The iPhone features remarkable battery life, however, not every user experiences peak performance. It is essential to calibrate the lithium-ion battery periodically. This article details the process for maintaining your iPhone’s battery, which will ensure more accurate battery metering. This method also applies to the iPad and iPod Touch, as well as most other devices with lithium-ion “smart” batteries.
Why Calibrate?
Lithium-ion batteries degrade as they age and undergo repeated charging and discharging cycles. Operating systems, such as iOS, track the battery’s operating range. Regardless of wear and age, battery tracking requires occasional adjustment. Battery calibration helps iOS re-calculate the range of battery life. One should calibrate the battery periodically (every 1 – 3 months) and after every major iOS update. If you upgrade iOS and notice diminished battery life, inaccurate battery metering or unexpected shutdowns, try calibrating the battery before anything else.
Battery University, an online authority on batteries of all types, recommends calibrating smart batteries:
The chemical battery representing the actual energy storage remains the master while the digital battery provides peripheral support by relying on the information obtained from charge and discharge cycles. But like all fine machines, precise settings begin to shift and need adjustment. The same happens with an SMBus battery that also require periodic calibration. The instructions for an Apple iPad reads: “For proper reporting of SoC, be sure to go through at least one full charge/discharge cycle per month.
It’s important not to confuse calibration with regular charging practices. Your iPhone’s battery will last longer if you charge your device often, before it gets down to 0%. Ideally, you should plug your device into a charger before it goes below 20%. These are ideals and not practical for most people. In real life, many people need a full day’s charge. With battery replacements from Apple as low as $49, it’s an easier solution than closely-managed charging. For those who love fiddling and want to keep their battery in optimal condition, please read “How To Extend iPhone Battery Lifespan”.
With every iOS update, new features are added, some of which affect battery life. Apple’s engineers often improve some aspects of battery life, while also introducing battery-intensive features, such as background updates. Allowing the battery to fully drain and recharge calibrates iOS to detect the full range of battery life. Some people are skeptical of this theory, and since few know the inner workings of iOS, it may sound superstitious. Research and experience have proven otherwise.
How To Calibrate the iPhone Battery
The first step is to drain the battery completely. This should be accomplished with normal use, but sometimes this may not be an option. After all, you don’t want to head off to work with 2% battery life left. Sometimes that 2% can last a few hours. It’s best to drain the battery when you can do without your device for several hours, perhaps before bedtime. If you still have a little charge left and it’s almost time to sleep, you can drain the battery more aggressively. To expedite battery drainage, turn on the flashlight, turn up the brightness, and play a video, preferably streaming over the Internet.
Once your device powers off due to insufficient battery charge, it’s best to leave it for some time. If possible, leave it overnight and don’t charge it until the following morning. This is not always an option, and if it’s too inconvenient, skip this step. Allowing the device to sit overnight will further drain the battery. You may notice that even when your iPhone runs out of juice and powers down, when you immediately plug it back in, you will see it at 2-3% charge. This is partly due to the fact that some battery life was remaining when it powered down. To keep your data safe, iOS has to power down before the battery is fully drained. Otherwise, it would shut off without being able to save its state to secondary storage.
Next, plug your iPhone into the charger. Keep it in the charger until it’s at least 100% charged. If possible, keep it in the charger longer. According to Apple, 100% means that you will get the expected battery life, but the device can charge beyond this.
So, here’s how things work: Apple does in fact display the iPad (and iPhone and iPod Touch) as 100 percent charged just before a device reaches a completely charged state. At that point, it will continue charging to 100 percent, then discharge a bit and charge back up to 100 percent, repeating that process until the device is unplugged.
Doing so allows devices to maintain an optimum charge, Apple VP Michael Tchao told AllThingsD today.
“That circuitry is designed so you can keep your device plugged in as long as you would like,” Tchao said. “It’s a great feature that’s always been in iOS.”
Keeping the device in the charger after it reaches 100% will ensure it is fully charged. Two additional hours should do it.
It is best to charge your iPhone when it is off. After you plug in the charger, your iPhone will automatically start up in a few minutes. When it is back online, simply hold down the sleep/wake button and slide your finger over the off switch. Your iPhone will charge faster when it is off. It will also generate less heat, which will extend overall battery life.
If you turn your iPhone off to charge, make sure to estimate how long it will take to charge beyond 100%. Three hours is a safe bet for an iPhone 11. My iPhone 6 will charge to 100% in three hours, but the extra two hours ensures that it is fully charged — beyond 100%.
Now that your device is fully charged, you should reset it. This is done by holding down the sleep/wake button (on the top of the device) and home button, until the Apple logo appears. If you have a newer iPhone, without a physical Home button, hold the volume up and sleep/wake button. Your device will boot up and is now reset. Remove the charging cable when your device is up and running.
Step By Step Battery Calibration
The following process is what I consider to be the gold standard of iPhone battery calibration. For some, it might not be possible to follow all of these steps. If you are an on-call professional or hopelessly addicted to your iPhone, you might not be able to turn off your iPhone overnight or even for a few hours. At the bare minimum, you need to drain the battery until the device shuts off, charge your iPhone to 100%, and reset it by holding down the sleep/wake and home buttons until you see the Apple logo.
1. Use your iPhone until it shuts off automatically. If it is near 0% battery life and you want to drain it faster, turn on the flashlight, turn up screen brightness all the way and play a video, preferably streaming from the Internet.
2. Let your iPhone sit overnight to drain the battery further.
3. Plug your iPhone in and wait for it to power up. Make sure to use the charger supplied by Apple or one that runs at the same wattage and amperage.
4. Hold down the sleep/wake button and swipe “slide to power off”.
5. Let your iPhone charge for at least 3 hours. Older iPhones should be charged for 5 hours. The charge progress indicator is not displayed while your iPhone is turned off.
6. With the charging cable still connected, press the sleep/wake button for about a second to start up your iPhone.
7. When the iPhone has booted up, hold down the sleep/wake and home buttons until you see the Apple logo. If you have a newer iPhone, without a physical Home button, hold the volume up and sleep/wake button.
8. When your iPhone is back online, remove the charging cable.
Addressing the Critics
Numerous critics of battery calibration have emerged. They post (often nasty) comments and there’s even a top-ranking article debunking battery calibration, specifically mentioning this Appledystopia article. Riddled with contradictions, confusion and conflation, their main argument is that completely draining a lithium-ion battery is harmful. This is partially true, but battery calibration is not done every day. Battery calibration is performed periodically, no more than once every one to three months.
Draining your iPhone’s battery isn’t that harmful. Most people do this quite often, in the process of using their iPhone throughout the day. It’s not optimal, but it will not totally destroy your battery. The benefit of calibration outweighs running your iPhone down to 0% once every few months. Your device will have a more accurate battery meter. With more accurate battery metering, there won’t be any unpleasant surprises, such as missing that important conference call because your iPhone went from 30% to 5% in 30 minutes.
On the opposite side, they argue that fully charging an iPhone also damages the battery. Apple already has technology in place to carefully manage the last 20% of the charging process. Once your battery charge progresses over 80%, the iPhone’s power IC reduces charge current. This is known as a trickle charge. Reducing the charge stresses the battery less than running at full current. This is all the more reason you need to calibrate your iPhone battery. Your iPhone relies on accurate battery metering to determine when the trickle charge starts. Calibration helps ensure that the iPhone’s smart battery is accurate.
Critics suggest that calibration, by running the battery between two extremes, will do more harm than good. Again, this is a process that’s done once every 1-3 months. Most people drain their iPhone battery from use. They charge their iPhone all the way. If you do this methodically and throw in a system reset, you’ve just calibrated your iPhone. There’s nothing mysterious or damaging about this process. Everything is done within normal operating parameters of the device. People run their battery from 0% to 100% every day, for years on end. The whole point of calibration is to have an accurate battery meter. Performing calibration periodically won’t diminish iPhone battery lifespan. In fact, you can get more life out of a failing battery with calibration. Calibration ensures that processes such as trickle charging are more precise, as they rely on accurate battery statistics. Read the comments — they’re testimonials to battery calibration.
Critics of this article don’t tell their readers to turn off their iPhones while charging. When an iPhone is on and plugged in, it generates more heat while charging, which will shorten the battery’s lifespan. Despite this fact, most people will leave their iPhone on while charging. They’ll even continue to use it, even when it’s warm to the touch. It’s easier and more convenient to do so, but it does harm the battery.
The Appledystopia battery calibration guide, however, recommends turning the iPhone off, which charges the battery with less heat than typical charging. The battery also charges faster this way, as the device is no longer consuming power. The notion that calibration harms a battery is bunk. Everything is done within normal operating procedures. iPhone users run their battery down every day. They charge their device to 100% all the time. To label this behavior damaging is delusional. Appledystopia isn’t trying to alter the way you use your iPhone every day. This article is simply outlines a procedure to calibrate the iPhone’s battery meter. I feel sorry for the poor soul who’s suckered into using 60% of their battery range, so they can make their battery last for a few more weeks. Such people can’t see the forest for the trees!
Critics of this article contradict themselves. One one hand, they suggest that Apple successfully manages all aspects of battery charging, including calibration. They silently fixed this issue, according to some. Then, in their same article or comment, they contend that draining and fully charging the battery is incredibly harmful. Which one is it? Does Apple provide users with a device that’s harmful to fully charge and discharge? Or do they manage every aspect of charging, including calibration? The answers are a bit complex, but they’re not the polarized contradictions that my critics spew forth. It’s safe to fully charge and discharge your battery, but not optimal.
Apple devices, to date, still need battery calibration. This includes the new iPhone 11 line. Apple has not silently fixed this issue. It’s true that Apple has made advances in battery management, but their website neither condones nor dismisses battery calibration. In my research, I have found iPhone users who had their device batteries calibrated at the Apple Store.
Some brands of smartphone do not need to be calibrated. Google’s Pixel line doesn’t need calibration, and they specifically mention this on their battery care page. It’s unclear how they manage diminishing battery lifespan on their device. Critics of this article claim that Apple has done the same thing, but they won’t mention it. That’s a big assumption to make. They could easily report this self-calibrating feature on their battery management page.
It makes sense for them to remain silent about calibration. Most people will just go to the Apple Store and maybe purchase something while there. It makes their product seem inferior. They have made no indication whatsoever that battery calibration is part of iOS 13 or any new release. Battery calibration requires that the user run the battery down to 0% and back to 100%, to determine the full range. Apple may do this discretely if this behavior occurs. If that’s the case, however, users can still follow this guide to initiate calibration themselves. Some may always top off their iPhone and never run the full range. When Apple admits that battery calibration is no longer necessary, I will be the first to update this guide. Until then, I’ll stick with the evidence at hand.
Critics take a cheap shot, claiming that I advocate turning on the flashlight, amplifying screen brightness and other measures to rapidly drain the battery. Yes, but only if you’re close to 0%. My critics didn’t miss that, yet their writing indicates that this is a long-running process. It’s their pathetic attempt to create a straw man. I never suggest turning every bell and whistle on and all the way up, in order to drain an iPhone from 100% to 0%. That’s an intentional deception put forth by my critics.
Battery calibration isn’t just backed up by anecdotes. Although many people have noticed significant improvement in battery meter accuracy, there’s proof beyond these accounts. Battery University provides some of the best information on lithium ion battery care. They wrote a whole article on how to calibrate a smart battery, which has been referenced by Appledystopia several times. Their guide is an excellent resource, however, it’s not specific to the iPhone.
If battery calibration works for you, or not, let Appledystopia know! Drop a comment below.
Make Your iPhone’s Battery Last Longer
A lot of people visit this site because their iPhone’s battery is shot. Calibration can help in some cases, but it is not a panacea. If calibration doesn’t improve your iPhone’s battery life, it may be time to replace the battery. Fortunately, you can prolong the lifespan of your new battery by following a few tips. For more information, please read “How To Extend iPhone Battery Lifespan”.
More Information
Many users are skeptical of this process and feel it is superstitious. I hope I have shed light on the reasons why you should calibrate your iPhone battery. If you doubt this article, take screenshots of your battery life (Settings > General > Usage) before and after conditioning the battery. I have found this process to work. Of course, your battery may drain at different rates depending on use. For more information and tips about lithium-ion batteries, please read this article.
do i do the reset as it is still plugged in or can i take it off the charger??????
Either way works as long as it is charged to 100% (or more).
Does it matter if the charge is interrupted im going to charge while i sleep andI only have a USB cable and the computer goes in to sleep mode
It is best if you charge it all in one go.
just for a small tip, if you charge any device from USB on your laptop, look at the USB ports on the device and try to find a little lightning bolt, that signifies that it’s used for charging.
My Mac doesn’t have any lightning bolt icon on the USB port, but it supplies power for charging and running devices.
if i reset my phone, will it erase everything and cause me to restore it?
Not the type of reset which is done by holding sleep/wake and the home button until you see the Apple logo. This reset simply clears caches and internal temporary storage.
The other types of resets, done through the Settings app, can erase personal data, reset the keyboard, etc. You are warned before doing these types of resets.
In fact, any time your iPhone is operating slowly or exhibiting strange behavior (which is extremely rare for me), just do a sleep/wake & home reset and it will fix the problem most of the time.
No problem. For all those who find battery calibration doesn’t work, it’s time to replace the battery. Contrary to some beliefs, this can be done on the iPhone without sending it in for service. The notion that the iPhone battery cannot be replaced is yet another myth.
This web page link doesn’t actually have any phone batteries on it. Just peripheral equipment.
Thanks for pointing it out. I’ll delete the comment.
when it dies, should it have died from %100 percent? For instance my battery is at 24% but my last charge wasn’t a full charge, it had only charged to 50%. Should I have charged it to 100%, let it completely die, and then charge completely again?
You can just run it all the way down from where it is at. You don’t need to charge it to 100% first. Just remember to charge it to 100% after draining the battery.
i am experiencing a problem with my iphone battery life . every 5 min. battery is decreasing 1%. my question is if i repeat calibration several times can i increase my battery life ? or any other possible way to fix this problem ?
pls help am stuck with this problem .
tnx . ^_^
You can give it a try, but it could be that your battery needs replacement. If you don’t find battery calibration solves the problem, you can either have a qualified service technician replace the battery, or try to do it yourself. I would recommend a service technician. If your iPhone is new and still under warranty, contact Apple support or take it in to an Apple store.
does it decrease 1% using like with facebook or youtube? or it decreases doing nothing.? im just curious thanks.
I hi had a iPod Touch 4G and I could sit there and it would go down 1% every minute doing nothing but being on the home screen
It’s possible that you have other apps running processes in the background. Even if the apps are closed, new features in iOS allow for content updates in the background. Check out “Speed Up iOS 8” for more information on turning these off.
Check your screen brightness. If it is up all the way, it could drain your battery rapidly.
If you have a weak WiFi signal, your device will use more power to maintain a connection. Make sure you have all three “curves” on the top-left WiFi status indicator.
It’s also possible that your battery needs to be calibrated. If all else fails, you may need to replace your battery.
Can you please give me a link to a page where Apple recommends fully flattening the battery once a month? And can you explain how you proved that your process recalibrates the battery?
It is in the booklet that came with my iPhone. They used to have this information on the Apple site, but it is no longer there. Consult the booklet that came with your iPhone.
I have calibrated the battery regularly on a 4 year old iPhone, and it still gets the original battery life. Furthermore, Battery University has similar recommendations for all lithium ion batteries.
Check out iPhone and iPad Battery Tips for more information about lithium ion batteries and a link to Battery University.
I want to say Thanks for this simply an good tutorial. My phone battery its last for at list 3-4 hours more.
Thanks for the comment and confirming that calibrating the battery does work.
Thanks for the info! Quick question: does the phone need to charge up undisturbed? Or can you use it while it is on the charger?
I would recommend turning your phone off while charging, if possible. It will generate less heat which will preserve battery life. It will also charge the device much faster. This is not necessary for battery calibration, but it will make your battery last longer.
If you turn off your phone, it won’t charge at all 🙂 the best is to press Airplane mode
The iPhone actually charges faster when it is turned off.
Have you tried it? It is not true.
Thanks for the tips! What are your thoughts on still using your phone while it’s charging to the full 100%?
I don’t recommend it. It will generate more heat which will detract from overall battery life. It all depends. If you get a new iPhone every 1-2 years, I wouldn’t worry about it. Using your iPhone while charging won’t affect calibration. I sometimes use my iPhone when it is charging because it is a necessity. I try to keep it to a minimum and charge it when turned off whenever possible.
Thanks for the tips but I’ve got 1 question. How long shouls you keep your battery fully drained to get an optimal result?
Thanks in advance!
I usually try to keep it drained overnight. This also ensures that the battery will be cool when charging. It might not be ideal for many people who constantly need their iPhone. The most important thing is that the device is drained to the point that it shuts off automatically. There is some more battery depletion that happens after the device is shut off, but for the purposes of battery calibration, this is sufficient. Leaving it for a few hours after it has shut off will allow the battery to cool down and drain further. It doesn’t affect calibration, but it will help your battery last longer.
hi.. it happened to me that my battery got fully drain.. then when i charge it.. my phone didnt open.. what would that mean?..
You mean it doesn’t start up and show the lock screen? Did it show the battery charging screen while charging? If it just had a blank screen during the whole charging process, the battery is likely shot. Try taking it in to a repair service. If it is old, you may consider replacing it.
Will when I drawn my iPhone Battery then plugged in , any iPhone in the world will automatically boot up after its reach 15-20 % , so what I can do about it
You can turn it off after it turns on. I guess I could have made that clearer. I will update the article when I get a chance.
What if my lock screen is broke.
How is it broken? Can you elaborate? Is it the sleep/wake button that’s broken?
It is The power button on top. I need to use assistive touch
I researched this, and unfortunately it is not possible to do the soft reset with a broken sleep/wake button. Apple is fixing some of these devices for free, even if the warranty has expired.
https://www.apple.com/support/iphone5-sleepwakebutton/
They will only replace the iPhone 5 with certain serial numbers, which addresses a known manufacturing defect.
