One of the smartest ways to ensure your iPhone battery stands the test of time (or for as long as you need it to last until you replace it) is to pay closer attention to how you charge your device. Charging your phone can seem like a no-brainer habit that you shouldn’t have to think too much about, and you don’t. But it helps to get a few minor details correct so that you can effortlessly charge your phone better for a longer-lasting battery.
Some of the most common iPhone battery charging habits are things we don’t think much about, such as keeping our phones on their chargers for hours and hours. They may even seem like the ‘right” way to charge. But tech experts say you should stop making these common charging errors because they are draining your iPhone battery.
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1. Letting Your iPhone Drop to 0 Percent Charge
Don’t wait too long — is the advice of many tech experts when it comes to charging your phone. Although it can’t seriously hurt your device, allowing it to drop to a zero percent charge before powering it back up only taxes its battery more than necessary. It then takes more to get it back up to speed. A better idea is to keep it charged between 30 and 80 percent so that it’s in its sweet charging zone.
2. Charging Your Phone for Too Long
There is no need to charge your phone for hours upon hours, and doing so can tax your phone and battery. A better idea is to enable Optimized Battery Charging, which spurs your phone to learn your charging habits so that it doesn’t charge to 100 percent right away, but trickles the charge. To enable the setting, go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging > toggle Optimized Battery Charging to on.
3. Charging Your Phone in Hot Temperatures
Extreme temperatures are iPhone battery killers. Heat, especially, accelerates battery aging and can cause performance issues (you may receive a warning that says, “iPhone needs to cool down before you can use it”). If your phone gets too hot, it may even put the pause on charging. According to Apple, the ideal temperature in which to maintain your phone is 0°C to 35°C (32°F to 95°F). Never charge it in a hot setting, such as your car or in direct sunlight.
4. Using Cheap or Broken Charging Cables
The minute your charging cable shows signs of fraying, replace it. The damage you could do to your phone’s battery (or the fire hazard risks of continuing to use broken cables) isn’t worth the money you’re saving. You don’t have to purchase Apple cables, but it is important to invest in cables that are Apple-certified. This ensures these accessories are equipped to provide the right amount of charge your phone needs — nothing more or less. And this is better for your battery.
