How To Check an iPhone’s Battery Health

If you’ve been using your iPhone for a while, you’ve probably noticed your battery doesn’t last as long as it did when it was new. This is completely normal. The quality of your battery will degrade over time. However, there are ways you can keep an eye on your battery and know when to replace it.

Apple has the option of checking your battery’s health and establishing if and when you might need to replace it.

iPhone’s Battery Status

If you have an iPhone with iOS 11.3 or higher, you can check your battery’s status in the settings. If you have an older version, update your iPhone, and you’ll see the option. If you can’t update your iPhone, you can go to any Apple store to run a diagnostic test and establish the condition of your battery.

1. Open Settings.
   
2. Tap “Battery.”
   
3. Tap “Battery health.”
   

Among other options, you’ll see the remaining capacity of your battery. It’s the measure of your current battery capacity compared to when it was new. When you purchased your iPhone, its battery capacity was 100%. Over time, this percentage decreases, which is completely normal for lithium-ion batteries. The lower the percentage is; the fewer hours of usage you’ll get between two charge cycles.

Apple states that an iPhone’s battery has about 80% of its capacity after 500 charge cycles, which is about two years.

When to Replace an iPhone’s Battery

You can keep track of your iPhone’s battery performance through the option called ‘’Peak Performance Capability.’’ Here, iPhone will display different messages based on which you can determine whether you need to replace the battery.

Peak Performance Capability

Apple-designed a helpful option to keep you in the loop regarding your battery’s health. Here, you can check if your battery is performing normally. Some of the messages you may see are:

• “Your battery is currently supporting normal peak performance” – if your battery doesn’t have any failures and is performing the way it’s supposed to; you’ll see this message.
• “Built-in dynamic software and hardware will help counter performance impacts that may be noticed as your iPhone battery chemically ages” – if you’ve had your iPhone for a longer time, you might see this message. It means your phone’s battery has started to degrade.
• “This iPhone has experienced an unexpected shutdown because the battery was unable to deliver the necessary peak power. Performance management has been applied to help prevent this from happening again” – this message means you’re experiencing battery issues. Along with the message, you’ll notice that your phone’s slowed down.
•  “Your battery’s health is significantly degraded. An Apple Authorized Service Provider can replace the battery to restore full performance and capacity” – if your iPhone’s battery capacity is below 80%, you’ll see this message. You can still use the same battery, but your phone will be much slower, and it’s recommended to replace the battery.

The last two messages indicate that you should get your battery replaced if you want to ensure your iPhone’s performance isn’t jeopardized.

There are other things you should take a look at to determine whether you might need to get your battery replaced:

• If your phone restarts and you see the message “This iPhone has experienced an unexpected shutdown.” In this case, performance management options will be enabled to prevent this from happening in the future. You can choose to disable this, but keep in mind that you can’t enable it again. If another shutdown occurs, the option will be enabled automatically. In this case, you should consider replacing your battery.
• If you have a newer iPhone, but you’ve noticed it has slowed down, it’s overheating, or unable to open some apps, you might need to replace your battery or take it to an Apple store to get it checked out.

How To Maximize the Life of an iPhone’s Battery Life

There are several actions you can take to extend your iPhone’s battery life. Besides charging cycles, how you use your iPhone will have an impact on its durability. If you want to ensure your battery lasts for a long time, here are the things you should pay attention to:
· Update your software – always make sure to keep your iPhone updated because often, the updates are related to battery performance and optimization. If you don’t have automatic updates enabled on your iPhone, regularly check to see if any are available.
· Adjust brightness – you can extend your battery’s life by setting auto-brightness or dimming your screen. Activate auto-brightness by following these steps:
1. Open Settings.

2. Tap “Accessibility.”

3. Tap “Display & Text Size.”

4. Turn on Auto-Brightness.

· Use Wi-Fi – whenever you need to access the internet, ensure to use a Wi-Fi connection because it consumes less battery than a cellular network.
· Use Low Power Mode – introduced with iOS 9, this option enables you to optimize your settings and extend battery life quickly. Whenever your phone is at 20 or 10% of battery, it will let you enable this option with just one click. Also, you can choose to turn it on in your settings. Once this option is enabled, your iPhone will automatically adjust brightness, optimize performance, and disable unnecessary features to extend your battery. You can still use your phone for calls, messages, and the internet. Once your phone is charged again, the low power mode will be disabled automatically.
· Keep track of Background Activity – review the apps that work in the background while you’re using other apps.
· Check Location Services – some apps might be using location services, thus draining your battery. You can choose to turn off location services for some apps.

· Turn on Airplane mode – if you’re in an area with a low signal, your iPhone will search for a stronger one, which will affect its battery life. When you’re in this situation, enable the airplane mode on your device until you’re in an area with a good signal. The same goes for when you’re in an area with no signal at all.
· Don’t expose your iPhone to a hot environment – high temperatures and direct sunlight can damage your battery. Make sure you don’t leave your iPhone in hot temperatures for extended periods.
· Don’t expose your iPhone to a cold environment – as with high temperatures, low temperatures, and cold weather can also affect your battery’s performance and lifespan.
· Lock screen notifications – whenever you receive a notification, your iPhone’s screen lights up, therefore consuming battery. If you don’t want to receive some notifications, you can choose to turn them off and save your battery.
· Delete unnecessary apps – keeping apps you don’t use drains your battery since these apps can often work in the background without you being aware of it. If you’re not using some apps, make sure to delete them. Besides optimizing your battery, you will have more free space and prevent your iPhone from lagging.
· Storing your iPhone – if you won’t be using your iPhone for a long time, you should keep it half-charged to extend its battery lifespan.

How do I maximize my battery life on an iPhone?

Be Your Battery’s Doctor

Now you’ve learned how to check an iPhone’s battery health. Apple offers this option to keep you in the loop on your battery’s condition at all times. Although your battery’s performance will inevitably deteriorate over time, there are different actions you can take to ensure your battery serves you for as long as possible.

Have you ever checked your battery’s health? Do you try to maximize your battery’s performance? Tell us in the comment section below.