Maintaining 100% iPhone battery health indefinitely isn't realistically achievable as batteries degrade over time with usage. However, you can significantly slow down the degradation process and maintain optimal battery health for longer by adopting certain charging and usage habits.
Here's how to optimize your iPhone's battery health, based on best practices:
Best Practices for Optimal iPhone Battery Health
Here's a table summarizing the best practices:
| Practice | Description |
|---|---|
| Avoid extreme charging | Steer clear of consistently charging to 100% or letting the battery drain completely to 0%. |
| Avoid Overnight Charging | Don't leave your iPhone plugged in overnight after it reaches full charge. |
| Dim Your Screen | Reduce screen brightness or use Auto-Brightness to conserve power. |
| Manage Location Services | Limit which apps can access your location and when. |
| Enable Optimized Battery Charging | This feature learns your charging habits and delays charging past 80% until just before you need to use your iPhone. |
| Use Approved Chargers | Stick to original Apple chargers or certified alternatives. |
| Manage Apps and Features | Close apps you're not using and disable unused features like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when not needed. |
| Avoid Extreme Temperatures | Keep your iPhone away from excessive heat or cold. |
Detailed Explanation of Battery Health Optimization
Here's a deeper look at each recommendation with some examples:
1. Avoid Full Charge or Full Drain
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Why: Lithium-ion batteries experience stress when consistently charged to their maximum or drained to their minimum capacity.
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Solution: Aim to keep your iPhone's battery level between 20% and 80% as much as possible. Partial charging cycles are better than full ones.
2. Don't Charge Overnight
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Why: Once your iPhone reaches 100%, continuous charging can generate heat and stress the battery.
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Solution: Unplug your iPhone when it reaches 100%. If you need to charge overnight, use "Optimized Battery Charging" (see below).
3. Use a Dimmer Screen
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Why: The screen is one of the biggest power consumers on your iPhone.
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Solution: Reduce screen brightness in Settings > Display & Brightness. Enable "Auto-Brightness" to let your iPhone automatically adjust brightness based on ambient light.
4. Switch Off Location Services
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Why: Apps constantly using location services can drain the battery quickly.
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Solution: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services. Review which apps have access to your location and change permissions to "While Using the App" or "Never" for apps that don't need constant access.
5. Turn on Optimized Battery Charging
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Why: This feature helps mitigate the impact of overnight charging.
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Solution: Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging and enable "Optimized Battery Charging." Your iPhone learns your charging routine and waits to complete charging past 80% until shortly before you usually unplug it.
6. Use an Original or Approved Apple Charger
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Why: Using uncertified chargers can damage the battery or charging circuitry.
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Solution: Use the charger that came with your iPhone or purchase a certified Apple charger or a charger from a reputable brand.
7. Close Apps and Unused Features
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Why: Apps running in the background and unused features consume battery.
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Solution:
- Close apps you're not actively using by swiping up from the bottom of the screen (or double-pressing the Home button on older models) and swiping away the app previews.
- Disable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when you're not using them.
- Turn off Personal Hotspot when not in use.
8. Avoid Extreme Temperatures
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Why: Extreme heat or cold can damage the battery.
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Solution: Don't leave your iPhone in direct sunlight, in a hot car, or in freezing temperatures for extended periods. Apple recommends an ambient operating temperature of 62° to 72° F (16° to 22° C).