While I can’t do a soft reset, I am able to switch the phone off without the power button:
1) Enable Assistive Touch
2) Press the on-screen Home button
3) Choose ‘Device’ from the menu
4) Press and hold the ‘lock screen’ icon. This simulates the power button and you’ll get the ‘slide to power off’ option 🙂
I tried the soft reset but holding my home buttonand the lock screen icon did nothing 🙁
This could be a good workaround if a clean shutdown resets the battery level cache, etc, like a soft reset
Sorry, I just realised that powering off an iPhone without a working power button means no way to turn it back on!
You’d have to connect it to power(computer or charger) to turn it back on. Careful!
Also, as per your reply to my other comment, clean shut down won’t clear the battery cache.
As for my battery, I calibrated it over the weekend(powered off for a day and a night).
I used a Cydia app called Batterylife which lists health and current usage(as well as charging current which is great for testing how powerful a USB port or if your cable is sending the right amount).
Prior to this, battery health was 90% after a year which sounds great but the phone would shutdown at 9%, which is why I left it powered off for so long. It would randomly turn back on if I tried and would say 6% or something then freeze and power off again.
After calibration my battery health is now 85% but I’m hoping it’s due to the calibration and means the phone will actually run down to 1% before shutting down.
I want to give the battery a break so I won’t test this for a few months!
i just want to ask if using app like battery doctor good? because i think the information like remaining minutes to charge is not accurate.. do you suggest charging iphone without any battery app? thank you
I suggest turning off your device while charging whenever possible. Of course, when you first plug your device into the charger, it will start up. I shut it down after this happens.
There are a few reasons why I do this. First, it keeps the device cooler while charging. Since heat damages lithium ion batteries, the cooler the device, the longer the battery will last. Second, the device charges much faster when it is off. Even if it is on standby and not being used, it doesn’t charge as fast as if it is off.
Of course, I don’t always do this. Sometimes I will plug in the charger and update all of my apps. I try to not do this very often. Ideally, I like to charge my device all the way up (while off), unplug it, and then run app updates.
I have heard of battery doctor, but I haven’t tried it. I don’t have any problems with poor battery life. I will check it out and maybe write a review.
Hi, thanks for the article. I am unclear on what benefit doing the reset provides, can you enlighten me? Thanks!
The reset clears cached system and application data, including battery data. Beyond calibration, it is something one should do on occasion. If your device is slow or something has gone awry (Bluetooth problems, for example) this soft reset fixes most problems. In fact, this is the first thing an Apple Genius will tell you to do if you have a problem. They may just be channeling Roy from the IT Crowd, but I think it works.
Anytime I have an iOS problem or my device seems sluggish, I do a soft reset and it is back to normal. Of course, I don’t need to do this often. iOS is pretty solid…
Thanks for that, appreciate you taking the time to reply.
Interesting!
Firstly, thank you for the clear article. Last night my battery went straight from 9% to 1% so I’m planning on calibrating it tonight.
Secondly, regarding the soft reset, I always just held the power button and swiped to power off. Should I assume that normally shutting down and restarting doesn’t clear the same caches(inc. battery capacity meter)?
Reading up on it, it seems the soft reset is simply what you do if you can’t do the swipe to power off because the phone has frozen but I’ll keep checking.
On a side note, here’s a little charging forget-me-not I use to get the maximum effect when I don’t have enough time(e.g. getting ready to go out and noticing the battery is around 20%):
If I turn the phone off while charging, I keep it plugged in while powering back on just before I leave. I used to just unplug the phone and turn it on while leaving but booting devices uses a fair bit of battery power while they load all the bits up at full speed. It could save you from wasting 1-2%, especially if you could only charge for around ten minutes!
The reset (home + sleep/wake) is necessary to reset battery life data that is cached. I also do it whenever my iPad or iPhone are a bit sluggish. It works every time! The Apple Geniuses also reset the device whenever someone has a problem. It is the first thing they do, because it fixes so many problems.
Thanks for the tip!
My iPhone5 recently suffered battery problem – the battery showed around 35% remianing but would suddenly go dead. I thought it could be a calibration problem and googled this subject, and I found that Apple knew about the sudden death issue and has a free battery replacement program for phones sold between Sep 2012 and Sep 2013. Go to the battery rpelacement program website, key in the serial number to check eligibility. If YES, make an appointment with Apple. I just did this and got my battery replaced free of chrage. Just thought I share this info.
hi can you please let me know the site?.. thanks
iPhone 5 battery replacement program:
https://www.apple.com/support/iphone5-battery/
After updating to iOS 8.1.2 my iPhone 6+ had this problem. I did as you told. Now it’s back to normal. Thnx man thnx a lot
Good morning. Can i using my i phone for browsing and anything, while my iphone during charging battery. That is ok or will make problem. Thank u
I advise turning your iPhone off while charging, if possible. The battery will last longer if you do that. You can probably feel it getting warm when you use it and charge it at the same time. Heat will eventually shorten the lifespan of the lithium-ion battery.
do I reset it with device on or off?
You can do it either way. If you turn off your device while charging, hold down the home and sleep/wake buttons until you see the Apple logo.
.
Incidentally, my phone 4s would often shut down at up to 24%. When it comes back on, it still thinks it’s at 24%, or wherever it was when it shut off.
SAME HERE FOR IPHONE 6
Does anyone know of an app that can record a log of battery levels, say, every half hour? I think this would be very useful for diagnosing poor battery performance, because often the drain is sudden and is associated with entering a poor reception area, etc.
I had such an app on my Blackberry, and it was very useful. The only similar apps I’ve found for iOS don’t work in the background, which is pretty much useless. If you can remember to run them to record the level, you might as well just write the level down yourself.
There are a bunch of battery life apps in the App Store. Most of them don’t provide much more information than the battery usage stats in Settings.
Yes, when you are on cellular data, you use more power.
Apple has an app for diagnosing battery issues, but it is only available at the Apple Store.
If I restored my iPhone 6 from the backup of an iPhone 5 running ios6, could that cause my i6 to skip battery percentages. ex: 41% to 31%, 12% to 1%, and more commonly smaller increments, such as 2% jumps? it has only started doing this recently, within the last week.
I don’t think so. The restore is only putting back apps, content and user data. It shouldn’t be restoring the battery data. If calibration doesn’t work, your battery might be shot. Consider having it replaceed or using a DIY kit to replace it yourself. Since it is an iPhone 6, I doubt that the battery is shot. If it is, it is still under warranty.
My iPhone 6 had very poor battery life for the first few days. That’s because of the “housekeeping” and optimization processes going on in the background. You will experience it with a new phone and also with some iOS updates. After calibration, I am getting the normal 10+ hours of use, with a few days of standby time.
I have bought iPhone 6 plus yesterday, the problem is when I charged it today it got stuck at 95% as fully charged. As I am from Pakistan and here there is no apple technicians. Kindly suggest me the possibilities so that I can overcome this problem. Other than that when I restart the phone, and then it shows 100% fully charged. Moreover, the battery works absolutely fine. But still I am very much annoyed because of this.
Try turning your iPhone 6 Plus off when charging. When you first get a new iPhone, it is running processes in the background to optimize and set up your device. For example, iCloud and other Apple services are synchronizing data. Your iPhone might also be downloading an update in the background.
When I first got my iPhone 6, I also experienced poor battery life at first, but I wasn’t worried. I knew why it was happening, and after a few days and battery calibration, I now have great battery life. In fact, on the first day I got my iPhone, it went from a full charge to nothing in just 3 hours of use. This is not unusual.
The reason why your iPhone 6 Plus is not charging all the way is because the battery is draining and charging at the same time. It will eventually charge all the way. You can turn it off to remedy this. It is something that will only happen to a new iPhone or maybe after a major iOS update. In this situation, however, I would recommend leaving your iPhone on, plugged in, and connected to WiFi. Let your iPhone do its optimization and set up. Typically, I recommend charging the iPhone while it is turned off, because it will charge faster and with less heat. In your situation, letting the background processes run is a good idea.
Just be patient, calibrate your battery, and you will see the battery life improve and your device will charge to 100% and beyond.
I also suggest installing any iOS updates. Updates usually improve battery life, as their engineers find more ways to improve operating efficiency.
Thanks alot, i followed step by step process and battery issue has been resolved, but now i have figured out another problem, that sometimes the sound in applications gets turned off automatically. when i restart the phone, it doesnt work but when i reset the phone by pressing power and home button. it start working normallly, other thing is when i plug the handsfree and plug it out. The phone recognizes that the handsfree is still intact, for that i have to restart the phone and then it start working normally. i dunno whether these are software oriented bug or hardware. Confused 🙁
It is mostly likely a software issue, if resetting fixes it. Are you using the headphones/mic supplied by Apple? It is also possible that a third-party headset might have an irregular jack. This could prevent the iPhone from recognizing that the headset has been plugged in or removed.
Thanks for the information.
But I have a problem with my iPhone.. Currently I am in Sweden up north where it is really cold. When I charge my phone to 100% and go outside it usually shut down after 5/10 minutes (In that period of time it runs from 100% to 1%) in the cold. After I keep it in my pocket for a long time and it warms up again I start it up and it shows 60, 70, 80 % etc. but now the phone feels cold all the time and it even happens inside the house but when I charge it it goes to 100% in 5 minutes… I haven’t done the calibration yet but do you have any advice if it doesn’t work ?:)
What you are experiencing is normal and to be expected with any lithium-ion battery powered device. According to Apple, the recommended temperature for operating the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus is 0° to 35° C. When the device is turned off, it can withstand temperatures of -20° to 45° C.
Cold weather is known to temporarily affect lithium ion battery life. This is why you see it decrease so rapidly. This doesn’t affect the lifespan of the battery as long as you make sure to keep it off until it reaches room temperature. If you turn it on too soon, there could be a problem with condensation. This is true of every electronic device, and most of them have warnings (in small print). Given the metal housing of the iPhone, it should get up to temperature within a few minutes. Just feel it to make sure.
Unfortunately, calibration won’t have an effect on this problem. It is just a reality of physics and material science. The newer iPhones are metal, which dissipates heat. Unfortunately, this means they are less suitable for cold weather than their glass-sandwich predecessors. Heat is usually a bigger problem than cold for smart phones. Apple’s decision to go metal is beneficial for most people.
This is actually a great idea for an upcoming tips article. For now, here are some tips that can help:
1. Keep your iPhone in a pocket that is close to your body or inside a jacket.
2. Don’t leave your iPhone in your car during cold (or hot) weather.
3. Turn your iPhone off (not just sleep) if it is extremely cold.
4. Make sure that your iPhone has warmed up before turning it on again.
5. Consider purchasing a case that insulates your iPhone. Neoprene seems ideal, as this is the same material used in wetsuits. You can probably find a case that is designed specifically for cold weather.
Are you suggesting that everyone in Sweden can’t use a mobile phone in winter? This rate of going flat doesn’t sound normal to me.
I’ve seen phones that had water damage that became sensitive to cold. I think condensation on the corroded parts caused short circuits.
Faka, has your phone been wet, or even just near-frozen?
If you do some research, you’ll find this is normal in cold temperatures. It is due to the laws of physics, which apply in Sweden. Ions slow when tempertures drop. This is why ice is a solid. Lithium-ion batteries can only operate at a certain temperature range. When it is too cold, the ions no longer move freely and the battery cannot produce current.
What you suggest is also possible, but this sudden drop in battery life is a well-known issue with all lithium-ion battery-powered devices. I suspect there is no permanent damage, as it works fine under normal operational conditions.
You can try this by putting your iPhone in the freezer, but I personally wouldn’t do that. The physics and real-world evidence are convincing enough for me.
i am facing a problem that my iphone 6 switch off itself when battery reaches 7% .. so how to drain battery to 0%to recalibrate battery>>??
That’s not a problem. When it shuts off, it is near 0%. Calibrating the battery will remedy exactly what you are experiencing.
As mentioned in the article, you might want to let it sit overnight after it has turned off. This will drain the battery further. You may notice, when your iPhone turns off due to low battery and you charge it right away, it is at 2 or 3%.
My hunch is that when your iPhone shuts off at 7%, if you were to plug it in immediately, it would be at 2 or 3%. Calibration fixes this problem with battery metering inaccuracies.
When you are not calibrating, do you usually let your phone run down to % and charge back to 100% or do you charge it from say 20, 30 or some other percent?
I only do the calibration as needed. If I notice the battery meter is inconsistent or I upgrade iOS, then I calibrate. Otherwise, I usually recharge my iPhone regardless of remaining battery life. There’s no harm in doing this. It doesn’t shorten the life of the battery. The iPhone battery can do about 500 full charge cycles (0 – 100%). If your battery is at 30% and you charge it to 100%, it only counts as 70% of a charge cycle.
Do I lose any settings or apps when I do the reset at the end?
No. The reset mentioned in the article just clears some cached data. You won’t lose any apps, settings or personal data.
Hii
I am using ios7.1 often when there remains 15% or less power ..my phone sleeps ..please suggest anything better
Follow the steps for battery calibration. This is exactly the problem that calibration can fix. If it doesn’t work, you may want to consider replacing the battery.
hi
I have problems with battery drain in stand by mood
pls advise my how to increase standby mood in in phone 5s iso 8.1.2 thanks
First, make sure to calibrate the battery as outlined in this article. This should improve battery life. Also, make sure you are connected to a WiFi network whenever possible. Cellular data uses more energy to maintain a connection, even in standby mode. I find that when I have turned off WiFi, the standby time decreases significantly.
You can also do some performance tuning that will speed up your device and help with battery life. There are all sorts of bells and whistles turned on by default on iOS 7 or later. Most notably, app content refreshes and automatic app updates can drain the battery, even in standby mode.
Follow the steps in the “Speed up iOS 8” article and you should see further improvement in standby time.
Thanks for the calibration tip! I do have a question regarding standby time: once you’ve completed a re-calibration, what should you expect to see for standby time in the usage menu? Reason I’m asking is that I just had my iPhone 6 Plus replaced because of a bad phone jack, and have gone through the re-cal process, but have noticed my standby time is crap! I’m not even getting close to the 300+ hours standby time advertised for the phone. Is it because the phone is too new and I haven’t used it enough, or is it indicative of a faulty battery? Your opinion would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
M.
BTW, I do all the steps to keep unwanted battery usage down, e.g. decreasing brightness, turn off background refresh, etc….
Immediately after calibrating the battery, the usage indicator is reset, so you won’t see any information until the next time you fully charge (without calibrating or resetting).
On my iPhone 6, I typically get 3-5 hours of usage with 4-5 days of standby time. This is with WiFi turned off (cellular data uses more energy, even in standby mode).
When I first got my iPhone, the battery life was poor for a few days. It is running some processes to optimize the iPhone, such as Spotlight indexing and iCloud transfers. In fact, I remember seeing it go from a full charge to shutting off in 2 hours.
If you continue to experience poor battery life after several days, it could be a faulty battery. Some apps are known to gobble battery life, due to poor design. You can see the percentage of battery life each app is using. App updates may solve the issue, but if the app is just poorly designed, you may want to consider finding an alternative.
Google+ was draining my battery rapidly, but they fixed it in an update. The alternative would be to just use the web version.
You can even feel if an app is using too much juice — your iPhone will get warm.
Keep in mind, the 300 hours of standby time assumes no actual usage.
Thanks for the calibration tip! I have a question regarding standby time: I’ve just had my iPhone 6 Plus replaced due to a faulty headphone jack. When I got my replacement, I decided to do your calibration routine with my new phone, and having done so, my standby time states that it’s less than (MUCH LESS THAN) the 300+ hrs stated on the Apple website. Is this because it’s a new phone, and it takes a while to calibrate, or do I have a faulty battery? I do everything I can to save battery life like reducing screen brightness and so on.
Your opinion would be greatly appreciated,
Thanks,
M.
This page has a few warnings about battery care:
http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2013/07/how-to-take-care-of-your-smartphone-battery-the-right-way/
They say don’t keep charging after it gets to 100% and to try to keep it above 50% in order to avoid degrading the battery. I know this page is about recalibration, but I wonder if these things should be kept in mind, and recalibration only done when necessary.
You can (and should) keep it charging beyond 100%, because the battery can charge beyond this. According to Apple, 100% will meet the expected use, but you can charge it beyond 100%. When you do, you will notice that it stays at 100% for several minutes before getting down to 99%. I have been doing this with my iPhone 4 for years, with no battery life problems. In fact, I still get the expected battery life on my iPhone 4. I continue to do this with my iPhone 6. The battery does not overheat or get damaged from charging beyond 100%. As far as keeping it above 50%, that’s contrary to the whole notion of calibration. If you plan on storing your iPhone (or any lithium-ion battery-powered device) for a long time when turned off, then you should keep it at 40%, according to Battery University.
The Gizmodo article is about smartphones in general. Perhaps some have problems charging beyond 100%. This is not true of the iPhone. In fact, I feel this article misinforms people. Why is a battery damaged if you use it below 50%? According to most of my sources (Apple, Battery University), you actually want to use the battery between 0-100% because it keeps the flow of ions moving within the entire battery. For every day (non-calibration) charging, you can charge at whatever percentage. Running your phone below a 50% charge will not damage the battery.
The booklet that came with my iPhone 4 instructs users to run the battery fully down at least once a month. Apple used to have this information on their site. They still use lithium-ion batteries and this is still a necessity, but it doesn’t help market the product when their competitors don’t mention this. A dead battery isn’t bad for their profitability either. You may get it fixed at an Apple Store or buy a new iPhone.
MacWorld offers the same advice I do (tip #30), and mentions that Apple recommends draining and recharging the battery once a month. They’re not the only ones who saw this. I will try to find my iPhone 4 booklet and scan in the page with the information.
You can charge your iPhone at any time, regardless of the percentage of battery life left. However, when you calibrate it, you should run the battery down until the device powers off.
