Batteries in smartphones eventually wear out, and that’s just a reality we have to accept. Even though some people might find the iPhone 14’s long-term battery health controversial, Apple has made it easy to monitor the condition of your battery. You can do this by simply looking at your regular battery settings. So, even if your iPhone’s battery life becomes quite short over time, you’ll be ready to schedule a replacement, knowing how it’s holding up.
In contrast, Android can be a bit of a mystery. Things run smoothly until your phone suddenly starts rebooting, and ideally, you figure out that the battery is the culprit before shipping your phone off for diagnosis. Replacing the battery is a relatively affordable solution, especially when compared to buying a whole new phone. However, a lot of people might end up getting rid of a perfectly functional device because it’s not easy to pinpoint the root of the issue or because they need a quick fix.
Android still doesn’t offer a way to check battery health
Receiving a little advance notice would certainly be appreciated, to put it mildly. This is especially crucial since numerous flagship and mid-range phones are designed to receive extended updates, theoretically ensuring their functionality for up to four or even five years. As time goes on, the battery tends to become the most vulnerable component when it comes to using your phone over an extended period. Consequently, consumers now require a reliable means to stay informed about this potentially pivotal repair aspect.
Currently, Android doesn’t provide native tools for monitoring battery health, which means users have to rely on third-party apps for this functionality. But don’t despair just yet. There’s a glimmer of hope. In the latest Android 14 beta, there’s a new battery health API that could potentially enable apps and device manufacturers to provide users with easy access to this information in the future. In the meantime, you might have to rely on one of the limited Android apps available to help you keep tabs on your battery health.
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Easy way to check battery cycles and health on Android
Depending on the smartphone you’re using, there are various ways to find out about your phone’s battery health. We’ve outlined a couple of the top methods below for you. If you happen to own a Samsung Galaxy, Samsung has got you covered with a way to check your battery health that doesn’t require any third-party apps. All you need to do is snag the Samsung Members app from the Galaxy Store or Play Store. Once you’ve got it, you can easily check your battery health right from the familiar settings menu.
Once you’ve got it installed, go to your settings, then navigate to Battery & Device Care, Diagnostics, and select Phone Diagnostics. From there, hit the Battery Status button, and you’ll be able to see your phone’s battery status in the “Life” result.
Samsung keeps things straightforward with a rating system that’s easy to grasp, offering a simple “Good,” “Normal,” or “Weak” rating along with the phone’s rated battery capacity displayed. You generally shouldn’t consider replacing your battery until the status reads “Weak.” Still, if you’re a power user, you might notice that even with a “Normal” rating, your phone doesn’t quite hold its charge as well as it used to.
Android apps that can help check battery health
For those who don’t have a Samsung device, there are plenty of third-party apps available that promise to provide battery health information. Numerous hardware monitoring apps, such as AIDA64, CPU-Z, Device Info, and various others, offer battery health ratings as part of their features.
These apps extract information like the phone’s reported battery capacity, temperature, voltage data, and battery health score. However, their accuracy depends on whether the apps can access this data and whether the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) provides accurate battery statistics, which isn’t always guaranteed.
Without the new Android 14 API, it’s uncertain whether the battery capacity is reported dynamically. So, we consider these apps more as a rough estimate rather than a completely dependable measure of your phone’s remaining battery health.
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Third-party app to the rescue
If you want to keep a close eye on your battery’s long-term health, consider using the third-party app Accubattery. It’s a reliable option for detecting any issues with your battery’s health. The app is available for free, but you can opt for the paid version to get rid of ads and access extra features.
To use Accubattery effectively, you’ll need to grant it permission to run in the background to track your charging statistics. Unlike some hardware monitoring apps that offer instant readings, Accubattery doesn’t provide immediate results. Instead, you’ll need to let your phone charge fully at least once before the app can provide you with a reading.
Accubattery stands out because it tries to estimate your remaining battery capacity based on charging cycles, making it likely more precise than the basic health metrics you get from hardware monitoring apps. In our experience, we noticed significant differences in the reports from Accubattery and CPU-Z. Accubattery tended to report a lower capacity, which is probably more accurate, especially for a daily driver that’s been in use for over a year. However, it might take a few full-charge cycles to enhance the accuracy of Accubattery’s score. Nonetheless, it serves as a dependable choice for medium- to long-term battery monitoring.