Life is busy. When life is busy, it’s natural to make some mistakes. And when you’re making mistakes AND you’re carrying around an iPhone 24/7 (as many of us are), some of those mistakes are bound to rub off on our phone.
Unfortunately, smartphone mistakes can add up fast and result in things like a serious loss in battery power, a lack of much-needed storage space, and a frustratingly slower device. So, what can you do to ensure you aren’t making some of the most common mistakes? Heed the advice of Apple experts like Huzaifa Ahsan, a consultant at KodeKloud, and start with this one iPhone mistake that experts are begging you to stop making because it’s ruining your phone’s battery.
The Mistake: Charging Your Phone To 100%
It seems like charging your phone all the way up to 100 percent each and every time is a smart move that will prolong its charge and keep you from having to run off and find an available charger every few hours. But that’s not the case when it comes to your iPhone, and that has everything to do with its battery type.
“As an iPhone user, you must not charge your iPhone at full as it negatively impacts your battery,” Ahsan says. “Lithium-ion batteries, commonly used in smartphones, have a limited lifespan that can be shortened through improper use. One of the primary factors in battery degradation is the practice of maintaining a constant high charge or regularly charging your iPhone to 100%.”
Lithium-ion batteries are optimized for performance when they are kept within a range of 20% to 80% charged, Ahsan adds. “Charging your iPhone to 100% and leaving it at a high level for extended periods places excessive stress on the battery, leading to faster degradation. This is because the chemical reactions within the battery that allow for energy storage and release can cause damage over time.”
The Solution: Maintain The Desired Charging Range For iPhone
To prolong the life of your iPhone’s battery, it is advisable to maintain its charge level within the optimal range of 20% to 80% as frequently as possible, according to Ahsan. “When storing your device for a long time, ensure that it is charged to approximately 50% before leaving it idle,” he says. “Doing so will help mitigate battery degradation and extend the lifespan of your iPhone’s battery.”
This is a mistake you’re likely making with good intentions behind it — and a common one. But it’s also a simple one to rectify so that your iPhone battery lasts even longer and stands the test of time.