There may be some small advantage to charging your iPhone at 80%, as that would be a slower trickle charge. In theory, this would keep the battery cooler. I never did this with my iPhone 4, and after 4 years, it still offers the expected battery life. I did, however, calibrate the battery regularly. I also notice that people who don’t do this tend to replace lithium-ion batteries routinely. This is not just for the iPhone. I have a family member who always plugs rechargeable devices into chargers when not in use. The batteries in these devices are completely dead within 1-2 years. The reason why, according to my research, is that ions do not move freely within the entire battery. This is why Apple mentioned people should drain and re-charge the battery monthly. They no longer mention this because it could be the next Apple-gate. Their battery technology has not changed. The laws of physics have not changed. This is still true, although it does not help profitability.
I notice that your skepticism (which has been going on for several months) doesn’t seem to apply to this Gizmodo article. I scanned the comments, and no one questions the notion that running a device < 50% charge will damage the battery. That's not true at all. They don't even provide a reason, theory or rationale for this. I don't mind the challenges, but they seem a bit asymmetric. I wonder why you so readily accept Gizmodo's claim, which is truly ridiculous? Not only do you not question it, but you provide it as advice. The article isn't even well-written. It has sentence fragments, run-on sentences and doesn't even seem to have been proof-read, let alone fact-checked: "Well forget all that. Right now. It’s wrong." "Right now." is not a sentence. It is a sentence fragment. "a pocket-sized computer that can fulfil almost every whim." They didn't even spell-check this article! For some time, I was wondering if you were giving me a hard time, or honestly challenging my advice. Now I know.
Hi! My iPhone5s (8.2 ver.) battery percentage seems crazy!! For example I charged it for30min when umpluged the battery percentage was 68% . Then after 10 min working, not changed even1%! then, after that when I remuse normal working ,battery decreasing fastly ( 8% in 12 -13 min ).in Summary battery percentage some times sleeps , some time goes joging and a lot of time after charging is not bad!!also when I restart it after charging percentage increases about 5 %. Please help me ! I think that logic board or battery damaged by a pressure to frame. Does calibrating has eny influence !? Thanks! ;-/
I had this iPhone about 6 mounthe ago.
Yes, calibrating can often fix problems like this. If it doesn’t help, take your phone in for service. It is still under warranty.
Hi, thanks for your tutorial and time for answering.
I had to change the battery of my old iPhone 3GS used by my daughter. I’ve left the battery completely discharging and now I am not abble to charge it anymore. whatever I try, the iPhone does not react. Is there a way to force the charging again ? I’ve red in some articles that with a new battery it was necessary to never let the battery discharging completely. Thanks a lot.
So this is a brand new battery that you had installed in an iPhone 3GS? It seems like the battery is faulty. Try having it replaced — it should be under warranty.
Keep in mind, it can take several minutes for the iPhone to show it is charging, particularly if the battery has been depleted. If it doesn’t start up after 30 minutes, there must be a problem with the battery.
Hi, I am jailbroken on an iPhone 6 plus and have been expieriencing major battery life issues. I just got my phone last christmas and it only lasts me about a day maybe less. And it charges remarkably fast too. It probably charges about 10% every 20-25 minutes. I dont want to unjailbreak because I cant live without it..
Will calaborating my battery fix my drainage issues? I uninstalled every cydia tweak I have so im basically jailbroken but dont have any extensions on my phone. Please give me some advice or tips. Thanks!
I really have no experience with jailbreaking and I don’t recommend it. It could possibly void the warranty and it could put you at risk for installing malware. Calibration may solve your battery issues. Keep in mind that jailbroken devices can have more processes running in the background. This will drain battery life faster. Perhaps someone in the jailbreaking community has some tips on tuning the OS to be more battery-efficient.
Hi! I calibrated my iphone 5s but percentage is wrong again. for example when charges fully, it stands on 100 for 15 minutes (whit full brightness) but after that at same status percentage decrease 1 per 2 min :-/ and another thing I never see 30 or 27 percent! it just always jumpes on that amount s ! really thanks!
If the battery exhibits odd behavior that can’t be fixed by calibration, it may need replacement. Keep in mind — calibration can’t fix every problem. If your brightness is all the way up, the battery won’t last as long. When I got my iPhone 6, the default brightness setting was 25%. I set it to 50%. You may want to look at doing some tuning to improve battery life.
after upgrading to ios 6 my ipod4g is unable to run any games….even i cannt run temple runn which was smoothly runn in ios 5…what can i do??brother……
Have you tried updating the apps? Is it that the games do not work, or are they just too slow?
I’ve had a new iPhone 6 for a few days now. Battery life is way better than the previous iPhone 5, but I’ve noticed that it’s sitting on 100% for longer than I would have thought possible after coming off the charger – 3 hours so far today. Would recalibration change its behaviour and get it to drop to 99% sooner?
I know that’s the opposite of what most people seem to want, but I’d prefer it reported the truth than tell me an optimistic figure.
When you leave an iPhone charging, it charges beyond 100%. When the device reaches 100%, this is the expected amount of battery life. The battery can charge beyond this. Therefore, it will take several minutes of use to get to 99%. Calibration won’t have an effect on this. I still notice this happens, even after calibration. If you want a more accurate battery meter, you can unplug your device from the charger when it reaches 100%.
Hi!! Thanks for your answers!!
I replace my old 5S battery because it drains in just 3 or 4 hours. The original battery was APN: 616-0718, the new one is APN:616-0720. Actually, I have exactly the same issue with the new battery. Still decreasing in a 3h or 4h in sleep mode.
What can I do? I have the same issues with my iPhone reset to factory original settings. So, I think it’s not a software problem.
Thanks!
I think this is an iOS configuration issue. My hunch is that you have your device setup to use a lot of the auto-update and content refresh features. These are turned on by default. If you have installed a lot of apps that update content frequently, your device will be doing a lot of work in the background, even when it is in sleep mode. Try disabling these features and you should notice a difference. I have an article on how to speed up iOS 8. You can follow this to turn off auto-app updating and automatic content refreshing. This will have the effect of only updating Facebook, for example, when you launch the app, instead of constantly updating it in the background. There are many other apps, particularly news and social media, that take advantage of the automatic content refresh.
You won’t need to turn off the UI effects to see a difference. Really, the auto app updates and content refresh are the most likely the culprits.
The other possibility is that you live far from a cell tower and this may require your cellular antenna and components to use more energy. When I get my hair cut, the salon has really bad reception, and I notice my iPhone gets warm and the battery drains fast. It must work much harder to maintain a cellular connection. If this is the case, even using the device in WiFi mode may not solve the issue, as your phone is still pinging the cellular network to receive phone calls. At best, it will amerliorate the issue. You can test this theory by putting the device in Airplane Mode. Also, if you are only getting a few bars of reception, then it is definitely contributing to the drain.
CDMA uses less power than GSM. If you are on Verizon, they use CDMA. I get very good battery life on my Verizon iPhone.
Hi!!
I’m from Barcelona (Catalonia), we don’t have cell tower problems here…
I also have an iphone 4 (5 years working well) and any problems with.
With my 5S and the auto-update and content refresh features off (everything off), still happens the same. I’m thinking that the new battery is not working well. I’ll try a new one.
Heartily, thIs is not a software problem or configuration.
Thank you for the answer and your time.
Does it have to be in charge for atleast 5 hours. I have heard that iPhone shouldn’t be in charge for more than 2 hours
The iPhone can be charged for more than two hours. Five hours will ensure that the battery is fully charged.
Hii.. i am facing a problem that my iphone 6 switch off itself when battery reaches 9% .. so how to drain battery to 0%to recalibrate battery..?? i left my phone not charged overnight but still when i plug it in morning it starts immediately.. And problem still exists. Do u think restore can fix that? Revert soon.
Thanks.
When your phone turns off, the battery is drained. Following the steps in this article should fix this issue. If not, there may be a problem with the battery. You may need to replace it.
So, should I shut off my phone whenever I’m charging it? Or is that for calibrating purposes only?! Also, should I charge my iphone everyday, or at a certain percentage?
I try to do that, but it is not necessary. It is not even necessary for calibration. I recommend it because it will prolong battery life. I will sometimes leave my phone on and charge it while updating apps. For the most part, I do shut down my iPhone when it is charging. That’s why my old iPhone 4 still holds a charge, like new, after 4 years. I maintain this practice with my iPhone 6.
The thing is, you want to keep your iPhone from getting warm. I know people who will charge their phone while playing video games for hours. The phone becomes uncomfortably warm. Then they blame Apple when the battery doesn’t hold a charge anymore. The designers expect normal use, not 12 hour Candy Crush marathons.
If your iPhone is off while charging, it doesn’t get as warm. You can verify this.
If I am playing a video game and my iPhone starts getting warm, I will put it in sleep mode and put it down on a metal table. The whole idea is to not get your iPhone too warm.
Check out Optimal. It is a new case being developed to maintain the iPhone’s optimal temperature. The designers provide a lot of information about heat damaging the iPhone. It will definitely damage the battery. It also seems to be causing some users to permanently damage the WiFi module. Of course, at almost $200, it is probably cheaper to just run the iPhone into the ground and buy a new one.
Great tips @appledystopia, btw is it worth it to download the lastest IOS 8.3? Or it would kill my battery lifespan again because 8.2 is seriously draining my battery every minute. Thanks in advance!
Thanks. I personally feel 8.3 is worth upgrading, but it has its flaws. You have to put it in perspective. I know a few people who switched to the iPhone and they comment on how fast and reliable it is. I quickly point out that iOS 8 is buggy by Apple standards. I wrote an article about 8.3 and whether it is worth upgrading.
Battery life is pretty good on 8.3. I charge my iPhone 6 about once every 3-5 days.
Man, I got to say that this article is one of the greatest articles I’ve read concerning battery life. However, I just bought a new iPhone 5s (About a month old) and the battery decreases with a rate of 2%, I also had the battery checked by an authorized Apple service provider and they said that it was okay. I’ll still try the calibration thing tomorrow. I also am suffering from quick draining of battery, other than then 2% jumps. P.S: I do follow all of the battery saving tips like the background app refresh and the auto updates.
Thank you
Thanks! I hope battery calibration works for you. I have done it for years on my old iPhone 4 and it still has the expected battery life.
It unfortunately didn’t. Any further advice or help? I don’t know what to do..
What do you mean by “the battery decreases with a rate of 2%”? Do you mean it decreases by 2% every few minutes, or that it suddenly drops to 2%?
Decreases by 2% every few minutes. Not always though, but often it does decrease by 2%.
Go to Settings > General > Usage > Battery Usage and look for any apps that are using an abnormal amount of battery life. I had a problem where a social networking app made by a very large corporation was draining the battery. I turned out to be a bug that they fixed. A poorly developed iOS app could be the root cause. If not, it is possible that the battery is shot and needs to be replaced.
I did actually do the battery usage tip but nothing. However, concerning the battery being shot, as mentioned before, I went to an Authorized Service Provider and they had their tests and they said it was totally okay, and that’s what Apple support said after the tests that I did online with them.
It must be an app that is consuming a lot of juice. Did you get a chance to check out the battery useage stats?
I did check the battery usage thing yes. However, it’s not even about the apps only. It’s about the standby time. If I leave my mobile with 3G on and battery background apps off and autoupdates off, it decreases about 4 to 5% an hour! So, what do you think? And I am really grateful for your help:)
What is your 3G signal like? If the signal is weak, your iPhone will use more power to maintain a connection. If this is the case, the best you can do is use WiFi when you are at home, if possible. You could also turn off cellular data or put your iPhone in airplane mode. The former will at least allow you to receive calls. Airplane mode, however, will cut off all wireless functionality.
My 3G Signal is ok.The problem is still there even if I am on Wifi. I also have a big problem with the standby time, it decreases about 4% an hour even though I turned off background app refresh and auto updates..
What version of iOS are you using? Some of the earlier releases of iOS 8 seemed to drain the battery a little faster. That said, I never experienced this rapid draining issue in standby mode.
The good news is that iOS 9 should be better. They will have a new battery saving mode that turns off settings that aren’t even user-configurable. It promises to add hours of battery life.
Try this — put your device in airplane mode for a few hours and let me know how the drainage is. That will pinpoint whether this is network activity or some other background process. Even though you turned off automatic app updates and content refreshes, there may be some other background processes running. That said, they should have been terminated when you reset your iPhone (holding down home and sleep/wake until you see the Apple logo).
If your device is not draining in airplane mode, try closing all apps and resetting your iPhone, then wait a while before opening an app to see if anything is drained. If you don’t see the drop in battery life, an app is probably the culprit.
My hunch is that an app may not be properly killing a background process. It happens all the time. These days, there is such a demand for programmers that many are incompetent. If you close the app, it might not show up in the battery usage by app report. It is basically a rogue thread that can only be closed by resetting the device.
iOS should be killing off anything spawned by an app when you close it. It could be the combination of an iOS thread management bug and a sloppily developed app.
Do you use any Bluetooth accessories?
First I would like to thank you for your time. Second, I did put my phone on airplane mode and it decreases with around 2% per hour on standby mode. And concerning the apps, I did delete all the apps and used the phone without them for a whole day, and still, I did experience huge battery drain in standby mode. I also don’t use any Bluetooth accessories.
can I calibrate my battery on Ipad air 2 like this to?
Yes. It works on any iOS device. Thanks for reminding me to include this point in the article.
thank you
I have a 5s iPhone 12 months old. Upgraded to 8.3 setting up as a new phone and experienced the same battery drain as a lot of other users. Went to Genius Bar who said everything checked out hardware wise and the battery was in good condition. I reset all settings set up as a new phone again and didn’t event install any new apps or load iCloud (which is a known problem). I am still getting battery drain of about 1% every 10 mins with no use and interestingly even though I’m next to a cell tower and I have full signal, when I make a call the usage stats note that I have low signal. Software glitch with 8.3? Modem firmware glitch just with 5s hardware? Something isn’t right but it’s definitely not third party apps causing the drain. I hope a new release fixes this as I’m out of warranty!!!
It seems to be specific to the iPhone 5S. I have an iPad 2 (not Air, but an original iPad 2 that is almost 5 years old) and an iPhone 6. Both are running 8.3 without any battery life issues. In my research, however, some users are experiencing rapid battery drain after upgrading to 8.3.
Just out of curiosity, are you using Bluetooth? Also, how much free space do you have?
I am trying to figure out why some people are affected and others are not.
Thanks for the comment!
Hey, no Bluetooth, and I have abou 20gb free! I have 8.3 on my iPad 3 and have no problems in that, defo seems to be with certain 5S phones. Cheers
Yes. Everyone who has this issue experiences it on an iPhone 5S, even brand new ones. I researched this, without querying for the 5S, yet that is the one that has the issue. I would expect them to quietly fix this in iOS 8.4 or iOS 9. I am happy to see that iOS 9 isn’t cramming in too many new features and they are taking stability, security and battery life very seriously. iOS 9 adds an extra hour of battery life to an iPhone and also has a low power mode switch that adds an extra three hours to battery life.
Perhaps this really is about signal strength, and the iOS upgrade is just a coincidence.
I’m under the impression that the signal strength display isn’t the whole story, and that you might have a good connection for calls but not for data.
1% in 10 minutes is very fast. Have you tried airplane mode to see if it slows down?
Hello Dan, I went by your comment as my comment is right before yours. I think that we have the same problem, I have a brand new iPhone 5s with huge battery drain and I went and had it checked and they said the battery was okay. Could you tell me your progress and what’s your phone condition now in order to make sure that we have the same problem and find the solution with the help of Appledystopia.
Thank you.
Hi! My battery drain problem started when I upgraded to iOS 8.2, it became worse with 8.3. I’ve had my iPhone 5s for a year now and tried all steps found online including doing a factory reset or restoring my backup from iTunes but it still hasn’t fixed it. My battery was just replaced last night and unfortunately, the issue is still happening. It drains even if i’m nit online. In a span of an hour after fully charged, it will lose around 15 to 20%.
Hi I have purchased my iPhone 4s 16gb in July,2013.
From the date of purchase the battery backup was awesome …
But from two days I am facing the problem like draining tooooo fast and taking tooooo long time …..
So what I have to do ?????
Follow the steps in this article. If that doesn’t work, you may need to have the battery replaced.
I have same problem as mehmoud and dan has i tried this method last night still draining 45min = 4% on standby no difference i evn changed my batter last month. I hv upgraded to ios 9 beta last week prob was there as well
If you can help
Thanks
Do you have an iPhone 5S? If so, the battery draining issue seems to be specific to that device. It may be solved with iOS 8.4, which will be released in a few days. Is the iOS 9 beta any better?
Yes i have 5s
Ios9 was worst it was draining way too much even my brother had same issue with ios9 in iphone6
Note: battery only drains on standby, usage is normal(5hr)
Hopefully they will fix it in 8.4 and the final release of iOS 9. iOS 8.4 will be released in a few days…
Well problem remain same with 8.4 may be hardware problem
The main focus of 8.4 was Apple Music, however, they also mentioned that they fixed some bugs. They may have deferred an iPhone 5S battery fix for a future release. They may very well have an 8.4.1 release. If not, iOS 9 is just a few months away.
People with this issue have taken their iPhone in to the Apple store and had their batteries replaced. They still have the problem. I think it is an issue with the software, since battery replacement doesn’t solve the problem. Also, the problem seems to have surfaced with iOS 8.
hi, I let my iphone 6 sit overnight after it shuts down automatically. when I plug in my iphone, it takes some minutes to power up. Then I hold down he sleep/wake button and swipe ‘slide to power off”. After that my phone screen keeps blank all the time, without showing the battery charging. May I ask is this normal? thank you.
Yes, it is normal. When your iPhone is off, it won’t show the charging status. Just assume that your iPhone 6 will be fully charged in 5 hours. It probably hits 100% within 3 hours, but it can charge beyond that. I have an iPhone 6, and when I calibrate, I let it charge for 5 hours.
Thank you so much.
You’re welcome, and your comment is a good point. I will add that to the article.
