Android 15 QPR1 brings Pixel battery optimization and tests color status bar icons
Top 3 Key Points:
- Pixel devices get a new feature to limit battery charging to 80%.
- Google is testing colorful app icons for notifications in the status bar.
- The changes aim to extend battery life and experiment with notification visuals.
The Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2 introduces a new option to limit battery charging to 80% for Pixel phones. This feature is designed to improve battery longevity by preventing overcharging, especially useful for users who often leave their phones plugged in for extended periods.
Initially, in Beta 1, some users encountered issues where the new charge limit could not be disabled. However, this problem has been fixed in Beta 2, allowing full control over the feature. After plugging in your device, you’ll find a new “Charging optimization” option under Settings > Battery. This menu now offers two choices: Adaptive Charging and Limit to 80%. The latter restricts charging to 80% and once enabled, a shield icon will appear on your status bar, and your phone will show as “Done charging” at 80%. This feature mimics the experience found on the Pixel Tablet when docked to a Charging Speaker.
Although this feature is now available, Google hasn’t yet updated its support documentation to explain the new charging limits in detail. That information is expected to be released closer to the official Android 15 QPR1 launch in December.
In addition to this battery optimization, Google is experimenting with a potential redesign of status bar notifications. Currently, Android users see simple notification icons at the top of their screen. In this test, Google is swapping these icons for the full-color app icons from your home screen. The change applies to both the status bar and the always-on display.
The experiment introduces both colorful and monochrome icons. However, the colorful icons can look cluttered with small symbols that are hard to identify, and the monochrome versions often blend into the background, making them difficult to see. While this new look for notifications is still in testing, it shows that Google is exploring ways to make Android more visually dynamic. Whether or not this feature will roll out to all users remains uncertain for now.
These updates are part of Google’s ongoing efforts to enhance user experience in Android, focusing on battery optimization and rethinking visual elements like notifications.