iPad battery percentage too small after iOS 27 update

iPadOS 27 has indeed changed the visual aspects of how the battery-charge percentage is displayed. The current iPad representation is now, arguably to the iPad's detriment, consistent with the how the battery charge status is displayed on recent models of iPhone.

You are not the first - and are unlikely to be the last - to complain of difficulties reading the new combined graphic.

Prior to iPadOS 27, the battery charge percentage, if enabled in iPad settings, was clearly shown adjacent to the graphical representation of battery state at top-right of the screen. As you correctly observe, iPadOS 27 changes the battery charge presentation to show the percentage within the battery graphic - this this being visually less clear than before.

This behaviour is not configurable.

Contributors here are all end-users, just like you. Other than the site Moderators, Apple neither monitor nor participate within the Support Community. As contributors, we have absolutely no influence with Apple or its Development Team.

Apple does invite submission of constructive comments and feature requests via its Product Feedback portal. If you would like to see additional configuration options or changes in a future release of iPadOS, this would be the most appropriate channel through which to submit your request:

Feedback - iPad - Apple

While you are perhaps unlikely to receive an individual reply, we understand that all feedback is logged, analysed and forwarded to the relevant Apple Team(s) for consideration.

Here is how to add a battery percentage widget to your iPad.

• Touch and hold an empty spot on the Home Screen until the apps jiggle.
• Tap the Add button in the upper left corner.
• Search for “Batteries” and tap it.
• Swipe to choose the widget size you want, then tap “Add Widget”.

Here’s one of the choices. The iPad is shown on the left with a 59% charge. My AirPods and the AirPods case are also shown.

I looked everywhere and turned every setting on and off looking for a solution to the battery percentage problem to no avail.

My favorite workaround was given by a fellow ASC contributor whose name I unfortunately forgot.

Since there is no way to separate the battery percentage and the battery icon just swipe the Control Center down from the upper right side of the screen for better visibility of the percentage.

He also mentioned using a battery percentage widget but I haven’t gotten that far yet.

As has already been mentioned the only real fix is to send Apple your Feedback.

Others are complaining about the new icon as well. Apple will not see user displeasure in these user-to-user forums.

If you are serious about Apple knowing understanding the issue, use this:

Feedback - iPad - Apple

sberman wrote:

• Here is how to add a battery percentage widget to your iPad.

Touch and hold an empty spot on the Home Screen until the apps jiggle.

• Tap the Add button in the upper left corner.

• Search for “Batteries” and tap it.

• Swipe to choose the widget size you want, then tap “Add Widget”.

Here’s one of the choices.

https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/3146a5fc-c4cb-4be6-8e7c-05b82d60047e

The complaint is with the battery status icon at top-right of the screen. The battery status icon (that now has the charge state displayed within the icon) be very difficult to read in some circumstances - such as when the battery is partially charged and charging.

The battery status icon, unlike the battery widget, is always visible.