Hello, I was just commenting to know whether or not there are any updates concerning the iPhone 5s battery case that has been the center of discussion through the recent comments as I, myself have suffered from this case and I posted about my case from the beginning. I also wanted to know whether or not you’re sure that it’s a software problem and not a hardware problem. Thank you
No updates, other than 8.4 didn’t seem to fix the problem. 8.4.1 will be coming soon. It may help.
I suspect it is a software problem with the iPhone 5S because battery life was acceptable before one of the iOS 8 updates. I also did some reasearch and it is mainly people with the 5S that have battery issues after an iOS 8 update. Someone with an iPhone 5S had their battery replaced, but the problem continued. This again leads me to believe it is a software issue.
My advice — try updating to 8.4.1 when it is available. iOS 9 will introduce features that preserve battery life.
That is a very helpful article! But I’ve heard that Apple products come pre-calibrated. I researched this when I bought my new Mac, though i can’t remember where I read that.
Have any of you heard about iPhone 6 / iPhone 6 Plus being pre-calibrated before distribution?
A brand new iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or MacBook should be at optimal battery performance. It is more that, over time, the battery can be impeded by continuous “topping off” of the battery. According to Apple, it limits the flow of electrons in the battery. Draining the battery and recharging it once in a while will improve battery performance.
According to Apple:
“For proper maintenance of a lithium-based battery, its important to keep the electrons in it moving occasionally. Be sure to go through at least one charge cycle per month (charging the battery to 100% and then completely running it down).”
Appledystopia, my concern about charging my iPhone6+. Is it good to charge my phone from 10% to 100%? Because i usually plug in my phone until it gets down to 10% and not turning off my phone, i let my phone charge overnight. should I drain the battery to 0% everyday and do your steps to calibrate my battery. What should i do??? help thanks.
That’s fine. Calibration only needs to be done occasionally. If you notice your battery draining quickly, then you should calibrate. I often top off my iPhone 6. I just make sure to calibrate it once a month or as needed. You won’t damage your battery by charging it at > 0%, as long as you drain and fully charge it occassionally. Apple recommends once a month.
So its okay to charge my phone everyday till its go down to 10%? My battery lasts about 1day and 5hrs what do you think? Btw thanks for the reply @Appledystopia !!! Thanks for giving useful tips. It helps a lot for us to take care of our iphone’s.
That seems good. The most important thing is how much usage time you get out of your battery. You can check this by tapping Settings > General > Usage. Of course, it depends on what you do. If you are playing an online video game it will drain the battery faster than reading an electronic book. You can see which apps are using the most battery power.
Charging your iPhone daily is not a problem. If you are using it a lot, the battery will drain faster. If you are starting to see the battery run down rapidly, then calibration is a good idea.
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please help me i have got my iphone6 and it is draining so quickly i dont know what to do i didnt do the caliboration yet but plese help me like when it is on sleep it uses 2%to3% battery life and on the battery usage my home and lock screen uses 50% battery life how could i fix all those problems.thanks
Try doing the calibration. If you recently upgraded iOS, that may explain some of the home screen battery usage. Sometimes iOS updates will run an optimization process and do some iCloud syncs. It could also be that your battery needs replacement, but try the calibration first. You can also wait for iOS 9, which is supposed to improve battery life.
Also, check the strength of your cellular signal. If it is weak, your device might be using more battery power to maintain a connection to the tower. Putting it on WiFi may help a little, but the cellular connection is still active in order to receive phone calls. If the cellular connection is a problem, you may want to consider putting your iPhone in Airplane mode when not in use. Unfortunately, this will prevent you from getting calls.
I´m running the IOS 8.4 on a Iphone 5s (2years old). The phone started to shutt off automatically at ca 50-60% battery. I´ve changed the battery for a new one but the problem persists. I´m currently trying to do this calibration but in order to get the battery % around 1-2% i have to leave the phone on standby; if i use it it shutts off complettely.
I´ve restored as new in DFU mode and didnt solve the problem. The phone is working perfectly till 50% battery. I belive that could be a combination of uncalibrated battery and the IOS battery management.
any thoughts
thanks
This is unusual, however, other people experience this issue. Even with a new battery, your iPhone shuts off at 50-60%. The iPhone 5S seems to have the most battery problems. Everything you have done should ameliorate this issue, but it hasn’t worked. The best I can suggest is to wait for iOS 9 and hope it fixes the problem. Since it can go down to 1-2% in standby mode, my hunch would be either iOS or an app is causing this to happen. Take a look at Settings > Usage and try to find the app that drains the most battery power. Research the app and look at reviews in the App Store.
My hunch is that it is a problem with iOS 8. I’m assuming the battery worked just fine with iOS 7.
Thanks for your suggestion.
I´ve restored as a new phone and the problem persists. Therefore i believe its not an app problem, or at lest not the ones that are not already in the standard installation. im waiting for the IO9, lets see. What its annoying is that if its an firmware problem, apple should come with solutions before starts to bring new products that will have issues as well. During my battery tests i´ve broked the home button ribbon cable by accident and already changed. It will be very frustrating to know that after the IOS 9 everything starts to work again but i had destroyed the touchID function…
cheers
Apple quality has gone downhill lately. They have been rushing out products to meet certain deadlines. For example, iOS 8.4 and Apple Music were rushed to attract Tidal members coming off their free subscription. I am a bit surprised that, almost a year after launch, iOS 8 is buggier than ever. We can only hope that Apple will take accountability and improve quality with iOS 9. With fewer features, it should be a better release.
That said, I have grown weary of iOS. I will continue to buy a new iPhone every few years, but this is my last iPad. I will stick with my iPhone, Mac and maybe even a Windows 10 PC. iOS is just too limited, unreliable and defective to have me wanting two devices. My next coffee table device will likely be a small Windows notebook computer.
I HAVE A IPHONE 4S….BATTERY LIFE IS POOR…..IF I CHARGE MY PHONE BATTERY TO 50% AND PLUG IT OFF AND THEN AGAIN I PLUGGED IN..IT SHOW 75% OR FURTHER……
Hi have a question, how long do you think should I charge my iphone 6 plus after I drained it when I am using my ipad charger? Because I know it will charge faster. Ds 5 hours still apply?
An iPad charger will work faster, but it will also make your battery heat up. Battery University recommends using the appropriate charger, and not one with a higher wattage. I’m not sure exactly how long an iPad charger will take, because I wouldn’t use one. It will shorten the life of your battery, which isn’t a problem if you buy a new iPhone every 1-2 years.
I charged my iPhone 4 with my iPad 2 charger a few years ago, as I was on vacation and only brought one charger. Even though I turned my iPhone off while charging, it was noticeably warm, just from charging. If you do it once a while, it shouldn’t be a problem. But if you routinely charge an iPhone with an iPad charger, it will diminish battery life.
My advice — use the charger that came with your iPhone. For more information, check out this article.
I have iphone5s but when I went overseas I forgot there and no one charge that mobile and when I got after 3 months I tried to charge but it’s not working what should I do?
Chances are your battery is shot and needs to be replaced. Try connecting it to the charging cable for a few hours. It might come back to life. If not, have the battery replaced.
Lithium ion batteries will seize when the flow of ions stops, due to extreme drainage and being idle for months. Next time, when you store it, make sure to charge it to around 40% of capacity and then turn it off. For more information, check out “iPhone and iPad Battery Tips“.
Hello. I did this callibration thing, and before my ipod 5 battery would last a few hours on standby and 30mins-2hours if I was using it. Now my batter doesnt even last 10minutes on standby.
The lithium ion battery in the 5G iPod can only do about 500 charge cycles. For most people, this will last approximately 3 years. Calibration can’t bring an old, used battery back to life. If you replace it, I recommend calibrating the battery about once a month. I have done this on every Apple device I own. My iPhone 4 is almost 5 years old now, and I have been calibrating it since I bought it. It still holds a full charge and I use it every day for playing music with Spotify and as an alarm clock. I also have an iPod classic that is almost 10 years old, and it still holds a charge and works for 6-8 hours.
Consider having the battery replaced. If you are handy, you can do it yourself. It’s also quite inexpensive to have a qualified service technician replace the battery.
Thank you for your post Appledystopia. I have not tried the calibration that you suggest here, yet. My iPhone 6 plus is going from 70% to powering off by itself. Every time it hits 70%. I’ve been plugging it back in when it shuts down and when it comes back to life it says there’s 70% battery. I took it to Verizon yesterday and they said it’s not a bad battery and that they suggest I reset the phone to the factory settings. I don’t want to do this because I’ll lose all of my apps and have to put them all back on there. And, there’s no guarantee that it will work anyway. Do you think calibrating the battery will help or, in your opinion, what else could it be that’s doing this?
In this case, calibration might not work, as it isn’t possible to fully drain the battery. I also don’t think it is a battery problem, but perhaps a software glitch. There may be some persistent battery data that, for some reason, is shutting down your device at 70%. Before you try a full reset to factory settings, try this:
1. charge battery to 100%
2. hold down sleep/wake and home buttons until you see the Apple logo, then release both buttons
This will do a type of reset that won’t affect your apps or stored data. It clears the cache of persistent data, including battery data. You can confirm this in the battery usage stats in Settings. You will see they are reset.
If this fails, I would recommend following the Verizon store’s advice. A factory reset isn’t as bad as what you are currently experiencing. Keep in mind, if you have any apps that the App Store no longer offers, you won’t be able to re-download them again. There is quite a kerfuffle about this right now.
I have a iphone 5s , battery drain is about 4 to 5% per hour !! even in airplane mode!!
You can try calibrating the battery. You can also go to Settings > Battery (in iOS 9) or Settings > General > Usage > Battery Usage (in iOS 8) and check which apps or services are draining the battery. It may be that certain apps are running content refreshes in the background.
If this happens in airplane mode, it could be something as simple as screen brightness. If brightness is cranked up all the way, you should expect to lose charge rapidly, even in airplane mode.
If your device is draining at 4-5% per hour in airplane mode when locked, then it is a battery problem that can probably be fixed with calibration. If that doesn’t work, the battery may be shot. Keep in mind, the iPhone battery can last for about 500 charge cycles. I really wish iOS tracked the number of charge cycles. It would make it so much easier to solve these problems.
Ashish did u upgrade it to ios9 already?
Even after calibrating as u said , battery drainage still there !!! Bt when i hide battery percentage it did help a bit .. I already uninstall all the apps , brightness low , background app refresh is off , notifications are off !!! And my iphone is out of warranty !! Plz suggest something !!!
Yupp !!! My iphone is updated to 9.0.2 !! I’m facing this problem after i updated to 8.3 !!!
Is jailbreaking is an option ????
A lot of people are complaining of diminished battery life after upgrading to iOS 9. I think this is the problem. I recommend upgrading to iOS 9.1 as soon as it is available.
Beyond iOS 9, specific apps are causing problems. Facebook is draining the battery, even when the app is closed and background content refreshes are turned off. They will fix that in an app update. Other apps may have similar issues.
I recommend closing all of your apps and then holding down the sleep/wake and home buttons until you see the Apple logo. This should kill the background process that Facebook or other apps are running, which causes rapid battery depletion. You will have to do this after using Facebook or any other app you suspect. The culprits should show up in the battery usage report (Settings > Battery). You might also want to turn on Low Power Mode, although this will slow down your iPhone.
Unfortunately, you will have to wait for iOS 9.1 for a more durable solution. It could be worse. If your battery was shot, you’d have to replace it. I think it’s just an iOS 9 issue.
Hi, is it ok if I did not charge my iphone to 100% for the FIRST CHARGE? I needed to leave the house and unplugged it at 97%. Will this affect the battery life in general?
It should be fine. It’s not your iPhone’s first charge. Every iPhone I have bought, brand new, in shrink-wrapped packaging, has already been charged. I believe they do this as part of their quality assurance process. They need to charge the phone and make sure it passes basic diagnostic tests before they send it out of the factory. Enjoy your new iPhone!
It’s OK to partially charge your iPhone and also top off the charge. I do it all the time. You just want to calibrate it every once in a while.
I do know what you are talking about. I have bought rechargeable tech products and the instructions say to charge it all the way on the first use. This may be what Apple does in the factory. Charging all the way in the factory ensures that the ions won’t seize if the phone is stored a long time. With an iPhone, that is unlikely to happen, as Apple sells them faster than they can make them. They don’t spend a lot of time on the shelf. My iPhone 6 had 98% charge when I unboxed it. I waited until January to buy it, 4 months after it launched. They were selling so well, I couldn’t even get my color of choice.
Thank you for the speedy and detailed reply!
Battery drain happens to my iphone just after the 8.3 update !!! I’m just using whatsapp on the iphone right now !!!
I’ve got a pile of old iPhone 5’s that I want to use for company spares, and I want to work out which of them have the best battery life. Can you recommend a way of testing them? And is it worth recalibrating them all first?
I’m wiping and upgrading them all to iOS9.1 (just released). I was going to configure them to leave the screen on, and see how long they take to go flat, no SIM or WiFi, no apps. But it means checking them constantly for up to 10 hours, maybe more.
Geekbench 3 is the best way to accomplish this task. The app costs 99 cents and you’d have to install it on all devices. It has a battery test that runs the CPU at a certain sustained rate, which simulates real world usage. When the battery finally dies, Geekbench records the amount of time it lasted. You could do the same sort of thing without Geekbench. Starting with a 100% charged device, simply run the same activity on all of the phones and look at the battery usage. The battery usage should display the time since the last full charge. If the battery usage statistic proves problematic, you could set up a video camera and record the whole process. Then you could time which ones die first and have a sense of when they shut down.
You can set up a test by playing the same song or album on each device, in a loop. You want to make sure the devices are doing something, not just sitting idle.
Geekbench 3 is the best way to go, but if you have a pile of iPhone 5’s it could add up. You may just want to do your own test. Given that these are for spares, Geekbench 3 may be more of an investment than it’s worth.
Of course, if you sign on with the same Apple ID on all the phones, you should be able to use the same copy of Geekbench 3 on all devices.
Thanks, the app sounds good, but it’ll be too time consuming to load it. I’ve set them all to show battery percentage, and to not autolock, and that alone was painful for 30 phones.
The first test had the first ones going flat after about 6 hours, with about 10 of them clear winners still on about 30%.
I let them all die and sit overnight, then I charged the best 8 overnight and rebooted them. I’m letting these run flat again to see if there’s any variation, while I charge the next best 8. (I’ve only got 8 chargers)
I’m wondering if I took them to an Apple Store, if they could have just told me the same thing by looking at the diagnostics. I’m not sure if I’d be welcome with that many.
Maybe, but from what I have read online, the Apple Store Geniuses aren’t able to assess the condition of batteries. They do have special diagnostic tools that no one else has access to. But they don’t reveal much about the condition of batteries. Geekbench 3 is probably the best test you can find. For 99 cents, it’s less expensive than going to the Apple store.
As for whether they would do it, none of the Apple Stores in the SF Bay Area are helpful at all. I took a brand new $2300 Mac Pro in to have them install a WiFi module. The 2009 Mac Pro doesn’t come with WiFi! Having it factory installed meant ordering it from Apple, which cost $500 more than ordering it from Amazon. So I bought the one without WiFi, ordered the official Apple WiFi module, and figured I would do it myself. It’s not a PCI card. It’s a module that needs to be carefully fastened into the motherboard and attached with wires, in a hard-to-reach place. Doing it myself would void the warranty. So I called every store and one agreed to do it. I hauled this very heavy computer down three flights of stairs, into my car, drove 15 miles, hauled it across the street… The “Geniuses” had a huddle and decided not to do it after all! I gave up and just moved all of my networking equipment and connected it via ethernet. Where I live, the Geniuses are useless and unhelpful. Everyone I know has had problems with them. That may be why so many people come to sites like this instead of just bringing it in to the Apple Store.
It seems like you found a good enough way to do it, and you avoided the hassle of the Apple Store.
Thanks for confirming that, I won’t consider asking them.
I’m halfway through the next test after recalibration, and the results are very similar. It’s likely they were all recalibrated anyway. They’d been sitting there for months and all were dead flat, so I charged them up and upgraded their iOS, all if which might have caused them to recalibrate.
Towards the end of the test, the results started to differ a lot from the previous test. Maybe the calibration caused that?
I’m now running a final test on the ones I’ve selected to keep. Results are more similar this time, but still varying a bit. Perhaps the cailbration gets refined a little more each time they go from dead flat to full.
Yes, I have noticed calibration makes more of a difference when it hasn’t been done in a while. I just calibrated both my iPhone and iPad today after waiting too long, and I already notice a big difference.
Thanks for the information. It’s interesting to know that frequent calibration is unnecessary and offers little improvement.
I have just got an iPhone 6 puls, the charging percent is staying at 100 and decreasing every hour or two by 1%, what can I do as I like to know what % my phone is on. HELP!!!
iOS 9, which promised to increase battery life, is actually causing rapid draining on some phones. Facebook is the biggest culprit, with a known bug that drains the battery and slows down the phone. Even if you have background content refresh turned off and close the Facebook app, it will still run a rogue background process. Facebook has supposedly fixed this, but I haven’t seen an update in the app store, at least for the iPad. They fixed the iPhone version. I still have not upgraded my iPhone to 9.1 because, after testing it on my iPad, it is still too buggy for everyday use. I will be writing a review of 9.1 soon, but I recommend that people stay on iOS 8.4.1 unless they have a compelling need to upgrade. In your case, since your iPhone came pre-installed with iOS 9 and iOS 8.4.1 is no longer signed, you are better off upgrading to iOS 9.1.
If you use Facebook, this is most likely the reason for your rapid battery drain. Some users are reporting rapid battery depletion, even if they don’t use Facebook. But since so many people use Facebook, it is the main cause of this problem. You only need to use it once and the problem will persist unless you close Facebook and reset your phone (hold home and sleep/wake until you see the Apple logo).
Updating the Facebook app should dramatically improve your iPhone’s battery life.
