The battery icon in the status bar is one of the most glanced-at parts of the iOS interface. The icon lets you quickly check the battery level and charging status of your iPhone. In iOS 17, Apple has made it easier to customize the look of the battery icon. Here’s how to change the battery icon on your iPhone running iOS 17.
Access Battery Settings
To get started, open the Settings app on your iPhone. Scroll down and tap on ‘Battery’. This will open the battery settings page.
Enable Percentage
The first customization option is to enable percentage. With this enabled, you will see the exact battery percentage displayed inside the icon. To turn this on, toggle the switch next to ‘Battery Percentage.’ The percentage will now be visible in the status bar.
Change to Low Power Mode
Low Power Mode is a built-in iOS feature that reduces background activity to preserve battery life. When enabled, the battery icon turns yellow. To activate Low Power Mode, tap on the ‘Low Power Mode’ option and toggle it on. The icon will change to yellow whenever the mode is active.
Use Color Filters
iOS includes color filters under Accessibility settings that can tint the display. These filters also affect the battery icon color. To use color filters:
- Go to Settings => Accessibility => Display & Text Size
- Tap on ‘Color Filters’
- Select the filter you want, like Grayscale or Invert Colors
- Adjust the intensity slider to control the tint
The battery icon will now match the color filter applied. This lets you have a blue, red, grayscale, or inverted battery icon.
Customize with Smart Invert
Smart Invert inverts the iPhone display colors, except for images, media and some apps. Enabling Smart Invert will make the battery icon black or white, depending on if Dark Mode is on. To use Smart Invert:
- Go to Settings => Accessibility => Display & Text Size
- Tap on ‘Smart Invert’ and toggle it on
This will invert the interface while keeping photos and videos in their original colors.
Use Accessibility Shortcuts
You can quickly toggle color filters and Smart Invert using Accessibility Shortcuts. To set this up:
- Go to Settings => Accessibility => Accessibility Shortcut
- Select Color Filters or Smart Invert
Now you can triple-click the Home button to instantly enable your selected setting and change the battery icon appearance.
Customize with Focus Modes
Focus Modes, new in iOS 15, let you link custom interfaces to different user activities. The mode icon also replaces the battery icon. To use Focus Modes:
- Go to Settings => Focus
- Select Focus mode and tap on the icon to change it
- Choose an icon like a heart, star, or custom emoji
- Enable the Focus mode to show the icon in the status bar
This allows the icon to be set to a heart when you want to show love for your iPhone!
Use a Jailbreak Tweak (Advanced)
For complete customization, a jailbreak tweak called Juice can be installed. This lets you pick any image or icon as the battery symbol. However, jailbreaking removes iPhone security protections.
So, in iOS 17, you have many built-in options to customize the battery icon by changing the color, enabling percentage, or using Focus modes. With some creativity, you can make the icon match your style or mood. A jailbreak tweak provides the most flexibility for custom icons. Let the battery icon reflect your personality in iOS 17.