Taking care of your phone can be a handful. A good case can be found to protect it, protect it from scratches and activate youAppleCare+program to ensure it is safe. However, there's one battle we just can't see coming: the slow but steady decline in the health of our iPhone batteries.
Eventually, the once pristine health of your iPhone's battery starts at 100 percent but then drops to a depressing 85 percent, leaving you wondering if it's time to replace it, or just wait to replace your device.
So how do you check your iPhone's battery status? And if you do, how do you know if it needs to be replaced? Fortunately, there are steps to manage its health.
Contents
Why is my iPhone battery empty?
How to Check Your iPhone Battery Health
What do these percentages and messages mean?
When should you replace your iPhone's battery? Health is low
Why is my iPhone battery empty?
Batteries, even rechargeable ones, are consumables. Once you start using your device, iPhone battery health starts to deteriorate with use, reducing both the capacity and performance of your phone.
Actually,according to AppleOnce your iPhone has completed approximately 500 charging cycles, your battery will not be able to charge more than 80%. This can result in some annoying things, like your phone randomly turning off even though the battery appears to be full and, as you'd expect, "dead" faster than you'd expect.
Alreadymajor 2017 iPhone battery controversyApple tried to solve the problem by secretly slowing down users' older iPhones when their batteries got too old. iPhone fans, as you can imagine, could look right past this.
This is where Apple's Battery Health tool comes in handy. Introduced in iOS 11.3 in response to the aforementioned "battery conspiracy", this easy-to-use feature allows you to control the maximum capacity and performance of your battery. Additionally, it also lets you disable the performance management feature that got Apple in trouble.
How to Check Your iPhone Battery Health
Go to to check the battery status of your iPhoneInstitutions>Bacteria>Battery status. You will notice it at the top of the screenMaximum capacitysection. This tells you the charging capacity of your battery compared to when your iPhone was brand new. The higher the number, the longer you can go between charges.
Below you will see a message about your batteryMaximum performance. The message you see depends on the maximum capacity percentage you see above.
What do these percentages and messages mean?
It may be a bit technical, but it is relatively easy to break down these percentages and messages.
Is the battery status of an iPhone with a maximum capacity of 85% good or bad? What about 90%? What does it all mean? Basically, the closer the percentage is to 100%, the better your iPhone will perform.
But at 79% and below, your battery is officially considered dead. But what if the percentage is somewhere in the middle? If your iPhone's battery status is at 85% or 90%, your phone should generally continue to function at optimal levels for another six months to a year.
Also keep in mind that certain things can cause your battery and phone to fail, such as extreme heat or cold. It's best to store your phone somewhere between the two to avoid further conditioning issues with your battery.
As mentioned above, the Peak Performance Capability message is a function of the maximum capacity percentage of your iPhone battery, as well as how your phone responds to your battery health. Depending on each of these, the following messages may appear:
"Your battery currently supports normal peak performance."
The screen above shows when your iPhone and the battery are both brand new. There is nothing to worry about here as your phone should work exactly as it should. At least for now.
"This iPhone turned off unexpectedly because the battery was unable to provide the required peak power. Performance management has been applied to prevent this from happening again. Please turn off..."
This message indicates that your iPhone has automatically enabled performance management. Basically, this means that something bad has happened to your battery, causing it to malfunction, and as a result, your iPhone is slowing itself down to avoid a complete shutdown.
If that sounds familiar, you're right. This is what got Apple in trouble a few years ago. Luckily, you have the option to turn it off, so your phone gets back to normal speed with just one clickTo expand...
Please note that this may cause your battery to fail again; and once you disable it, you won't be able to enable performance management again unless your battery has some other problem.
"This iPhone turned off unexpectedly because the battery could not provide the required peak power. You manually turned off performance management protection."
This is the message you see when you have disabled your iPhone's performance management programming.
"This iPhone cannot determine the condition of the battery. An Apple Authorized Service Provider can repair the battery. More about service options..."
You may see this message at the top of the screen without a maximum capacity percentage specified. This indicates that your battery may be installed incorrectly or there may be some other problem. If this is the case, you can contact an Apple Store or repair shop for further assistance.
"The health of your battery has deteriorated significantly. An Apple Authorized Service Provider can replace the battery to restore full performance and capacity. More about service options..."
When your phone reaches 79% or lower, this message should appear at the top of your screen. This doesn't mean your battery will stop working altogether, but your phone's performance may decrease the longer you use it. Again, repair may be your best bet, but it could cost you some money if it's not covered by AppleCare+.
When to replace it if your iPhone battery status is low?
We mentioned above that you may need to take your iPhone to an Apple store or repair shop for help with battery replacement. The big question is: "When?!"
The easiest way to know if it's time to replace the battery is when the maximum capacity reaches 79% or less and you receive the message "The health of your battery has deteriorated significantly."
However, this comes with a major caveat. If you plan to trade in your phone to a buyback company likeGadget disappeared, having a faulty battery can have a pretty big impact on your phone's resale value.
Even if your iPhone is fully functional with just a few scratches and scuffs, you could receive between $30 and $100 less simply because your battery's maximum battery capacity is less than 80%. (This is mainly because its condition is considered less than "good", despite there being nothing else cosmetically wrong with your phone.)
Where should I go for repair or replacement?
When it comes to repairing your iPhone battery, avoid the DIY route, as it will cost you money – and maybe even some sanity. If you need this, you can make an appointment at an Apple Store or an officially authorized repair center. They can replace the battery efficiently without data loss. Or common sense, for that matter.
On the other hand, the universe might be giving you a sign that your battery problem is going away and it's just time to buy a new phone. If so, we will still take your phone despite the problemsGadget disappearedat a reasonable price. And you can exchange this money for a new phone. Problem solved - at least for the next 500 charges.
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