I have replaced the batteries on 3 iPhones now 4s and 5c. On all occasions the batteries did not charge to 100%. The last one gets to 75% and no matter how much I calibrate it, it does the same thing. Charge slows a lot at around 50-60% suggesting battery is full.
Do you think that when the battery gague depletes and the phone shuts off there is still 25% life actually left? If that is the case then I woukd have to wait ages for it to completely deplete.
Any ideas on this?
It may be that the replacement battery is incompatible. There’s a whole, shady industry of selling bad parts for iPhones. Even major warranty providers are replacing iPhone parts with inferior parts. Do some research and find out what the actual official part number and manufacturer is for your iPhones’ batteries.
I am assuming you are doing the reset (hold home and sleep/wake until you see the Apple logo) after your phone gets to its maximum charge? This should reset the battery metering software. If it is not working, it may be due to some level of incompatibility.
In the end, it might not matter that much. Are you getting a reasonable amount of battery life from each device?
My hunch is that the phone shuts off at 25% and never reaches 100% because the battery might not be an official Apple replacement part. It may have more capacity and this may affect the battery meter. Given that these are old iPhones, I would just live with it and just be aware that 75% is the maximum and 25% is the minimum. As long as you get a reasonable amount of battery life, that’s good enough. It’s a little misleading, but given that replacing the battery again would cost more, I personally would just learn to live with it.
I did a little research and some people claim this is a problem with the charger and/or cable, not the battery. Try using a different charger and cable, but make sure it is the same wattage as the original iPhone charger. Using a faster charger can overheat the battery, causing diminished battery life.
I have iPhone 5 since 2013 when I use 5 month ago it gives atlist 4 hours battery backup at usage after updating iOS 9 it gives only 2hour usage n my phone shut off at taking pictures with flashlight on 75% below, also problem with it drains battery about 30 % overnight
If you use Facebook, there is a known issue with the app. They just fixed it today, so update it. Read my response to Amber for more information.
If this doesn’t solve the problem, try calibrating the battery. You may consider replacing the battery if calibration doesn’t work.
I think it is iOS 9 and the Facebook app, since your problems began after upgrading to iOS 9. Also, make sure to install iOS 9.1. I only recommend the update for those who have already upgraded to iOS 9. Those who are still on iOS 8 should probably wait. I am having crashes in Safari and all other browsers (they all have to use WebKit) and Mail crashes. I still find Spotlight to be unbearably slow at times.
After calibration of battery its same as before it give only 2 hours of usage in my iPhone 5 iOS 9.1 and at 1 % of battery my flash light stands 40 minutes Bt at 15 % or 25 per my phone shut off by turning on mobile data what should I do , would I replace the battery?
Given the information, you should probably replace the battery. From what I understand, your iPhone experienced poor battery life before the iOS 9 upgrade, but it was even worse after iOS 9. iOS 9 (perhaps Facebook?) made it worse. As you mentioned, calibration didn’t help. If it’s an iPhone 5, it is probably a few years old. The battery only last for about 500 charge cycles.
Thank you so much for quick reply n the information I would like to prefer replace the battery…thank you agn
I using iPhone 5s since 8 month my Touch ID is not work when I setup a finger touch lock, also I have a problem of display at home screen my iPhones keyboard and other homescreen things are apear blurly and not at homescreen pls give the information and fix of it
I rarely suggest this, but given the extent of your problems, it may be worth doing a factory reset. Before you do that, close all of your apps and do a soft reset — hold down home and sleep/wake until you see the Apple logo. If this doesn’t solve the problem, backup your iPhone and do a full factory reset. This will remove all of your apps, contacts, etc. It’s like having a brand new iPhone again. You can then restore the backup and get your data, such as contacts, back. You will need to re-install all of your apps, but since you have bought them on the App Store, they will still be available.
Please read this for more information on doing a full factory reset.
Make sure to follow all of Apple’s instructions so you don’t lose any personal data in the process. If this doesn’t work, you should take your iPhone in to an Apple expert. Trying to trouble-shoot this over comments is difficult.
Hi Appledystopia, many thanks you for your tips.
I am a new iPhone 6S Plus owner. Yesterday I switched on the phone for the first time and the battery percentage was 75% and it was on IOS 9.0.0. I immediately upgraded the IOS to 9.0.2 and charged it fully to 100%. The chipset is Samsung.
Upon using the phone, I can see quick drops of the battery percentages, doesn’t matter if it’s on 3G network or Wifi. I was expecting a much better battery life.
The battery Usage now showing 7 hr, 21 min and Standby showing 26 hr, 14 min at the moment I was writing this message.
Should I be disappointed?
I’ve looked at some screenshots of iPhone 6S Plus battery life, and you should be getting around 10 hours of use. That said, it depends on what you are doing. If you are playing games, watching streaming video or have the brightness up, you will experience less battery life.
You might want to upgrade to iOS 9.1, as it is supposed to fix some battery issues. Also, Facebook has a known issue where it doesn’t clean up resources when it closes. Even if you close the app and have background content refresh turned off, Facebook is running a background thread that consumes power and processor cycles. They have an updated app which fixes this. If you use Facebook, make sure to update the app.
Thank you for your reply. Here is a screen shot taken while I posted my earlier message.
http://i759.photobucket.com/albums/xx236/showmak/Battery%20Page_zpspms2hl74.jpg
However, I have followed your steps of calibrating the battery, I drained it fully until the phone shut off, put it on charge for about 5 hours with the phone switched off, switched on the phone and did a reset and take the cable out.
I will see how it’s improved compared to what I posted above.
Thanks for the info. I suspect that you might not see a huge difference, since your iPhone is new. It also depends on how you use it after it is charged. Given your screenshot, it’s possible to account for more battery-intensive activities. I’m interested to see the difference on a new iPhone. Other commenters have noticed a big difference on phones they have had for a while. I have also noticed improvements in battery life after calibration.
Is it advisable to connect the phone to the charger when, for example, setting at the office for a long time? How does that affect the battery life? And when the battery shows 100% charged and the phone connected to the charger, will this affect the battery? Thanks
Topping off your iPhone won’t harm it. I do it all the time. You should try to calibrate it once a month or so. The opportunity usually presents itself when your iPhone is down to 3% anyway. That’s when I just drain it all the way and do the calibration process.
You do want to make sure your iPhone doesn’t get too warm. If you have been using your iPhone a lot and it feels warm to the touch, let it cool down before you plug it in to the charger. I also turn off my iPhone when charging because it keeps it cool (and charges faster).
Your iPhone can go beyond 100%, even though the meter will only show 100%. I have a link to a source in this article, and I have tried it myself. If you unplug it as soon as it hits 100%, it will drop to 99% in a few minutes. If you charge it beyond 100%, it will take almost an hour to get down to 99%.
That’s why I recommend at least 5 hours of charging, with the device turned off. That will charge the battery as much as possible — beyond 100%.
Hello! i’ve recently bought a new iphone 5C and the battery life was good,it held for more than 12 hours,i’ve upgraded to IOS 9.1 but after 2 days i started to notice battery drainage overnight. for eg at night it has 70% but when i wake up i find 30% i’ve changed the lightning connector several times but it didn’t change a thing,and also every 3 mins i lose 1% of battery on standby without even using it.The question is will the calibration fix this problem?
Calibrating the battery might help. After some iOS updates, the battery metering seems to be affected, and calibration can often fix this. If you are using Facebook, there is a known issue with the app. The app does not clean up resources when it closes. There is a constantly running background thread that uses battery power and CPU cycles. If you use Facebook, this is probably causing the problem. They have supposedly fixed the issue, so make sure to download the update.
In general, some people are experiencing diminished battery life with iOS 9.1. I’ve only upgraded my iPad in order to test it. My iPhone is still on iOS 8.4.1, because I don’t think iOS 9.1 is stable enough. Battery life isn’t a problem on my iPad. The problem is that Safari and any WebKit browser crashes constantly. I have about 5-10 browser crashes per day. Hopefully they will fix it in iOS 8.2.
Hi,thanks for your help,I want to know how can I reset the battery usage meter in ios9,as you know in ios9 there is an option to see the percentage that apps use the battery in 24 hours and 7 days ago, is it the way to reset this option?
Yes. Plug your iPhone into the charger and hold down the home and sleep/wake button at the same time, until you see the Apple logo. Then release both buttons. This will reset the battery meters and other cached data. Don’t worry, you won’t lose any important, persistent data, such as contacts.
Thanks but I tried it and it dosen’t work
You’re right. I just tried it on my iPhone. At best you can reset the general battery statistics if you do the reset while the iPhone isn’t plugged into a charger. App-specific battery usage cannot be reset. I did some research, and apparently it isn’t possible. It might work if you reset your iPhone to factory settings, but you probably don’t want to do that. You’d have to re-install apps and setup your iPhone again, like it was brand new.
after calibrate and restart,my phone drain from 100% to 99% in 3 minute and until it drain to 97% in 10 minute so i restart my phone again and the battey incator shows back at 100%,i dont know why?
I’m not sure why it is doing that either. Whenever I calibrate and fully charge my phone, it stays at 100% for a long time. It sometimes takes 12 hours for it to go down to 99%. It may be an issue with iOS. What version are you using? iOS 9 introduces some new battery features. I am still using 8.4.1 on my iPhone 6. I upgraded my iPad to iOS 9.1, but I don’t notice anything like this happening.
im using 8.1.2 on my iphone 6,and now my battery back to normal,it down about 1% each 3-4 minute on-screen just sulfing web
It could be that the battery needs to be replaced. Calibration can’t fix all battery problems. You can try doing this yourself or take it to a qualified service technician. The Apple Store can also replace the battery.
How often should battery caliberation be practised? Like once a month or once a week??
I do it about once a month. The original recommendation from Apple was to do it once a month. It’s best to do it when you are near 0% and won’t need your iPhone for a few hours.
i use 12 watt ipad charger to charge my iphone 6 plus, is it bad to calibrate using ipad 12 watt charger?
I wouldn’t advise using the iPad charger for the iPhone at all. The higher wattage will overheat the battery when charging. I did it once when on vacation, and it was noticeably warm, even when my phone was turned off during charging. The information I have read from Battery University also confirms that one should use a charger with the appropriate wattage.
Apple.com says “Your iPad comes with a USB power adapter. You can also use this adapter with your iPhone and iPod.”
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202105
Yes, you can use it and it will work. It will also heat up the battery and shorten its life. I stopped doing this because my iPhone was noticeably warm after using the iPad charger. This doesn’t happen when I use the iPhone charger. Heat will shorten the life of lithium ion batteries. I explain this in more depth in the “iPhone and iPad Battery Tips” article, which is linked from this page.
Apple may recommend this because the battery will last within the warranty period if you use an iPad charger. If you want to keep your iPhone for several years, without replacing the battery, I recommend using the iPhone charger.
There is debate about this. People contend that the iPhone will only draw the appropriate amount of current. From my experience, using an iPad charger will charge the battery faster and create more heat in the process. This is why I don’t recommend it. I have done it myself when on vacation, but now I bring both chargers.
If it’s true that the iPhone limits the current when charging, why not just have 1 charger for all devices? They would save an enormous amount of money if they only had to manufacture one charger, due to economies of scale. It doesn’t explain why my iPhone is warmer when charging with an iPad charger. Perhaps a resistor is heating up, but I wouldn’t want that either.
The bottom line for me is that my iPhone is noticeably warm when I use the iPad charger, even when it is turned off. When I charge my iPhone with the supplied charger, it is cold to the touch. Since heat damages lithium ion batteries, I prefer the coolest charging process possible. Apple is only concerned that the battery last 1 year. If that’s OK with you, the iPad charger is fine.
Then why on the official apple site says that if you totally discharge your phone, charge it to 50-80% , a 100% charge can damage the phone.
Where does it say that on the official Apple site? I think you’re referring to the trickle charge that happens when it is over 80%. That doesn’t damage the phone or battery.
Batteryuniverse.com and other websites advise that you should only charge your phone to 80-85%.
They say your iPhone battery lasts longer in the long run if you don’t fully charge it.
What do you think about this?
http://www.batteryuniverse.com/help/battery-care
“The most thing to do with batteries is to keep them fully charged when not using them. They will slowly lose power when not plugged into a charger or in the device they are charged with, so you should always charge them completely before taking them out.”
Also, batteryuniverse.com says that if you leave your phone to charge after it’s at 100%, it’s detrimental for the battery.
But, if I do try it, can you tell me how long I should keep it on the charger from 0% while the phone is off if i’m using the iPad charger to charge an iPhone 6 Plus and/or an iPhone 6?
Usually it takes 2 hours to charge to 100% from 20% with my iPad charger.
Not for an iPhone. I have done this on my iPhone 4 for years and the battery life is still amazing. I’m sure there are some phones that may overheat, especially with certain third party batteries or chargers. If you have followed the stories of exploding batteries, it happens when people use chargers or batteries that aren’t appropriate or recommended. Even if the battery doesn’t explode, the additional heat will diminish battery life.
When the iPhone is fully charged, it stops charging. Then the battery starts depleting (faster if it is turned on), and then it starts charging again. This won’t damage the battery. When I hold my iPhone 6 after it has been plugged in and charging for 5 hours (while turned off), it is cold to the touch.
My main concern with your article is that you advise to leave the iPhone to charge for an additional 2 hours after it reaches 100%.
According to your link, “Apple does in fact display the iPad (and iPhone and iPod Touch) as 100 percent charged just before a device reaches a completely charged state. At that point, it will continue charging to 100 percent, then discharge a bit and charge back up to 100 percent, repeating that process until the device is unplugged.”
So if it charges to 100 percent, then discharges a bit, and charges back to 100 percent, and repeats the process until it is unplugged, what’s the point of leaving it on for 2 additional hours?
That’s not going to harm the battery?
The battery discharge happens when the iPhone stops charging, after it reaches the full 100%. It is the normal discharge, not a forced process. The point is that when your iPhone first displays 100%, it isn’t really fully charged. It can charge beyond that. I recommend charging the iPhone when it is turned off, which will minimize battery discharge after it is fully charged. It also keeps the battery cooler when charging. From my testing, 5 hours seems to work for the iPhone.
Calibration should happen at a full charge in order to ensure a reliable battery meter. That’s not when it first reaches 100%. Charging it beyond 100% also gives the user longer battery life. Even when I don’t calibrate, I charge it longer than it takes to initially reach 100%. When I do that, it takes a few hours to get back to 99%. If I unplug it once it hits 100%, it will hit 99% much faster.
No, it won’t damage the battery. It’s not a forced discharge process, but the fact that when you stop charging a device, the battery starts depleting. The only risk is that you might not fully charge your iPhone, which is why I recommend charging when the device is off.
If you continue to read the article, the Apple VP mentioned that they do that so you can leave your device plugged in without damaging it.
Should I calibrate an iPad or an iPhone with a brand new battery the day that I get the device?
It’s not necessary to do it the day you get the device. I recommend once a month or as needed.
http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/battery_calibration
“The instruction of an Apple iPad reads: “For proper reporting of SoC, be sure to go through at least one full charge/discharge cycle per month.”
With my iPhone 4, the manual mentions that lithium ion batteries need to be drained about once a month to keep the ions flowing. I don’t think one should purposefully drain their phone from, say, 30% to 0%, as you will be wasting a partial charge cycle. I recommend doing it when there’s a good opportunity and the phone’s battery is near 0%.
I routinely top off my iPhone and iPad, and it will not damage the battery. Calibration is different and not something that should be done all the time.
A new iPhone has a new battery, so there is no need to calibrate it right away.
My iPhone has been on the charger for 3 hours now; it’s turned off, and it’s charging with a 12V iPad charger–and it’s cool to the touch as well! So, I guess the iPad charger isn’t heating it up…right?
Would 4 hours be enough when doing the calibration, since i’m using a 12V iPad charger for my iPhone?
I also read that when you’re charging the iPhone on any given regular day, you shouldn’t charge it more than around 80%… and you shouldn’t let it get lower than 40%.
“So if you’re really particular about optimizing your battery’s life, you should try to go from around 40 percent to around 80 percent in one go, and then back down whenever possible. A bunch of tiny charges throughout the day is your second best bet, and going from zero to 100 and then 100 to zero on a regular basis will put the most strain on your lithium-ion battery.”
Do you let your battery go below 40% regularly?
http://gizmodo.com/how-to-take-care-of-your-smartphone-battery-the-right-w-513217256
So should I just let it go over 100% for an addiditional 2 hours like you said for the calibration only? Or is that article incorrect for some reason?
You said do the calibration once a month preferrably when it is close to 0%, but if I never let the battery get lower than 40%, then when should I do the calibration?
I can’t verify the temperature of your iPhone based on different charging methods. All I can say is that mine got warm when I used the iPad charger, so I no longer use it. As I mentioned, there is a lot of debate around this issue. Do what you feel is best for you.
I have read some research that topping off the battery will either do no harm (according to Apple) or prolong the life of the battery (according to Battery University). There are some contradictions between reputable sources on this, so I am doing more research. This article doesn’t recommend calibrating or draining the battery every charge cycle.
Apart from occasional calibration, I just charge my iPhone as needed, usually when turned off. Sometimes my iPhone gets below 40% when I charge it. It all depends on how I use it. So far, my iPhone 4 is working well and keeps a full charge, almost like new. It is almost 5 years old and I use Spotify on it every night, and charge it once in 4-5 days. My iPhone 6 doesn’t have any problems. I also have an iPad 2 that still works for 10 hours on a charge. Although this isn’t a huge amount of data, I didn’t follow a regimen of keeping it in between 40% and 80%. Some new information may indicate that topping off the battery is best.
Heat is why full charges could possibly damage the battery, vs. smaller, incremental charges. That’s why I recommend charging when it is turned off. The Gizmodo article also recommends draining and recharging the battery once a month. No matter how long my battery is charged, it is always cool, because I usually charge it when it is turned off.
I may be wrong, but my guess is that you have come to this site because your battery is not performing well. If your iPhone 6 is already experiencing battery life problems, my advice would be to examine how you have used and charged it, and maybe not do that.
