For many of us, our iPhones are deeply ingrained in almost every aspect of our lives, whether it’s our entertainment, our work, or our communications. For this reason, it is especially frustrating when our phone battery is low or, even worse, dies.
iPhone batteries rely on lithium-ion technology to function, which helps your phone’s battery have a faster charging, greater processing power and increased longevity. Over time, these lithium-ion batteries “chemically age” and lose power, performance capacity, and charge retention. Everyone is vulnerable to battery degradation over the years, but there are definitely ways to stay on top of your battery health.
While checking and maintaining your iPhone’s battery health probably isn’t something you do regularly, it can prevent frustrating situations from occurring and help increase your phone’s battery longevity. Read on for simple tips on how to check and maintain your iPhone’s battery health to get the most out of your phone!
How to Check Your iPhone Battery Health
Checking the battery status of your iPhone is very easy, and Apple has made it easy to fully check your battery performance. Follow these steps to check the status of your battery:
- Open the Settings app.
- Scroll down until you see the “Battery” block, or alternatively, search for “Battery” in the search bar at the top of your settings screen.
- Select “Battery” and click on the “Battery Health” block on your screen.
- On this page, you’ll see your battery health’s maximum capacity, which tells you how much charge your battery has and compares it to when it was completely new.
How to Keep Your iPhone Battery Health at 100
Although all iPhone batteries are vulnerable to aging over time, there are several ways to maintain its health, keep it close to its original capacity, and extend its life.
- Protect your iPhone from extreme temperatures: Apple recommends keeping your iPhone in spaces between 62 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Of course, that’s not always possible, so what matters is keeping your iPhone safe from extreme hot and cold temperatures. Temperatures below 32 degrees and above 95 degrees may damage its charging capacity.
- Pay attention to your charging cables: Although we all love a cheap price on a charging cable, but cheap doesn’t bode well for your iPhone battery. Most charging cables are fine, but if you notice your iPhone getting extremely hot while charging, get a new cable. Excessive heat can affect the life of your battery and decrease its capacity. Likewise, if your cable is in good condition, but you have a unique heat-generating case for your phone, remove it while charging.
- Avoid battery load extremes: While it makes perfect sense to charge your iPhone to 100% all the time, it’s actually not the best way to maintain its lifespan and it can harm the battery. Alternatively, it’s also not good to let your battery die or drop below 20%, as it can age it further and decrease its capacity. Apple suggests charging your battery to 50%, which better preserve its abilities and longevity.
- Enable “Optimized battery charging”: To prevent overcharging, Apple has a setting to reduce battery aging called “Battery Charging Optimization”. The setting learns your usual charging routines and will automatically complete charging closer to when you are going to use it. You can toggle this setting in the same place where your battery health is.
When to replace your iPhone battery
Your iPhone battery is usually expected to retain 80% of its original capacity. Once it drops below 80%, the battery age is significantly degraded, which can mean faster charge loss and more charges throughout the day. An aging battery can also affect your iPhone’s overall performance, so it’s best to consider replacing it once it drops below 80%.
