Android 14 QPR2 on Pixel redesigns App battery usage settings

Abner Li | Mar 15 2024 - 8:43 am PT

The battery-adjacent tweaks in Android 14 QPR2 continues with Pixel devices redesigning App battery usage in Settings.

On QPR1, going to an application’s App info menu > App battery usage would give you three options right off the bat:

Unrestricted: Allow battery usage in background without restrictions. May use more battery.
Optimized: Optimize based on your usage. Recommended for most apps.
Restricted: Restrict battery usage while in background. App may not work as expected. Notifications may be delayed.

With Android 14 QPR2, the page has been reorganized with a “Manage battery usage” section that’s home to an on/off toggle for “Allow background usage: Enable for real-time updates, disable to save battery.”

QPR1 (1) vs. QPR2 (2-3)

This UI could be a bit more straightforward as it’s not obvious that you can tap the area to the left of the switch for more settings. There’s the high-level “Allow background usage” toggle again, which should be equivalent to Restricted, while you’ll find Optimized and Unrestricted below.

In short, there’s no change to functionality, but just a new UI that’s now spread out over two pages. This change is also in place on the Android 14 QPR3 Beta and Android 15 Developer Preview. It joins other tweaks to App info like a new Force stop icon and the package name after the version number at the bottom.