After 5 years of absence, Apple's iPhone status bar battery percentage is expected to return to the "fringes" home screen with iOS 16

Apple's iOS 16 Beta 5 Update: Battery Percentage on iPhone Status Bar, New "Find" Sound, Lock Screen Music Waveform...

The fifth beta version of Apple's iOS 16 has reappeared with a feature that many iPhone users have missed for a long time: the battery percentage displayed in the status bar at the top of the screen.

In 2017, Apple released the iPhone X with a 'bangs' display that left little room for a battery status indicator. So Apple hid it in the notification shade, accessible by swiping down. Since then, the battery percentage has remained hidden there, visible on the home screen only on iPhone models with a Home button.

Now, in the latest beta version of iOS 16, the battery percentage is written as a number inside the battery icon, leaving enough space to display the phone's signal information and Wi-Fi status. This means that users don't need to swipe down the screen to see the exact battery percentage. This battery percentage adjustment could also be useful if Apple adds an always-on display to the next iPhone, as users could check the battery status without touching the phone.

An Apple spokesperson did not immediately say whether this battery percentage tweak would carry over to the final version of iOS 16. The update is currently only available in developer and public beta versions. The new iOS will be released this autumn, probably in September, when Apple is expected to release iPhone 14.