Battery
How to Check Battery Health on Android (Pixel, Samsung and Others)
By the llcloud team 5 min read
Quick answer
On a Pixel 8a or newer, open Settings > Battery > Battery health for an estimated capacity, and look under Settings > About phone > Battery information for the cycle count. On Samsung, the Samsung Members app runs a battery diagnostic that reports Normal, Weak or Bad. Other phones vary, so an app that measures capacity from your own charges, such as Lithie, is the fallback that works on any phone.
Batteries wear out slowly, and a phone that lasted all day two years ago may now need a top-up at lunch. Checking battery health tells you whether the battery is the problem or something else is draining it. Some phones now show health in Settings, many still do not, and the numbers mean different things depending on where they come from.
Where does Android show battery health?
There is no single Android-wide battery health page yet. It depends on the phone maker and the model.
| Phone | Where to look | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Pixel 8a, Pixel 9 and newer | Settings > Battery > Battery health | Estimated capacity vs new, labelled Normal or Reduced |
| Pixel 8a and newer | Settings > About phone > Battery information | Cycle count and manufacture date |
| Pixel 8, 8 Pro and older | No capacity estimate | Limited or none |
| Samsung Galaxy | Samsung Members > Support > Phone diagnostics > Battery status | Normal, Weak or Bad |
| Other brands | Varies, often none | Search Settings for "battery health" |
Pixel
- Open Settings > Battery > Battery health.
- Read the battery capacity estimate. Google describes it as how much charge the battery can hold compared with a new one.
- For the cycle count, go to Settings > About phone > Battery information.
Google left the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro out of the capacity estimate, and the page changed during the Android 16 rollout. If yours looks different, search Settings for "battery".
Samsung Galaxy
- Open the Samsung Members app.
- Tap Support, then Phone diagnostics (the button may say Get started).
- Run the test and open Battery status.
Samsung reports one of three levels: Normal, Weak or Bad, without a percentage. Samsung notes that menu names vary by model and app version. Some recent One UI versions add more battery details in Settings, so search Settings for "battery information" on your phone.
Other phones
Xiaomi, OnePlus, OPPO, vivo and others each do their own thing, and many show nothing at all. Look under Settings > Battery and search Settings for "battery health". If nothing comes up, your phone does not expose it in Settings.
What do the numbers actually mean?
A battery health figure is a comparison between what the battery holds today and what it held when new, called its design capacity. If a 5,000 mAh battery now holds 4,500 mAh, its health is 90%.
Three things are worth knowing:
- Built-in figures are estimates. The phone's charge controller calculates them, and they drift with temperature and charging habits.
- Labels hide detail. "Normal" can cover a wide range.
- 80% is the common threshold. Most makers treat it as the point where a battery is worn. Google rates Pixels from the 8a on for about 1,000 cycles before reaching it.
When is an app the better option?
If your phone has no health page, gives only a label, or you want a second opinion, an app that measures your own charges fills the gap. Lithie, our battery app, is coming soon to Google Play and is built around showing where each figure comes from.
Battery health in mAh. Lithie calculates capacity in mAh and as a share of design capacity from your real charges, partial ones included. You never have to drain the phone to zero, and an 80% charge limit does not block the measurement.
Two opinions. Lithie's figure sits next to the one your phone reports, with a plain note on what a gap means. Every number is labelled reported, calculated or estimated.
Full cycle charge. An optional guided charge from near empty to full. It is Lithie's most complete measurement, so it counts extra toward your health figure.
Live monitor and cable test. Current in mA, power in watts, temperature and voltage. The cable test reads in about a minute what the charger offered and what the cable let through, and says so when the phone is slowing the charge itself.
A shareable battery report helps when you buy or sell a used phone.
Pro adds the charge limit, health over time, full history, the wakelock view and more. Lithie has no ads and no account, and works without root.
What Lithie cannot do
It cannot make a worn battery new, and it does not promise more battery life. Its health figure gets better with more charges, so the first readings are less certain than later ones. The charge limit needs your phone maker's own battery protection, root, or a smart plug.
How can I slow battery wear?
There is no magic setting, but a few habits are widely recommended for lithium-ion batteries:
- Avoid heat. Do not charge the phone in direct sun, under a pillow or while gaming hard.
- Avoid sitting at 100% for hours. Many phones now offer adaptive charging or a charge limit. On Pixel look under Settings > Battery, and on Samsung search Settings for "battery protection". The names differ by version.
- Avoid running it flat often. Topping up during the day is fine.
How much any of this extends your battery's life depends on your phone and how you use it, so treat it as good practice rather than a promise.
Why does my battery drain fast if health looks fine?
A healthy battery that empties quickly usually means something is keeping the phone awake. Check Settings > Battery > Battery usage for an app at the top that you barely use. Lithie Pro's wakelock view shows which apps kept the phone awake with the screen off, from Android's own records.
The opposite problem is common too. Battery savers on Samsung, Xiaomi and other phones can kill apps you want running. If notifications arrive late, read why Android kills background apps before you blame the battery. On Samsung in particular, stopping Samsung from killing apps walks through the sleeping apps lists. A cleaner will not help battery life either, despite what some promise, though freeing up storage does help a phone that is nearly full, and clearing one app's cache can fix an app that misbehaves.
If you are choosing a battery app, Lithie vs AccuBattery compares the two on health measurement, ads and charge limits.
Sources
Questions
What is a good battery health percentage?
Lithium-ion batteries lose capacity with use. Most phone makers treat about 80% of the original capacity as the point where the battery is worn. Google says Pixel phones from the 8a on are designed to keep 80% for about 1,000 cycles, and earlier models about 800. Above 80% the phone usually feels fine. Below it, you notice shorter days.
Why does my battery health reading change from day to day?
Most battery health figures are estimates calculated from the charge controller's readings, and they move with temperature, how deep the charge was and how recent the calibration is. A few points of change is normal. Watch the trend over weeks rather than one reading. Lithie labels each figure as reported, calculated or estimated so you know how much weight to give it.
Can I check battery health without an app?
On some phones, yes. Recent Pixel phones have a Battery health page in Settings, and Samsung's Members app runs a battery status test. Many other phones show nothing, or only a Good or Normal label. If your phone has no built-in page, a battery app that measures capacity from charging is the practical option.
Does charging to 80% help battery health?
Keeping a lithium-ion battery at full charge and high temperature for long stretches adds wear, which is why many phones now offer charge limits or adaptive charging. How much it helps depends on how you use the phone. Lithie Pro can stop charging at a level you set, but we do not promise a specific gain, because no app can measure that for your battery in advance.
Is Lithie available now?
Lithie is coming to Google Play soon. It will need Android 11 or newer, and battery health, the live monitor, the charging alarm, the cable test and Full cycle charge are in the free version. Leave your email on the Lithie page to hear the day it is out.
