12 Tips to Charge Your iPhone Correctly

Quick Tips

• iPhone’s Lithium-ion batteries don’t need calibration. So you don’t need to completely drain the battery or necessarily charge it to 100% for the first time.
• Optimally, it is suggested that you keep the iPhone charge between 80% – 20%.
• Ensure that you enable Optimized battery charging on your iPhone.

Tip 1. How to Charge Your New iPhone for the First Time?

There are some myths connected to charging your iPhone for the first time regarding, battery calibration. However, the lithium-ion batteries currently used in iPhones do not need calibration. So,

• You don’t necessarily need to charge the iPhone to 100% for the first time.
• Furthermore, you don’t need to drain the battery to 0% before starting to charge.
• Optimally, keep the battery percentage between 80%-20%.

In essence, you can charge the new phone at your convenience and for however long you want.

Tip 2. Should I Charge My iPhone to 100 Percent?

Well, it’s neither here nor there. Charging your phone to 100% is not extremely problematic, so you can go for it daily or occasionally if you’ve strenuous work/commute hours or traveling schedules.

However, keeping it at 100% for long, i.e., still charging after it is maxed out is a problem. It puts more stress on the battery and can affect its overall lifespan. So, as per Apple’s and our recommendation, do turn on Optimized Battery Charging (more info and steps shared later).

Moreover, experts claim that the lithium-ion batteries used in our smartphones are most efficiently charged within the range of 20 – 80%. So, if you’re able to maintain this sweet spot during charging, it’s a win-win situation.

Tip 3. At What Percentage Should I Start Charging My iPhone?

Although there’s no specific percentage at which you should start charging, it’s generally recommended not to let the battery drop to zero. Mostly because completely draining the battery frequently can affect its ability to hold the charger, eventually, shortening the battery life.

As mentioned above, 20% aka, Apple’s default low-power mode warning, could be considered the lowest limit. It’s also worth noting that frequent partial charges are better for your iPhone’s battery than infrequent full charges.

In simpler words, don’t wait until the battery level drops significantly. Charging the iPhone at any opportunity, whether it’s at 30, 40, or 60 percent is better than waiting and risking it dropping below the recommended percentage.

Tip 4. Can I Charge My iPhone Overnight?

Many people wonder whether it’s safe to leave their iPhone charging overnight. And all thanks to Apple’s Optimized Battery Charging feature, it is perfectly safe to do so. The feature automatically learns your daily charging routine and accordingly, delays charging past 80% until it’s time to unplug.

So while you get 100% charge when you unplug, the phone does not stay at the 100% state for long. What’s more, you can also set a battery-full alert and unplug it when it’s all juiced up.

Tip 5. How Often Should You Charge Your iPhone?

Up till now, we’ve established some facts about iPhone battery charging,

• Do not charge your iPhone over 100%.
• Avoid taking your battery below 20%.
• Frequent partial charges are preferred over infrequent full charges.

Keeping these battery charging tips in mind, we can conclude that you can charge your iPhone as often as you need, just avoid taking it below 20%.

If you’re thinking about how it affects your charging cycle, then don’t worry. Interestingly, a full charge cycle is completed when your phone goes from 0% to 100% or any combination that adds up to 100%. So let’s say, to take the device from 50 to 100%, then 40 to 90%, then it will complete one charge cycle (50+50).

Tip 5. Can I Use a Fast Charger for My iPhone?

Absolutely, you can use a fast charger for your iPhone, although here are some things you should consider,

• Use an Apple-certified fast charger and cable – An MFI-certified charger and Lightning cable ensures both safety and efficiency. On the other hand, a non-certified can potentially damage your iPhone’s battery or even cause a safety hazard.

• Manage the heat – iOS and the battery are programmed to avoid overheating. Apple has even added a charging-on-hold setting to stop the device from heating up. However, you can also chip in to ensure proper heat dissipation, if you feel the phone is heating up, take off the case, especially if you use a thick protective case.

Note: If your iPhone is charging slower than usual, here are some reliable fixes to stop iPhone from charging slowly.

Tip 6. Does Wireless Charging Affect Battery Health in the Long Run?

Wireless charging, like any other charging method, can affect battery health in the long run, but the impact is generally minimal. Generally speaking, wireless charging generates more heat than wired charging.

Excess heat harms overall battery health. However, experts agree that advanced smartphones (including iPhones) and wireless chargers are designed to manage heat effectively and minimize damage.

Therefore, it is necessary to use a certified wireless charger. Not necessarily a Magsafe one, but a trusted one for sure.

Tip 7. Enable Optimized Charging

We’ve mentioned the feature multiple times in the article already. Now, let’s learn how to enable it. Go to Settings → Battery → Battery Health & Charging → Toggle on Optimized Battery Charging.

Tip 8. Maintain the Temperature of the Phone

High temperatures can not just affect the functions of your device, but also adversely affect the battery health. For one, the phone will lose its charge quite quickly. And if it heats up repeatedly, it will reduce the battery’s capacity to hold the charge.

Thankfully, Apple has incorporated a charging-on-hold feature that stops charging if the temperature spikes up. And resumes charging when the temperature returns to normal.

Tip 9. Optimize Your iPhone Settings

Every battery-saving guide will give you this suggestion. Our devices are packed with a multitude of features for our convenience. However, we’ll need to enable/disable these features or settings as per our use case to extend our day-to-day battery life.

Some examples include,

• Turn on auto-brightness.
• Toggle off background refresh for certain or all apps.
• Check which apps are hogging the battery and disable/delete them accordingly.
• Toggle on low-power mode when the phone is not in use.

Tip 10. Use an MFI-Certified Charger and Cable

We can’t emphasize this point enough, so we’re repeating it. Companies have to pay a premium to Apple for MFI certification. Thus, these accessories are a bit more expensive than the other competitors.

But a certified accessory, marginally reduces the risk of phone or battery damage, data breach, etc. So, consider it a long-term investment for your phone’s prolonged life rather than an expenditure.

Tip 11. Choose to Update your iPhone Wisely

Some updates, especially the first few iterations of any new OS can be a battery hog. Sometimes, new bugs are introduced alongside the new features. Thankfully Apple actively processes and resolves these issues in the next update.

So, before you download a new update, just do a quick Google search about its effect on the battery. Update the iPhone, if all is well, or else wait for a few days.

FAQs About Best Practices for iPhone Battery