As for the timings, I don’t know how long it will take a 12V iPad charger to charge an iPhone. According to the Apple VP quoted in the linked article, there’s no harm in leaving it plugged in. It is designed so it can’t overcharge. My recommendation is that it be fully charged as the initial 100% is not a full charge. This will provide you with additional battery life and also improve the accuracy of the battery meter.
I can see my battery stats in my iphone 6 with ios 9.1, however the usage stats by app (to actually see which apps are using my battery the most) do not show up.
Do you have a fix for that?
It seems to be a bug in iOS 9. There’s a thread about this on iMore’s forums. I can’t attest to this personally, as I have not upgraded my iPhone 6 to iOS 9 yet. After installing it on my iPad, I found it to be too buggy for my iPhone and 9.1 wasn’t much better. I haven’t experienced this issue on my iPad running iOS 9.1.
Some suggest doing a reset (hold sleep/wake and home until you see the Apple logo). If that doesn’t work, iOS 9.2 might fix it. There’s no official word on when 9.2 will be released, but it is in beta right now.
Well I did the calibration as you suggested and it’s still dying very fast. It was at 100% around 2 PM today. It’s now 7:30 PM and it’s at 77% and I haven’t even used it.
I did buy a new battery which I’m going to install soon.
You say your iphone stays on one battery cycle for 4-5 days????
Also, how did you come across this method of charging the battery over 100%? I don’t mean to be rude, but what are your credentials? 🙂
It seems like your battery is shot. Replacement is the best option.
My 5 year old iPhone 4 only needs to be charged every 4-5 days, and I use it to play Spotify for 1-3 hours per night. The screenshot is at the top of the page.
Apple VP Michael Tchao claims “Apple does in fact display the iPad (and iPhone and iPod Touch) as 100 percent charged just before a device reaches a completely charged state.” This is from the article you seemed to have partially read and not quite understood, as you took this to mean the device is being harmed. I don’t know how you jumped to that conclusion. I think an Apple VP is a pretty credible source regarding iPhone charging behavior.
I have been a Silicon Valley developer for 15 years. I have been using computers since 1977. Regardless of that, anyone can do research and report their findings. The vast majority of tech writers have absolutely no background in technology.
Wow, I’ve never had a phone last that long. So how long do you leave it to charge regularly when you are not calibrating it?
It depends on how much charge it has left and when I need it. I have sometimes charged it for 10 minutes with 5% battery because I needed to use it. Other than turning the device off when charging, I don’t really follow a timing regimen. You can’t overcharge an iPhone, so I tend to let it charge until I need it. I can forward calls to another number while it is turned off.
Well, if you say it can be charged more than 100%, then I assume I need to leave it on the charger longer than the 2 hours that it usually needs to charge to 100%, right?
Correct.
It that the original battery that came with the iphone 4? Does the iphone 4 have a longer-lasting battery than the iphone 6 or the iphone 6 plus?
Yes, it’s the original battery. The iPhone 4 has a smaller capacity battery. I expect my iPhone 6 battery to last longer. With the all-aluminum design, the case dissipates heat which should extend battery life. The glass sandwich design of the iPhone 4 acts as a insulator, trapping in heat. It has lasted so long because I never let it get too warm, I calibrate the battery when needed, and I charge it using the appropriate charger when the device is turned off.
What do you think about this tip:
27. One Common Mistake: Quitting Apps Doesn’t Save Battery
When you talk about tips for saving battery life on your iPhone, perhaps the most common one that comes up is quitting your apps when you’re done with them, rather than letting them run in the background.
This is wrong. In fact, regularly quitting your apps in that way can actually make your battery drain faster. So, if saving battery life is important to you, don’t follow this bad tip.
For more about why this can do the opposite of what you want, read this (http://designatednerd.com/force-quitting-all-your-running-ios-apps-to-save-battery-life-is-total-bunk/).
http://ipod.about.com/od/iphone3g/tp/iphone-battery-life.02.htm
I quit apps all the time, mainly for the sake of usability. There is some truth to this. When you close and open apps, there is overhead in loading and reinitializing the app. However, even if you don’t explicitly close an app, apps are removed from memory and serialized to SSD as needed. Typically this happens when the app is no longer in focus. The battery drain from closing and opening apps is minimal, but it could add up if you are doing this often.
Users really don’t have much control over closing and opening apps. Although you can do this with the App Switcher, even if you don’t close an app, it will be passivated. When you switch back to the app, it has reload from SSD. Some apps completely reinitialize when you switch back to them. You can close an app like Facebook, and it can still be running content refreshes in the background. Facebook also had a bug where it didn’t clean up a background thread, which caused battery life to diminish. The only way to fix it was to close Facebook and reset the device.
I close apps all the time and haven’t noticed it affecting battery life. It’s more for usability. I find it harder to use the App Switcher when it contains a lot of apps. I don’t like the design of the iOS 9 App Switcher at all. It covers up parts of the app, so it can no longer be used to preview.
please i have a problem charging my i phone , i am using original apple charger and cable , i have a massage each time trying to charge it says: “this accessory may not be supported.” please help
you need to stop using that cable and buy an original lightning cable manufactured by apple.
There are two possible problems. The charging port may have dust or debris in it. Try cleaning it out. It’s also possible that the charging cable has been damaged. The newer lightning cables are more susceptible to damage than their predecessors.
There is another thing you can try. Connect the charging cable to your device and then turn on Airplane mode. Now turn off your iPhone (hold sleep/wake and then slide the on-screen switch). Wait two minutes and then turn it on again. The message should disappear and you might be able to charge your device. I can’t guarantee this will work, but it seems to fix the problem for some people.
Ok so, I purchased 3, new, OEM batteries for 2 of my iPhone 6 Plus’ and my iPhone 6. Now, you’re saying this new battery should last LONGER than 5 days?
And if it does, how do I keep it to last 5 days for as many years as you say your iPhone 4 battery has lasted?
I can’t guarantee the battery will last that long. It depends on several factors, including how you use it and even where you live. If you live in a warm climate, that will also affect battery life. A lot of it depends on the apps you use and how long you use your iPhone per day.
I am working on an article about how to preserve the life of an iPhone’s battery. It will have all the tips to help keep it lasting a long time. For the most part, just make sure the phone doesn’t get too warm. Charge it when it is off. If you are using it and it gets warm, put it in sleep mode and set it down, preferably on a metal surface. That will cool it off quickly.
I’ll have more tips in the article. I’m not sure when it will be posted. Probably sometime next week.
You say you use your phone 1-3 hours for spotify every night and it lasts 4-5 days. Right?
So my iPhone 6 should last longer if it’s just idling most of the day as well?
That’s my iPhone 4, which is in Airplane mode. I turn on WiFi only when I use Spotify. It still lasts a very long time. I am playing streaming music at the highest bitrate and beaming it to Apple TV, which uses quite a bit of power. Nonetheless, I only charge it every 4-5 days.
I charge my iPhone 6 about once a week, but I don’t use it that much. It is idling most of the day. It is not in Airplane mode.
If your cellular connection is weak, it may use more power to maintain a connection. Also, if your carrier uses GSM, it is known to use more power than CDMA. I use Verizon, which uses CDMA.
Once a week? That’s insane.
I’m almost finished with my article on extending the iPhone battery lifespan. The climate here seems to help my batteries last longer. It rarely gets above 70º or below 40º here. From my research, at around 86º, batteries can start to lose their storage capacity. It takes a long time, but it will happen faster in a warm climate than a cool one.
If it has the apple logo on the batteries, it means its OEM, right? And it is authentic?
It should be. You can always check the serial or part number on the battery just to make sure.
How do I verify the serial or part number is authentic?
You’d have to verify that the place you bought it from sells legitimate Apple parts. Apple doesn’t make the replacement parts, but they do use certain suppliers. From what I understand, there is a pretty big market for counterfeit parts. They will put the Apple logo on the part, but it doesn’t mean it is legitimate.
If you read reviews about the reseller, you’ll get a pretty good idea if they are legit.
So there’s no way to verify the serial number or to verify that the battery is authentic?
Not that I know of. Apple doesn’t have a website or app that can verify this. I looked into it, and counterfeiters will put an Apple logo on parts. The best way is to check if the retailer is reputable. You may want to ask the retailer if they can prove it is an OEM part.
i have an iphone 6s battery problem. last days my i6s was in water . i managed too take it away from water quickly but after 2 hours my telephone just turn it off ( i think scurt – circuit on motherboard). Then after 4 hours he turn it on and i let him charge…. I was at a service , he dry all components, cleaned with solution etc etc. now my phone is goind perfect but the battery drains it quclky ( aprox 10 hours with everything off). can calibration help me in order to increase life battery ? or reset battery ? Thanks.
I doubt it will help, but it’s worth a try. If it worked fine up until the water incident, I think the battery may have been damaged by the water. There’s no harm in trying to calibrate it, but keep your expectations realistic.
Please help clear this up for me:
You charge your iphone with the battery off. And you say you can’t overcharge an iPhone (I assume the same for an iPad) so you keep it on the charger.
But do you keep it on the charger for a specific amount of time to make sure it’s well over 100%? Because you said it can charge more than 100%.
So I want to know how long I should keep my iPhone and my iPad on the charger when they are off.
Five hours should do it, even if the battery is completely depleted.
So I guess 5 hours to calibrate and 5 hours to charge it regularly too
I’ve got an Otterbox case that has a very snug rubber layer with a hard shell outer layer (I love the thing because my phone has survived many a drop with nary a scratch), but the case is like a wetsuit. Since you’ve mentioned numerous times that heat damages the battery, is the extra insulation provided by this case, possibly contributing to my short battery life?
Yes. In fact, Apple recommends removing the iPhone from its case when charging. The rubber, neoprene or silicone layer traps in heat, which diminishes battery life. For more information, please check out “How to Extend iPhone Battery Lifespan”. I have many more tips for extending battery lifespan than Apple. My information comes from a variety of reputable sources, including Battery University and Electropaedia.
If you are prone to dropping your iPhone, a case is probably a good idea. If not, I recommend using it without a case, even when not charging. The case will trap in heat and also make you unaware that your iPhone is getting too warm. When my iPhone gets to warm, I lock the screen and set it down until it cools.
I replaced my old iphone 5 battery with new one then followed this guide, and get the result as expected. Previously, my new replaced battery only last about 5-6 hours for normal-heavy use (WA, some browsing, call, 2hrs music play), and 12-14 hours for standby. Now I got 10-12 hours for normal-heavy use (WA, some browsing, call, 2hrs music play), and 16-18 hours standby.
Thanks dude for your guide.
I’m glad it worked. I think this shows, even with a new battery, calibration resets cached battery data in iOS. If you want to keep your new battery in prime condition, check out “How To Extend iPhone Battery Lifespan”.
Hey I thought you said you don’t need to calibrate a new battery after installing it?
I read through all of my comments and never made this claim. You may be misinterpreting these points:
“A brand new iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or MacBook should be at optimal battery performance.”
“A new iPhone has a new battery, so there is no need to calibrate it right away.”
When you put a new battery in an old iPhone, the software is still set for the old battery range of 100% to 0%. This is why one should calibrate an iPhone after replacing the battery, especially if the metering seems inaccurate.
My battery is running at 91 degrees farenheit. Why? I’m indoors and the temperature inside my house is only 76. I have a plastic case on my iphone 6 plus but I don’t think that’s the reason.
The plastic will definitely increase the iPhone’s internal temperature. It insulates the device, preventing the aluminum from dissipating heat. If you are prone to dropping your device, the case is warranted. An impact will cause more damage than a little heat.
The other issue is that if your iPhone is turned on, it will use the processor and other systems, which generates heat. If you are actively using your iPhone, it will generate more heat.
It’s important to understand that, in some cases, there isn’t much you can do about the heat. You have to use your iPhone. Even in the cooler climate I live in, the battery will get over 86º, which will reduce battery capacity. Is it significant? Maybe not. It all depends on how much heat and for how long. One has to find an acceptable compromise between optimal thermal conditions and real world usage. I wouldn’t worry about it too much.
Ok so I installed a new battery. My battery tweak said it didn’t have any cycles so I know it was brand new. However, the capacity says it is at 81%
I just calibrated it and when I turned it on after several hours of charging, it went from 100 to 99 percent in a few minutes when I wasn’t even using it. And the capacity still says 81%
If the battery is brand new then shouldn’t it be at 100% capacity?
I’m going to get a refund for this dang battery and pay Apple $80 to replace the battery with a guaranteed authentic battery
The battery I installed was probably just a replica. It had the apple logo and all the text was similar but the font text and the color of the text were not the same as the what was printed on the battery I removed which came with the iPhone
It sounds like you got a bad replacement battery. I would imagine counterfeiters put Apple logos on their batteries. It’s also possible, although unlikely, that it’s just a bad part, but is still genuine.
Thanks for posting this guide, my iPhone 6 battery percentage was jumping all over the place. I don’t think it was having an effect on battery life itself but was annoying not having as much as you thought you did. It started to shut down on 9% battery too. I have done the above to the letter and after 35 minutes its still on 100% which is what it used to do!
Great! Another confirmation that this works for some people. It’s not a panacea, but calibration will ameliorate some battery problems.
Hello,
Thank you for this great tutorial. I only have onde doubt… I could not drain the battery till 0%, as the iPhone would turn itself of at 5% battery. I insisted trying to turn it on, but as soon as the restar home screen was on the iPhone would turn itself off. Do you think it is still with a try, even that I could not calibrate from 0%?
Thank you
It’s possible that calibration will fix this, because it should reset the battery metering. Your phone is turning off because it doesn’t have enough current. It could be that the battery needs replacement, but I would try calibration first.
i replaced my iphone 6 and i received a brand new iphone 6 128gb.
i calibrated the battery using your instructions, but it didn’t work.
it went from 100% to 40% overnight.
the battery capacity says it is 100% and the battery has no cycles. so it is brand new and it’s from apple itself.
I have to wonder if there is an app that’s guzzling power. What does it show under battery usage? Is there an app that’s draining the battery more than anything else?
Also, what’s your cellular reception like? How many “dots” of reception do you get?
Keep in mind that a new iPhone will be doing some iCloud syncs and other configuration processes in the background. These activities will deplete the battery, even when the device is “idle”. You might not be using it, but iOS is. I remember my iPhone 6 also drained rapidly when it was brand new, and after a few days, it was fine. I didn’t calibrate the battery right away. That won’t cause a problem either way. Give it a few days and battery life may improve.
Hi,
I read your article and comments. Very informative. My 4s was a hand me down and the battery has been jumping from 68% to 20% and all over the place for months. Two days ago it got worse and would go down and shut itself off after two hours. Long story short I discharged it and left it alone overnight. Plugged it in this morning and it said it was 100%full, gave the date and time of december30, 6:08. Today is jan2 at 8:30. It keeps cycling by bringing up the apple logo screen every few minutes. I my sleep/wake button is broken so I use assisted touch and did not power it off when I plugged it in. So it is “charging” now. I noticed it keeps searching for a signal or tower too. I do not have a Dara plan and use wifi only.
Sounds like its dead. What do you think? Been thinking about an iphone 6 , but I love the size of the 4s. I’ll leave it plugged in today and see what happens unless you have any ideas. Thank you.
The 4s would never charge, find wifi or become stable. It was a perfect excuse to retire the hand me down and get a 6s. I am very happy with my new purchase. I like your website – thanks for the info you provide.
I did a similar upgrade, from an iPhone 4 to an iPhone 6. Huge difference. Up until recently, I still used the iPhone 4 for playing Spotify music. With the new Apple TV, AirPlay is glitchy, and it seems to work better with iOS 9.
Glad you like the site. Feel free to like it on Facebook (top right) or share any articles others may find helpful.
I didn’t reply in time, but it sounds like you got an iPhone 6S. That’s a great way to go. It was named the top smartphone of 2015. Sure, you could replace the battery in the 4S, but in my opinion, it isn’t worth it. It’s costly and that money would go better towards a new iPhone. It’s a quantum leap!
i read your other wrticle. so do i have to turn my phone off every time it drops to 80 percent and charge it? if so, for how long?
90 minutes should do it. The last 80% is a slower, trickle charge. Ideally, it should be charged beyond 100%.
so every time my phone drops to 80%, i need to charge it for 90 minutes?
what about an ipad mini 2? how long do i charge an ipad mini 2 for when it drops to 80%?
You don’t need to charge it up to 100%. Charge it as long as you can. The point is to charge it over 80% because it is a trickle charge and will generate less heat.
I’m not sure what the time is for an iPad mini 2. You can probably figure that out by timing the charge and turning it on when it is near 100%. Find out how long it takes to get to 100% and then add 30 minutes to top it off. Once you know how long it takes, you can charge it when it is off.
Again, it doesn’t need to be charged up to 100% and beyond for routine charges. That’s more important for calibration. Of course, if you want the most battery life, you should charge it beyond 100%.
i just bought an ipad mini 2, what are the calibrating instructions for it?
if they are the same, then how long do i keep it on the charger for when it’s turned off to calibrate it?
it came with a 10W charger, but i have a 12W charger i use for it.
Calibration is the same, but the charging time might be longer. My iPad takes longer to charge than my iPhone. I don’t have an exact answer for that. I suggest charging it while turned off, then turn it on when it is close to being charged. You’ll have to make an estimate as to when to turn it on. Figure out the time it takes to get up to 100% and then add 30 minutes to that for topping it off. So, to figure it out, you will need to turn on the iPad while charging for a little while. That won’t affect calibration.
I recommend using the supplied charger, but it won’t be as big of a difference between iPads. I believe the amperage for both chargers is the same.
Okay but you say to charge the iPhone for 5 hours when calibrating it… so that’s 1 hour longer than it takes to charge to 100% right?
So wouldn’t I just add 1 hour on to how long it takes to charge the ipad mini 2?
I agree with everything in both your articles except the part about charging with the 12W charger.
The iphone 6 and 6 plus are actually designed by apple to be able to take 2.1a.
