Newsletter
Google has now uploaded its battery management application, Device Health Services, to the Google Play Store. The new addition follows several other uploads from the company, as part of its apparent efforts to separate each of its stock applications from Android OS itself. Unfortunately, this particular application is currently only available for users in the U.S. who happen to also be owners of either a Pixel or Nexus handset, since this is the stock battery management tool included with those devices. Device owner’s in other areas of the world will only see an error message when heading to the new Play Store listing, while non-Nexus and non-Pixel device owners will see a message stating the app is incompatible with their devices. Bearing that in mind, the app should eventually make its way to the Play Store in other locations, if past releases from the company are anything to go by.
As to whether changes have been made by Google to the app during uploading to the Play Store, it would seem unlikely. Instead, the app will just allow for quicker updates to its core feature – providing users with insight regarding how much longer their device’s battery will last based on their own personal usage. It will also continue to record and present users with in-depth information about their own particular battery usage and how each of their applications is affecting battery life. Finally, it will still allow users to tweak toggles for battery saver mode, auto-brightness, and to show their battery percentage in the notification bar. However, Google has also taken the opportunity to improve the battery management tool, as well. Aside from including support for more Nexus models than before it was released to the Play Store, the update includes the squashing of some unspecified bugs. Furthermore, according to the app’s description, the company has improved “model and infrastructure.” That most likely means that Device Health Services should be more accurate than ever before across each of the devices it is intended to work on.
There is no list given, as of this writing, regarding which Nexus devices the application will work on specifically, but it should work on all U.S. based first-generation Pixel devices as well as the upcoming Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. Although owners of the Pixel or Pixel XL (or a compatible Nexus device for that matter) who head over to the listing should see that the app is one that is already installed on their device.
