The Pixel 8 Pro, while it doesn’t seem to be fundamentally different from its predecessor the Pixel 7 Pro, has enough improvements to potentially make it the best Pixel smartphone yet. Among the notable new features: an easy-to-use headphone jack, a nicer screen, and above all a faster processor. The latter is considerably more powerful than that of its predecessor. With these improvements come the Android 14 updates, which are the icing on the cake.
When it comes to battery life, the Pixel 8 Pro also beats the Pixel 7 Pro by a wide margin, in my experience. The battery is a consumable, which means it wears out as you use it. Thus, after one year, the battery life of your smartphone is already reduced. With the Pixel 8 and Android 14, Google has anticipated this problem by adding a handy tool to check the status of your battery. This feature is only available for Pixel 8 devices. So even if you have Android 14 on your Pixel 7, you won’t find the diagnostic tool.
Before we move on, be aware that this feature isn’t a real diagnostic tool – it doesn’t perform tests on your battery. Rather, it’s a tool to help you identify the problem, based on the most common issues with Pixel batteries.
If you have a Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro and want to check your battery status, here’s how to use the diagnostic tool.
1. Go to Android Settings
Swipe down on your notifications screen twice, to bring up the Settings app icon (which looks like a gear). You can also search for it in the list of all your apps.
2. Go to the battery settings
Scroll down to Battery. You’ll also see how much battery your phone has left there.
3. Run the battery diagnostics
Under the Battery widget, you’ll see Battery Diagnostics. Click to launch the testing tool.
4. Check the status of your battery
Once the diagnostic tool is open, you can run four different tests, depending on your needs:
- The battery drains too quickly.
- The phone is very hot.
- Charging problem.
- Another question.
For example, if you feel that your battery is draining faster than expected, click Battery drains too quickly.
Next, you’re asked if you allow the Pixel diagnostic tool to check if there’s a problem on your device. Click Allow to continue the test.
5. Select an option
If you’ve selected the Battery drains too quickly option, you’ll see two tips: one for the display and one for the apps.
If you select View, you’ll see the following tips: Turn on dark theme or Disable screen smoothing. Click on the tip of your choice. You will then be redirected to the settings location where you can fix this issue.
If you select Apps that use the most battery, you’ll be taken to the battery usage page. You’ll then be able to see which apps are draining your battery and, if applicable, delete apps that aren’t essential to you. Or just update apps you use often. Sometimes, a simple update is enough to fix the problem. You will also find links to other articles on how to improve your battery life on this page.
Assistance rather than diagnosis
This feature lives up to its name: it’s not so much a diagnostic tool as it is a support page that guides the user through common battery-related issues.
Nevertheless, if the battery of your Pixel 8 or 8 Pro doesn’t last the day, I advise you to take a look at it and follow the advice given to you. There’s a good chance that your problem will then be resolved.