So the battery isn’t being damaged. Apple wouldn’t put them on the compatibility list on their website under the 12W charger if they damage they batteries in iPhones.
Even the older iphones won’t be damaged because they only take 1a so they only use 5W out of the 12W…
My iPhones are cool to the touch when I charge them with the 12W charger. So they’re not overheating.
90 minutes because you mentioned using a more powerful charger.
The Qualcomm power management IC they use supports 1a and 2.1a chargers, but they ship the phone with a 1a charger. Qualcomm only makes the dual mode power management IC for this form factor. Again, this is because of economies of scale. It is often much cheaper to manufacture one adaptable product in high volumes. They make one power management IC for this form factor, and expect the vendor (Apple) to supply the appropriate charger. This same power management IC can be used in a different device with a larger battery where 2.1a charging is more appropriate. It’s about suppliers and economies of scale.
Why didn’t Apple supply a 2.1a charger? Charging a battery faster is a desirable feature. They didn’t mention it at the keynote. It’s absent from the product specs and documentation. They only mention that you can use an iPad charger for your iPhone on one web page. That’s true, but that doesn’t mean it is ideal.
Why don’t they just make one charger for all of their products? It would be cheaper, as they would realize economies of scale. According to Popular Mechanics and Battery University, rapid charging is not a good idea. Apple only cares that the battery outlasts the warranty. Rapid charging won’t damage the battery within a year. After that, it’s good for them. You may buy a new iPhone or go to the Apple Store to have it replaced.
People mention the C rating of the iPhone battery is acceptable for 2.1a charging. Acceptable means that it should last a reasonable length of time, which is the warranty period. If you want your battery to last longer, charge it with a slower charger. Using a USB cable connected to a computer is even better. It will charge at 0.5a.
I’m surprised that there is any debate over this issue, which is a fact of electrical engineering, physics and chemistry. You CAN charge an iPhone with a 2.1a charger, but if you use a less powerful current, the battery will last longer. That’s an irrefutable fact, but there are people who believe the Earth is flat.
Apple also told iPad 2 and iPhone 4S users to upgrade to iOS 8 and 9. Both operating systems will render older devices practically unusable. They do it because they hope people will get fed up and buy a new device. It has the opposite effect on me. I’m never buying an iPad again. They are currently being sued over this.
Thanks for your input. You do make a convincing argument. I will charge my iPhones with the supplied charger…
90 minutes for what again? I thought you said 30 minutes.
Why are you never buing an iPad again?
90 minutes to go from 80% to over 100%. The 30 minutes should ensure that it is charged to the fullest extent, based on the assumption of using a rapid charger (which I don’t recommend).
The iPad just isn’t useful. It’s just a bigger iPhone. I’m not a fan of iOS. I think it’s a very limited and flawed operating system. It’s sufficient for mobile. My iPhone is enough iOS for me.
When I bought my iPad a few years back, I hoped it would have evolved into something that could replace a computer. It can’t even surf the web very well. My iPad constantly crashes. It really changed my perception of Apple. I am no longer an Apple fan. I am a Mac OS X fan (for now). I like the iPhone. The rest of their products are no better than what any other corporation puts out. Some even offer better products. The only reason I stick with Apple for these other products (Apple TV) is due to ecosystem lock. I can move my music to other ecosystems, but not my movies and TV shows. Moving the music is a bit of a chore. I don’t want to walk away from thousands of dollars of content I own.
I paid $699 for my iPad and within 3 years it was pretty much obsolete. I can still use it, but even for basic tasks like email and web browsing, it is tedious and temperamental. Apple leadership are scratching their heads as to why iPad sales are in decline. I think a lot of people who bought them see the same thing I do. If I have an iPhone, why do I need an iPad? With a Mac and an iPhone, I have all my bases covered. They are mired in groupthink and hubris. They don’t see the flaws, and wonder why people aren’t lining up to buy these. They make fun of the Microsoft Surface and then copy it, but it’s not as good. Most tech reviews say the Surface is better. After all, it runs a real operating system, not a watered down mobile OS. The Surface can run full versions of Office and Photoshop. People can play World of Warcraft on the Surface. It’s a real computer. The iPad Pro is hobbled by iOS. I couldn’t even run this site on an iPad, because so many of the tools I need simply aren’t there. For example, there are no graphics editors that offer a perspective tool. Even GIMP on a Mac (which is free) can do far more than anything on an iPad. Working on simple tasks is a chore of shuffling between apps to do small units of work. Apple is delusional if they think corporations are going to use the iPad Pro. A few will, but CIOs and CTOs are going to stick with inexpensive Windows computers. They are a fraction of the cost and far more capable.
Could you please explain why the iPad mini 2 comes with a 10W charger and the larger iPads come with the 12W charger? I thought you said rapid charging was bad for the battery so wouldn’t these chargers harm the iPads?
Also please tell me if I should use the 12W charger to charge my Bluetooth bluedio r+ legend headphones. They didn’t come with a charger, just a micro usb charger. I contacted their support team and they said if I use the 12W iPad charger for my headphones that it won’t harm the headphones…
I believe the amperage is the same with both chargers — 2.1a. They have larger batteries than an iPhone. The charging rate depends on the battery capacity. Batteries with larger capacities can use more powerful chargers. It’s the “C rating” of the battery. The larger iPads come with more powerful chargers, because they have bigger batteries. To take this example to the extreme, you wouldn’t charge a Tesla with a USB cable!
I’m not sure about the Bluetooth headphones. You have to take their support team’s advice with some skepticism. You can charge it with an iPad charger and it will work, but it may shorten battery lifespan. I would just use the USB outlet on a computer, preferably USB 2.0.
can you help me with this?
every time when i unplug the power cable after charging iPhone battery automatically increases by 4-5%.
last night when i unplugged charger iPhone was at 78% and after few minutes it went to 82%. Is there any problem with battery or just software bug?
I’m using iPhone 6s on iOS 9.1.
Thank you
It seems like a software bug. Have you tried calibrating the battery? Maybe even just doing a reset (hold down sleep/wake and home until you see the Apple logo) might fix it. It’s usually some cached data that’s causing problems like this.
I followed your advice. I charged my iPhone yesterday using the usb port on my computer. Now I’m charging my iPad mini 2 with the usb port.
Should I use the usb 2.0 or 3.0 port? Which is safer for the battery?
The max for USB 2.0 is 0.5A (500 mA). If you are going for the slowest charge, use a USB 2.0 outlet. USB 3.0 is 900 mA (0.9A). Both are better at slow charging than the included iPhone charger.
Then the usb 3.0 is basically an iPhone charger with .2a less…
It’s 0.1a less, because the original iPhone charger is 1a. You may have confused it with the iPad charger, which is 2.1a.
Okay let’s say I’m using the USB 2.0 port on my computer to charge my iPhone and my iPad.
How long from 80% should I keep the iPhone to charge?
How long from 80% should I keep the iPad to charge?
**how long for the iPad mini 2, not the iPad.
You’ll need to figure it out by periodically turning on the device and checking its progress.
If i’m calibrating the idevices, and using the USB 2.0 port…
how long to keep on charger for iPhone?
how long to keep on charger for iPad mini 2?
I don’t know the exact times, but you can figure it out. Basically, leave it charging for a while and power it on periodically to check the progress. I’m not sure how long it would take to fully charge the battery beyond 100%. Four hours (after it initially hits 100%) would be a safe bet.
I have an Iphone 5s which stays at the same battery percentage until it dies and powers off. When i charge it i does not show the battery percentage increasing but it restarts and shows a higher battery level instead. The battery life is otherwise good and i do not think the battery has to be changed. What shall I do I am currently trying the calibration procedure..
Calibration should fix it. Specifically, doing the reset at the end of the process should fix the issue with the “stuck” battery meter.
I tried doing that but my phone screen will just go blue and then shut off and then restart.
I’ve never seen an iPhone screen go blue before. If you can’t reset your phone, you may have more serious problems. You may want to consider restoring to factory settings and reinstalling all of your apps and data. Make sure to backup your iPhone before you try this!
I have a iPod Touch 5G, it’s battery drains normally at first from 100% to 70%(not good, but normal), then it starts to drain really fast. ex. from 60% down to 20% in a few minutes, then automatically turn off. As soon as I plug in a charge cable, it suddenly turns on and shows about 70% battery. I’ll try your calibration steps to see how it goes. Thanks for the information.
Give it a try! It could also be a bad battery, but try calibrating it first.
Just an observation – a user complained that his iPhone 5 battery was ok till it reached 30%, but would then drop to 3% very quickly. I tested it myself, and found it could sit for hours on 3%. I.e. the total available hours was ok, but the percentage shown was misleading, making the user think it was about to shut down.
After recalibration, it lasts for much less time, but the drop in percentage is smooth.
I let my iphone 6 plus die completely so i can calibrate it, and once I hooked it up to my computer, it started to turn on, then it showed black screen, then turned off, then back on, then back off, and it just keeps doing this.
That may be due to the decreased amperage. It’s possible when it turns on, the battery drains to the extent that it turns off again, and this process is repeated.
Since the calibration takes 5 hours from phone being dead completely and charging while turned off, shouldn’t it take 10 hours to calibrate if using the usb 2.0 port on my computer?
If it is half the amperage, shouldn’t it take twice as long to calibrate? You said 4 hours should be safe after it reaches 100% when calibrating on usb 2.0 port, but wouldn’t that mean it should be charging from 0-100% for 16 hours? (1 hour x 4 = 4 hours… 4 hours x 4 = 16 hours; 1 nour being the extra hour you should keep the phone charging after 100% when calibrating with regular iphone charger, and 4 hours from 0-100% when using regular iphone charger; so would 16 hours from 0-100% with usb 2.0 and 4 extra hours from 100% to max with usb 2.0 port?)
I’m not sure, but doubling the time is a safe bet.
I just wanted to ask (as the points in the STEP-BY-STEP Calibration slightly differ from the ones in the paragraphs:
1) After the 5 hours do we press the sleep/wake button until it boots up and then the sleep/wake and home button (to reset the phone) ?
OR
2) After the 5 hours do we press the sleep/wake and home button ( to reset the iPhone?
Follow the instructions in the step-by-step list. Either way won’t affect calibration, but if it is started up before the reset, the battery stats will be recorded for the current charge cycle. Thanks for finding this discrepancy. I’ll update the article paragraphs.
I have an iohone 5s but it wont charge.all the time stay at 1%. What can i do???
It could be that the cable is defective or the charging port is dirty or damaged. Try using another charging cable and inspect the charging port for dust and debris.
hi, I’ve calibrate my IPhone 5S and after the calibration the battery drains very fast. I have the phone for 2 years never done that before.
now I lose 80% in stand by over the night.
can you give me an idea of what to do?
thank you for your time
There are two possibilities. It could be that your battery was on its last legs. If it is an iPhone 5S with the original battery, the battery may just be too old and has gone through too many charge cycles. You can expect 300-500 charge cycles before the battery’s capacity diminishes. My guess is that you came to this site because the battery wasn’t performing well, or the meter was inaccurate.
The other possibility is that an app or background process (iCloud) is draining the battery. When you calibrate an iPhone, the final reset process clears out cached data. It could be that iCloud or an app is running in the background, which is using the battery. You will see this on the battery usage report in Settings > Battery. I am assuming that you are using iOS 9.
Hi I have had my iPhone 5s for about a year and a half. In the past couple of days something strange has been going on with my battery. No matter how long I use it, my percentage stays up at 100% (up to several hours). Then as the percentage finally starts to go down it will suddenly die at around 60%. I thought it might be an issue with my charger but I used a new one last night and it is having the same problem today. I do not usually turn my phone off to charge, because I have an alarm set to wake me up. Any ideas/advice?
First try doing a reset after a full charge. Hold the home and sleep/wake button for about 10 seconds (until you see the Apple logo) and then release both buttons. If the problem doesn’t go away, try doing the calibration process outlined in this article.
Hi,
I have an iphone 5s and had my battery replacement 3 months ago. I followed your instruction above, But it seems my phone now drains faster than before. Not sure why. I tried to go to battery>usage but its not showing any app (another problem even though I updated to ios 9.2.1). Any advice? thanks!
There’s a few possibilities. When the final reset is done after calibration, it clears cached data from the iPhone. iOS seems to sync some of this data back to your device, which can consume battery power. It could also be a coincidence. After you calibrated, there may have been app updates or a flurry of activity in an app that does background content refreshes. If you have enabled automatic app updates and content refreshes, these background processes can sometimes use a lot of power. I have these turned off and I haven’t ever experienced faster battery depletion after calibrating. I’ve been doing it on my iPhone 4 since I have owned it, and continue to do it on my iPhone 6.
Hi,
when i fully charge my phone it shut off at 1%
but everytime i dont. It shut off at 5% or 7% is it normal? Thank you
It’s not normal for an iPhone to shut off at 5% or 7%. This usually indicates a problem with the battery metering software. Calibration usually fixes this.
Hi,I bought my 6s a month ago,some times the battery percentage drops so fast!for example at night its 70% and next morning its drops to 49% !!! What do u thing?is it a software problem or hardware problem?
There are a few things that could be causing this problem. It could be apps running in the background. Even if apps are closed, if you have background content refresh turned on, some apps will run in the background. Automatic app updates are another possible issue. If you have these turned on and have a lot of apps installed, your iPhone will be running updates. Weak WiFi or cellular reception can also drain the battery faster.
It’s also possible that the battery needs to be calibrated. If the previous issues are not the problem, try calibrating your battery as outlined in this article.
Hello
A week ago, I charged my iPhone 5s (iOS 9.2.1) into a car charger. Suddenly, it won’t charged (as I remembered, it went discharging). The lightning cable was burning hot and had become useless/broken. I replaced the cable and works perfectly. But since that happened, I realised that my device’s battery life has decreased. It drains quickly even when I’m not using it. Before that happened, I’ve been able to use it all day long without re-charged. I’ve tried the following: replace with a new battery, factory restore twice, turn off background refresh, uninstall Facebook, brought it to Apple (they said there was nothing wrong with the hardware inside) and it still do no good. I suspected there was something happened with the U2 IC hardware.
Do u have any other suggestion? Much appreciated. Thank you
The battery may have been damaged when you had the problem with the lightning cable. Do you remember if your iPhone felt warm? Heat will damage a lithium ion battery.
I suggest trying the battery calibration process outlined in this article. If your battery is damaged, however, it might need to be replaced.
After I follow the steps ,, is it calibrated? should I repeat calibrating or the step twice or not? I mean one is enough ,,.. and then once a month we need to calibrate battery. it can help the battery life healthy?
Yes. After you complete the process, your device is calibrated. You only need to do it once a month, or as needed. I haven’t done this on my iPhone 6 for a few months, because the battery is performing as expected.
Calibration keeps the battery in good shape and it also resets iOS’s metering of the battery. As your battery ages, it has less capacity. iOS needs to be reset to account for these changes.
I plugged in my iphone 5s last night before i went to bed than woke up around 5:30 and it was still on 1 percent almost 6hours later. Would this solution fix the problem?
It probably won’t fix the problem. I think either your cable or charging port is dirty or damaged. Inspect the charging port for any dirt, lint or dust and carefully clean it out. Also, try using a different charging cable. Make sure it is an official Apple cable and charger, as some are of dubious quality.
Quick question. My iPhone 6 has suddenly started dropping roughly 10% an hour and lasts between 6 – 7 hours. Under battery in settings the most used app is Facebook with 14 minutes of use. I have turned off background refresh and have done a factory reset. Coconut battery says I have lost 13% of its original capacity after 297 cycles, so am I right to assume the battery is ok? And do you think calibrating would correct this problem? Brilliant article by the way!
Apparently, simply uninstalling Facebook will restore battery life. This made a bit of a splash in the news a few months ago. People like to use Facebook and they should be able to use the app. At best, we can hope they fix the battery draining issues with their app. The alternative may be to use the web version instead. I would think that if automatic content refresh is turned off, it shouldn’t drain the battery. But the experts say you need to uninstall the Facebook app. It doesn’t make sense to me, but it’s worth a shot. That said, it wouldn’t explain why the problem is happening now, unless you recently installed a Facebook update. I’m assuming you have been using Facebook for some time.
This would lead me to believe that calibration may help. Your battery is probably OK. They lose capacity over time. You can expect it to drop to 80% of its original capacity by the time it reaches 500 cycles. Since your battery has 297 cycles, calibration might not fix the available usage time. It will improve the accuracy of the battery meter.
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THANK YOU!
My iPhone has been turning off at 20% which has been very frustrating.
I have let the phone drain down and fully charge many times even leaving it on the charger for hours extra.
I followed your solution and after the phone powered off I left it for DAYS.
It seems this drains the battery further and now the low battery level is more accurate.
Thanks again
You’re welcome and thank you for confirming, once again, that this works. Believe it or not, there are plenty of skeptics. Calibration won’t solve every battery issue, but it should be done periodically.
Battery calibration is essentially forcing the phone to “reset” its historical data of battery life (based on how you charge it, use it, and WHEN you charge it) to better predict total life from a full charge. You can also accomplish this with a factory reset, but restoring your phone back from a backup can bring back your old history.
To better understand the actual CONDITION of your battery, there’s a free app in the App Store called Battery Life (https://itunes.apple.com/app/id1080930585) does a very good job of telling you whether your battery is shot or not and it will also help you understand how many charge cycles it has gone through (750-1000 cycles is the target range you should be able to expect from a Lithium Ion battery before it’s toast).
Two other things that aren’t spelled out in this article are:
– Using your device while it’s charging, other than just being on the phone via bluetooth or the headset, can prematurely wear down the battery
– Battery charging packs (like the Mophie stuff) can also damage your device because there’s a tendency to use the devices while that recharge process is going on
I wouldn’t recommend restoring an iPhone to factory defaults to reset the battery meter. The hard reset (hold sleep/wake + home) will accomplish this without wiping out the phone.
The Battery Life app has some reviews indicating that it is not accurate. It’s a free app, so there’s no harm in trying it. The battery usage statistics in iOS can be useful, but they don’t show the number of cycles.
