To protect your iPhone battery health and extend its lifespan, there are a few helpful tips and tricks you can follow. These tips are based on personal experiences and recommendations from Apple:
1. Enable automatic battery health management: Starting with iOS 13.0, Apple introduced a feature called “Optimized Battery Charging.” This feature learns your daily charging patterns and helps slow down battery aging by reducing the time your iPhone spends fully charged. To enable this feature, go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health > Optimized Battery Charging.
2. Avoid extreme ambient temperatures: iPhones are designed to operate best in temperatures between 0°C and 35°C (32°F and 95°F). Exposure to very high or low temperatures can negatively impact battery performance and lifespan. So, avoid leaving your iPhone in extreme hot or cold environments, like direct sunlight or in a parked car during summer or winter.
3. Remove certain cases during charging: Some iPhone cases can trap heat during charging, which can lead to increased battery temperature. If you notice that your iPhone gets warm while charging, consider removing the case temporarily to allow better heat dissipation.
4. Store it half-charged when you store it long term: If you plan to store your iPhone for an extended period, Apple recommends ensuring it is charged to approximately 50% before turning it off. This level of charge helps to minimize battery aging while still maintaining some charge to prevent deep discharge.
5. Avoid frequent full discharge cycles: Contrary to popular belief, completely draining your iPhone’s battery regularly is not beneficial for its health. Lithium-ion batteries, like the ones in iPhones, have a limited number of charge cycles (typically around 500 cycles) before their capacity starts to degrade. It’s better to top up your battery regularly instead of frequently letting it drain to 0%.
6. Keep your software up to date: Apple often releases software updates that include optimizations and improvements to battery performance. It’s a good practice to keep your iPhone’s operating system up to date to benefit from these enhancements.
7. Adjust screen brightness and optimize settings: Bright screens consume more battery power. Consider lowering your screen brightness or enabling auto-brightness to conserve battery life. Additionally, reviewing and adjusting settings like background app refresh, push email, and location services can help reduce unnecessary battery drain.
8. Avoid exposing your iPhone to excessive moisture: Water and other liquids can damage the internal components of your iPhone, including the battery. To protect your battery and the overall functionality of your device, avoid exposing it to excessive moisture or submerging it in water.
By following these tips, you can help protect and extend the battery health of your iPhone, ensuring it lasts longer and performs optimally throughout its lifespan.