Is Your iPhone Battery Draining Quickly?

Summary: Is your iPhone battery draining quicker than it used to? There are ways to keep your iPhone battery healthy and steps to slow down battery drainage.

A rechargeable battery’s most important feature is how long they take to charge and how long before they are drained and need a recharge. Almost everyone has had batteries unexpectedly drain quickly or fail to hold a charge after being fully recharged. Batteries degrade over time and gradually lose the ability to hold a charge. Fortunately, there are some ways users can analyze their iPhone battery’s health and take steps to prolong battery life.

Checking Your iPhone’s Battery Health

If your iPhone is using at least iOS 11.3, it is simple to check on the health of your battery. If you have an older phone, you should first update your system software before attempting a battery health check. In iOS 11.3 or later, checking battery life is easy:

• Go to Settings
• Click on Battery
• Click on Battery Health

Once you have navigated to Battery Health, you can see your current remaining charge and the Maximum Capacity, which measures the charge capacity compared to when the battery was new. As your battery ages, the maximum capacity will gradually degrade. The lower the percentage, the less time the user will have between charging sessions. The closer your maximum capacity is to 100% maximum, the better. When that number drops below 80%, your battery is on its way out.

According to Apple, an iPhone battery “is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at 500 complete charging cycles when operating under normal conditions.” They estimate that it takes most people two years of usage to reach that point in the battery’s life.

When your iPhone battery’s maximum capacity finally dips below 80%, it has aged to the point where you should consider replacing it. Your iPhone (Apple) battery can be replaced by a trained mobile device repair technician. Users should not attempt battery replacement on their own.

Although there is no way to predict how long your iPhone battery will last, several steps can be taken to increase its overall health and longevity.

How To Keep an iPhone Battery Healthy

• To Charge or Not to Charge? – Keeping your phone 100% charged at all times will shorten your battery’s life span. Ironically, draining your phone entirely or keeping it at a low charge percentage can also reduce battery health. Apple suggests keeping your phone charged between 40 and 80%.
• Close Apps After Using and Turn Off Features You Do Not Need – Although it may seem obvious, it is worth mentioning that the more things you operate on your iPhone simultaneously, the more battery drainage you will experience. Also, turning down the brightness of your screen and reducing phone volume can save significant power.
• Do Not Leave Phone Uncharged – Surprisingly, leaving your iPhone “dead” for long periods can eventually send the device into “deep discharge” and might stop the battery from charging again. iPhones retain a small power reserve to help prevent deep discharges, but in practice, whenever your phone charge dips below 20%, you should recharge it as soon as possible.
• Do Not Use and Charge Simultaneously – Unless your phone charge is very low and you must keep working, it is best to charge your phone when it is not in use. Using your phone while charging can lead to overheating and internal damage. Do not use and charge your iPhone simultaneously unless it is an emergency.
• Do Not Leave Your iPhone Charging All Night – Although there are a few protections you can turn on, such as Optimized Battery Charging, which is built into the iPhone to prevent overcharging, it is not a good idea to leave your phone at 100% charged, plugged into the charger overnight.
• Avoid Temperature Extremes – Leaving your iPhone in the sun can seriously overheat the device. Although Apple has built-in protections such as stopping the phone from working while it cools down, direct sun and extreme heat can fry the iPhone’s internal components. Heat makes chips and circuits expand and overheat. Also, extreme cold temperatures can damage an iPhone. In addition, large fluctuations from hot to cold and back to hot can cause further damage through expansion and contraction. These temperature swings reduce the integrity of internal circuitry and can chemically degrade the lithium-ion battery.
• Keep Your IOS Up to Date – Timely installation of operating system software updates can also help maintain battery health. Developers release updates that improve functionality and efficiency. The more efficient your operating system is, the less wear and tear your phone will experience. Also, iOS security updates can help prevent malware from running in the background, further draining your battery.

Whether you use your iPhone for personal activities or work, professional mobile device management is vital to getting the most out of your phone, tablet or computer. Increased awareness of your aging iPhone battery’s health and knowing the steps to help make the iPhone battery last longer will ensure you have full use of your iPhone when you need it.