It displays current battery charge percentage, battery temperature, voltage output or input, charging status, and battery health.
7. GSam Battery Monitor
GSam Battery Monitor is an Android app from GSam Labs, recently updated to be compatible with Android 12. It works as a general phone optimizer, showing which activities take the most battery power, which apps use how much CPU power, and the general status of your different apps alongside basic battery information.
8. Next Battery
Next Battery is an Android and Wear OS app that displays battery charge in 1% increments, battery temperature, input and output voltage, overall battery life, and battery type. It is compatible with Wear OS smartwatches in addition to Android phones.
9. Battery Widget % Level Plus
Battery Widget % Level Plus is an Android app that shows battery charge percentage, input or output voltage, battery temperature, overall battery health, charging status, and battery type. It offers 1x1 and 2x2 widget sizes and includes a signal finder feature that maps available 4G LTE or 5G cellular data signals in your vicinity.
10. Battery Widget & Color Widgets
Battery Widget & Color Widgets is an iOS widget that presents your battery charge percentage, charging status, and whether your device is on low-power mode. It also has storage, memory (RAM usage), and network monitors showing free and used space, RAM usage by apps, and detailed network connection status.
11. BatteryBot Battery Indicator PRO
BatteryBot Battery Indicator PRO is an Android app originally created in 2009 that costs $2.99. It offers notifications for different charging statuses, a 1x1 home screen widget, and battery information including percentage, temperature, battery type, overall battery health, and input or output voltage.
12. Battery Saver Frank-remark
Battery Saver Frank-remark is a free Android widget that lets you kill or stop active and background apps whenever you need to, rather than displaying data-heavy battery statistics.
13. BatteryPhone
BatteryPhone is a free iOS app that works for both iOS and Watch OS. It displays your phone and watch battery charge percentage and can give out notifications based on what percentage it reaches.
