It’s hardly unprecedented if people can’t even find it
Google’s March feature drop for Pixel expanded Live Caption to work with voice calls, improved a look, and introduced the long-awaited battery widget for connected devices. While we’ve always loved getting access to new widgets, it wasn’t the simplest to add to your home screen. That is set to change, as Android 12 Quarterly Platform Release (QPR) 3 Beta 3 brings a more polished widget experience.
left: past experience. right: New Experience Courtesy of 9to5Google.
Despite its flashy appearance, the process for enabling Battery Widget sometimes goes smoothly—you have to look for it within Settings Services instead of the more familiar name. Still, some users had to reset the system app to see the widget in the first place. 9to5Google has now noticed that Settings Services is being updated to QPR3 and gets a new easy-to-spot battery section with a prominent Lightning Bolt icon in the widget list.
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While the battery “app” is actually a part of the Settings services, its widget definitely needs a breakout section, and this tweak does exactly that. The new update should reach non-beta users next month.
What isn’t changing is how the widget itself operates. Once paired to your device’s home screen, it will show the phone name and battery percentage, and may provide similar information for actively connected Bluetooth devices. As before, tapping on your phone’s name takes you to the main battery menu, while tapping on a connected device opens the Bluetooth menu.
The QPR3 beta is compatible with 3, Pixel 4 and newer Google phones, and is currently being distributed to users enrolled in the program. The software fixed some existing bugs in previous versions, including an issue where some Pixel 6 Pro screens flashed a white line after waking up and a number of problems that could interfere with call quality and connectivity.
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About the Author
Aaron Adamu (203 articles published)
Aaron became an Android enthusiast in 2014 and has been following the industry ever since. Currently a medical student, he doubles up as an SEO copywriter for small businesses. When you don’t scour the net for the latest tech news, you’ll either look her in-depth in her textbooks or work out on her fitness website Homeripped.
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