Free app for the Pixel 6 makes the hole-punch camera more useful and fun to look at
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If you're looking for a fun way to keep track of how much battery life you have remaining on your Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, you might want to install the Energy Ring app from the Google Play Store. If you've heard about this app before, it is no surprise. The Energy Ring-Universal Edition supports several Android handsets besides the latest Pixel models.
The Energy Ring app helps beautify the hole-punch selfie camera on your Pixel 6.
Will we tell you which popular phones are supported by the app? Sure. You don't even need to ask. But first, we should point out that not only does the Energy Ring tell you how much battery life you have on your device at a quick glance, it also adds some color accents to your Google Pixel handsets. The Energy Ring will change color when the battery life drops although you will have to dig into the settings to make some changes first.
Pick up the Google Pixel 6 or Pixel 6 Pro
According to 9to5Google, after you download the app, you allow it to have accessibility permissions after being prompted to do so. Go to Settings > Battery > Percentage to turn off the normal battery indicator on the status bar. And if you install the System UI Tuner app from the Play Store, you can access Android and turn off the battery icon.
We promised you a list of some of the popular phones supported by the Energy Ring app and we aim to please. Ladies and Gentlemen, the list:
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3
- Samsung Galaxy S10, Samsung Galaxy S20, Samsung Galaxy S 20 FE, Samsung Galaxy S21
- Samsung Galaxy Note 10, Samsung Galaxy Note 20 series
- Samsung Galaxy A60, Samsung Galaxy A51, Samsung Galaxy A71
- Samsung Galaxy M 40, Samsung Galaxy M 31s
- Google Pixel 4a (5G), Google Pixel 5 (a), Google Pixel 6, Google Pixel 6 Pro
- OnePlus 8 Pro, OnePlus 8T, OnePlus Nord 2, OnePlus Nord CE
- Motorola Edge Plus, Motorola One Action, Motorola One Vision, Motorola G8
- Motorola Power, Motorola G40 Fusion, 5G
- Huawei Honor 20, Huawei View 20, Huawei Nova 4 , Huawei Nova 5T
- Huawei P40 Lite, Huawei P40 Pro.
The Energy Ring is easy on the eyes and your phone's battery and you can even customize the thickness of the ring as it surrounds your hole-punch lens. The app runs as an accessibility feature in order to appear on the lock screen. If your battery is full, the ring wraps around the front-facing lens at 360 degrees declining as your phone loses battery power.
Developers created wallpaper that not only hid the hole-punch but turned it into a funny joke
You might recall that when Samsung released wallpapers for the Galaxy S10, it created several that interacted with the pill shaped dual punch-hole cameras. It will be interesting to see how Apple and iOS app developers play the rumored notch replacement for the iPhone 14 series. The latest rumor has the Pro versions of this years' iPhone 14 line replacing the notch with a hole-punch and a lozenge "pill" shaped opening.
The iPhone 14 Pro render on the right displays the replacement for the notch according to the latest rumors
This strange combination is already making some iPhone fans long for the return of the notch. If the latest renders we've seen for the iPhone 14 Pro are legit, there is going to be an uproar next September and you can count on it.
Right now, the hole-punch is the best option that manufacturers have until under-display cameras are improved. Over the years we've seen pop-up cameras, cameras that rotate and flip from back to front and vice versa all in the name of smaller bezels.
The Energy Ring has garnered some pretty decent reviews. With a total of 4,664 users weighing in, the app averaged a 4.4 score out of 5. Hey, if you're bored witht he hole-puncvh camera on your phone and your handset supports the app, it won't cost you anything but your time to try it out.
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