The article mentions charging the iPhone while it is off quite a few times. I also provide a link to the “How To Extend iPhone Battery Lifespan” article, which provides numerous tips to keep an iPhone battery lasting as long as possible.
My Iphone 6 is 2 months old. Can I follow this steps for calibration of battery or its too early to do this on my case?
Yes, it’s OK to perform the calibration process on a 2-month-old iPhone 6. I actually did the same thing shortly after purchasing my iPhone 6. In my case, the battery metering seemed to be a bit off from the beginning. After calibrating it, my iPhone 6 performed as expected. I actually calibrated it a few days after purchase. It is now about 1 year and 3 months old, and I am still getting the expected battery life. I last calibrated it about a month ago.
Thanks! This is my second time I used your calibration process. As of this time, my phone is totally off and I will leave it overnight and charge it when I wake up later morning (GMT+8 PH Time) for 5 hours. Thanks again for this! 🙂
Hi I was trying to update the latest version of I phone which unfortunately got failed. Then I tries reset my settings, once i did reset my i phone battery is getting discharged in almost 2 hours only after 100% charging along with that even if i don’t touch my phone it gets overheated. Sometimes it gets overheated while I make a call or i use any app. Please assist me with that.
It seems like there is an app that is running the processor excessively. Go to Settings > Battery to find the app that is using the most battery power. From there, you can see if there is an update for that app that fixes the problem. Since you say this happens with any app, I think something may have gone wrong. From what I understand, you updated iOS, it failed, and this problem occurred. You may need to do a restore on your iPhone to get it back to factory settings. You’ll want to back up your iPhone before you do this.
hey i am using an iphone 6 and right now once its fully charged n after hours of usage its still displaying 100% n when it reaches 82% the phone shuts down n when i try to turn it on again then connect charger symbol is displayed.how can i fix it?
Do the calibration process outlined in this article. It seems like the cached battery stats are incorrect. Calibrating it will fix this.
Hi I charge my iPhone 6 Plus with the I-plug cable not orignal or its official one but the charger is orignal and it charges very slow almost gets 100% charge in 4-5 hours even when it’s plugged in at about 17-18% charge left? And also battery doesn’t last for the whole day i mostly get 5-6 hours of battery on full use… Any kind of suggestion will much be appreciated
Thanks
If the cable charges slowly, that’s actually a good thing. You don’t want to charge an iPhone rapidly with a high amperage charger, as it will generate more heat, diminishing battery life. I recommend using the original Apple iPhone charger and cable. The charging time seems reasonable. My iPhone 6 takes about 4-5 hours to charge from 0 to 100%. The 6 Plus has a bigger battery, so it will take longer.
If the battery only lasts 5-6 hours long, there’s a few possibilities. Certain apps may be draining the battery. Go to Settings > Battery and check for any apps that seem to be using a lot of power. If that’s OK, then try the calibration process outlined in this article. Calibration won’t always fix the problem. It could be that your battery is shot. If that’s the case, you either need to accept that it will only last 5-6 hours, or replace the battery. You can do it yourself, but it takes some skill and there is a risk you could damage the device. There are repair services that will do this, and, of course, the Apple store can replace the battery. If your device is still under warranty, take it to the Apple store as soon as possible and ask for a replacement battery.
I’m using a new iPhone 5, iOS 9 (3 days since i bought it)
I didn’t charge it right at the first 3 times (it is said that the first 3 charges are very important) , would it affect my battery life? Because my phone has been draining very fast recently
Also, i’m trying the calibration that you suggested. My phone died at 2% and i left it rest for 3 hrs but when i charged it, my phone was already 7%. Can you explaint why? Will the calibration work??
Thank you so much
The calibration might work. Since it is a new phone, and under warranty, I would suggest bringing it in to the Apple store (or wherever you purchased it) if the problem doesn’t go away. When I got my new iPhone 6, the battery drained rapidly at first. After calibration, it worked fine. If it doesn’t work, bring it in before the warranty expires. A new iPhone has a 1 year warranty.
Hi! I bought my iPhone 6s in January and decided to calibrate it yesterday per this article to keep my iPhone in shape. I didn’t let it sit overnight though. I let it drain for maybe 1-2 hours after it died on me. Then I did the rest of your steps (5 hours charging while turned off, etc.) I woke up this morning and saw that my battery was at 97%. I returned after 30 minutes and checked the battery again and it went down to 87%. Is this normal? Is it possible for calibration to make my battery worse?
Currently, the usage time is 10 mins and the standby time is 34 mins. Usage and Standby has always confused me so if you could clarify those, that’d be great too!
Thanks for the article and any further advice!
It seems like there is something wrong with the battery. Calibration won’t cause your battery to drain rapidly. In fact, it normally fixes this problem. Calibration isn’t a panacea, however. If there is a physical problem with the battery, it can’t fix that.
Check the battery usage statistics (Settings > Battery) to see which apps are draining the most battery power. There could be an app running in the background. Background content refreshes can drain the battery even if the app is closed. Also, how good is your cellular signal? If it is weak, the iPhone will use more power to maintain a connection to the tower. Try charging it to 100% and then put it in Airplane Mode to see if the drainage happens. Airplane mode will also prevent any network background processes (content refreshes) from running. Make sure WiFi is off when you are in Airplane Mode. Switching to Airplane Mode will automatically turn off WiFi, but it’s possible to turn it on and still be in Airplane mode. You’ll want to test this with absolutely no wireless connectivity, WiFi or cellular. Make sure all you see is the airplane icon on the top left corner of your iPhone screen — no WiFi or cellular “bars”.
If all else fails, take it in to the Apple Store. Your iPhone 6S is still under warranty, and if the battery is faulty or damaged, they will replace it for free. Apple also has tools to check the condition of a battery.
If you recently updated iOS, that could also be the problem. After some iOS upgrades, the operating system runs indexing and iCloud processes in the background. This causes your battery to drain rapidly, even if you aren’t using your device. It should go back to normal after a day or so. I mention this, because someone on social media has the same problem after upgrading to iOS 9.3.2.
Hey, I’m using iPhone 5S. The charging was fast, but when it reached 98% it took 10-15 minutes to reach 99%. And the battery was draining quickly I thought because the battery drained 1% every 2 minutes. is there a suggestion ? Should I calibrate it ? Or replace the battery ? Thank you for your opinion. I’m still new to iPhone so I don’t know what to do
It seems like calibration will fix this problem. It appears that the battery metering software needs to be reset. If calibration doesn’t work, you may need a new battery.
Hi , over the weekend I had to keep plugging my phone in to charge as the battery has never lasted long , I never fully let it charge to 100% before taking it off charge , I did this the whole day Saturday. Then on Sunday it died at 72% and it keeps dying at around 72% . Could I have a virus or do you think my battery is on its “last leg ” ? I can’t drain the batter to 1% now as it just dies way before it even reached the 60’s I’m so angry with this stupid iPhone !!! It’s literally turned into a land line as its always on bladdy charge !
I doubt it is a virus, as the App Store screens for malware. Also, iOS apps run in a sandbox, so they wouldn’t be able to affect the lower levels of the OS which handle the battery. It’s possible that an app is causing the problem. Go to Settings > Battery to check battery usage by app. At most, an app can just use up a lot of battery power, but it can’t shut down an iPhone by spoofing the battery meter.
The more likely cause is that you need to calibrate the battery. I think the battery might be on its last legs, so at 72%, it doesn’t have enough charge to keep the iPhone on. Calibration, in this case, may only reset the meter so that it turns off at 0%, but the overall duration of battery life might not be improved. It’s worth a try!
Try following the steps in this article, but I think your battery might need replacement. If it doesn’t work, consider replacing the battery. The iPhone battery lasts for 500 charge cycles, which is about 2-3 years for most people. Other issues, such as heat and impacts, can limit the life of the battery.
fake article. full of nonsense and rubbish
Actually, everything in this article is backed up by pretty solid evidence. Will calibration fix all iPhone battery problems? No. If you read the comments, calibration has clearly helped quite a few people. I know for a fact it has kept my iPhone’s batteries in peak condition. My iPhone 4 is over 5 years old now, has the original battery, and the battery life is still excellent. My iPhone 6 is about 18 months old, and the battery is as good as new.
Here’s some more information, from Battery University, on why “smart” batteries need to be calibrated. They specifically mention the iPad, but this is true of the iPhone too.
http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/battery_calibration
You can also read “How to Extend iPhone Battery Lifespan” for more tips. I provide my sources at the end of the article. Do you have any source that demonstrates that calibration doesn’t work?
There’s tons of evidence that it works. I know it works. People who have commented on this article know it works too.
I just bought a brand new iPhone 6s Plus. When should be the first time I calibrate it? After a few charges? Couple weeks? Next month?
I recommend calibrating your iPhone as needed. According to Apple’s original documentation, it should be done once a month. If your new iPhone has less-than-expected battery life or the battery meter is inaccurate, calibration will most likely help.
Is it necessary to calibrate a brand new iPhone?
I calibrated my iPhone 6 shortly after I purchased it. It improved the accuracy of the battery meter. I recommend calibrating a new iPhone if the battery life isn’t what you expect or the battery meter is inaccurate.
Would it be ok to use the iPhone while it’s charging?
It’s best to turn off the iPhone while charging. Heat is a by-product of the charging process. When your iPhone is turned on, it will generate more heat when charging. Since heat damages the lifespan of lithium-ion batteries, it’s best to leave your iPhone off. In fact, if I have been using my iPhone a lot prior to charging, I will let it cool off before I plug it in.
It’s up to you. You can use your iPhone while charging, but it will diminish battery lifespan. If you do this, I recommend being aware of the warmth of your iPhone. Don’t let it get too warm.
If you replace your iPhone every 1-2 years, don’t worry about it. The battery will most likely last long enough regardless of what you do, unless you do something extreme. For example, if you leave your iPhone in a hot car while it is charging, the battery will be shot. In fact, just leaving your iPhone in a hot car, even when turned off, is not a good idea.
Just keep in mind that heat is not good for the battery.
Hey, I did the calibration, but I forgot to reset it afterwards. Will that hurt my phone?
It won’t harm your iPhone, but it may prevent the software battery meter from being reset. Just reset it next time and you’ll be fine. I wouldn’t even bother to re-calibrate it right away because of that, unless the battery meter is grossly inaccurate.
I just had seen a huge battery drain from my Iphone after a restore done via iTunes. Its done on the basis of an advice made by a Apple care guy when i say my issues with Apple touch ID. Earlier its been stay ON for One+ or even two days after a full recharge, now its getting only 13hrs of backup.
Today to i restore again with iTunes its remains the same even without restoring the apps. So let me try this thing today and replay soon with its outcome.
Thanks 🙂
I had my iPod touch 5 battery replaced a few weeks ago, and it seemed to be working fine until I upgraded to the latest IOS, then it began to drain faster and it didn’t charge completely, which was driving me nuts. I was planning to take it back to the repair shop (it’s very far and will take several hours) when I came across with this great website. Anyways, I followed your instructions step by step, and yes, in the final step the battery was fully charged. I said “Wow, it worked, thanks”…Sadly, that charge lasted only one day and it is back to where I began, not charging…Is it the software, the battery or what? Should I try it again? Or have it checked? Thanks a lot for your comments…
Sometimes, after an iOS upgrade, there are background processes running that re-index Spotlight, do iCloud syncs and other post-upgrade processes. I too notice that battery life is temporarily decreased after certain iOS updates (usually major ones). If the problem persists, it could be that the battery is damaged.
The other possibility is that the upgrade process itself damaged the battery. If you leave your iPod touch plugged in while doing any major download or anything that uses the solid state drives intensively, it will generate heat. Yesterday, I had my iPhone plugged in while updating several apps. It got really warm, even with the screen off. I promptly unplugged it, placed it on a metal surface, and it cooled down while the app updates installed.
In the future, if you are updating iOS (a major version) or updating several apps, charge your iPod touch first. Then unplug it and turn the brightness down. If possible, place it on a metal surface. When unplugged, you probably need to set Auto-Lock to “never” in order to keep the update(s) running.
On a side note, some people have their Wi-Fi modules ruined after iOS updates. When iOS comes back up, the Wi-Fi setting is grayed out. This also seems to be due to thermal issues.
It’s unfortunate that Apple doesn’t warn customers about this, but it is not in their interest. It makes the product seem flawed, but these problems affect any electronic device with a lithium-ion battery. If your device’s battery doesn’t last long, you may have it replaced at the Apple Store or even buy a new one. It’s not in Apple’s interest to warn people. In fact, Apple stopped providing instructions for battery calibration. They provided calibration instructions with the iPhone 4. iPhones still have a lithium-ion battery that needs periodic calibration. iOS still cannot estimate the battery life of an older battery. Calibration ameliorates these issues.
Hye Appledystopia,
Why my iphone always shuts down automatically even it still have 50% battery lifetime? Help me please to solve this problem. Thank you
Try the calibration process. It usually fixes this problem.
i am user of iphone 6 and at the beginning the shutdown at 1% but later than 9% then 15% and now at 24% . i restore and reset it …. but result is still same . I saw this post . Can we delete and reset the phone before applying this method ?and kindly give us a tutorial video …pls?
QUESTIONS:(NEED HELP AND ANSWERS)
Q1.does this method of calibration work for me?
Q2.Can we restore the phone before applying this method?
Q3.”Let your iPhone sit overnight to drain the battery further” means?(my phone shuts off at 24% then will i have to wait for night then after perform step 3?)
A1: Calibration might help. It won’t hurt. It usually fixes the problem with an iPhone shutting down at > 1%.
A2: Yes, you can restore your iPhone before calibrating the battery.
A3: Ideally, you should let your battery discharge overnight before performing the calibration process. When your battery shuts down at 24% it is really at 0%. The problem is that your battery doesn’t last as long as iOS is calculating it to last. This is exactly what calibration fixes. Of course, it might not make your battery last longer, but it will at least improve the accuracy of the metering.
if i reset my iphone or set it as a new iphone…does it differs between these 2 processes in calibrating my iphone 6 ? or the results are the same for the 2 stages?
Doing a factory restore on your iPhone won’t matter. The calibration process is the same.
I bought iPhone 6 approximately 14 months back and after the latest iOS update the touch id shows failed and the battery drains too fast. I charge the phone to 100% at the mid of the night and it comes to 0% within 6 hrs. I got the battery checked up through apple support and they scored it at 100. Do you think the calibration can help are there any additional checks that I should make.
Sometimes, after you upgrade iOS, the operating system runs maintenance processes in the background — reindexing for Spotlight, iCloud syncs and other processes. This drains the battery, but the processes will eventually cease and battery life should return to normal. If the problem persists, you may want to consider calibrating the battery.
you never should let the battery to drain empty. it may kill your lithiumbattery and wont wake up. there is a reason why the device shuts itself off when the battery is almost empty. it is protecting the battery that it can wake up. if you let the empty vattery to drain even more just “to be sure it us fully empty”, you may have a device on your hand which wont wake up after plugging it to the charger. that is hot modern lithium batteries work.
That’s not true. I’ve studied lithium ion batteries for a few years, and no expert would make that claim. I’ve looked at the documentation for charging ICs and they will power up devices (enough for battery charging management at first) even if the battery is completely depleted. You may have confused this with the fact that if you store a device for months with a dead battery, it may permanently damage the battery. This is because the lithium ions seize when they aren’t moving. I mention the optimal battery level for long-term storage in the “How to Extend iPhone Battery Lifespan” article.
The reason why iOS powers down is for data integrity. If iOS is in the middle of storing something to SSD and the power dies, the data will be corrupted.
I have done this process countless times on my iPhone 4, iPhone 6, iPad and pretty much anything with a lithium-ion battery. Letting the battery drain completely overnight won’t cause a problem. If you store it like that for weeks, it might.
Hey thanks for the details.
I have a question:
Is it good to have an iPhone case? I mean a 360 degree protection case for an iPhone 5???
And one more: My iPhone generates more heat while using the LTE network because my operator only supports 4G (reliance Jio if you have heard). Can you tell me about it please?
It all depends on how clumsy you are. If you are prone to dropping or spilling liquids on your iPhone, I recommend a case. If not, don’t use a case because they tend to trap in heat. Even Apple recommends taking the iPhone out of its case while charging.
For more information, please read “How to Extend iPhone Battery Lifespan”.
Yes, LTE uses more power, and therefore generates more heat. Both the modem and battery generate more heat when you use LTE. Just put it in Airplane mode when you’re not using it. Simply slide your finger up from the bottom of any screen to reveal Control Center. Then tap the airplane icon. Of course, you can’t get calls or used any Internet-dependent apps or services while in Airplane mode. That said, a lot of people simply mute their iPhones (in meetings, theaters) and leave LTE on. Whenever you mute your ringer, turn on AirPlane mode and it will save battery life and minimize heat.
I own an iPhone 5. It usually shuts down at 20-30% range. And there is no way I can get it near to 0%, it’ll just shut off. So today it shut down at 20%, is this a problem. How will my iPhone ”learn” that it should go to at least 1%
That’s what calibration will do. As your iPhone’s battery ages, the capacity declines. iOS’s battery meter still uses the original range. When the current drops below a certain level, it shuts down, which is why it happens at > 0%. Calibrating the battery should fix this. Even though your phone shut off at 20%, the battery is depleted. You can let it sit overnight to let it drain more and then calibrate it. If you don’t have the time for that, just calibrate it when it shuts down.
I have the same problem since I updated my iPhone 6S to iOS10. It shuts down sometimes at 20-30%, other times the battery meter gets stuck at 40% and the iPhone works for hours.
But I can assure you that when it shuts off at 20% the battery is not depleted. An easy way to prove this is by just plugin the charger for a very short time, maybe a couple of minutes. Once the iPhone turns on the the meter shows 20-30% again, and when unplugging it the battery will last for a full day. It’s impossible that the battery last a full day with 2 minutes charge.
Calibration will probably fix it. This actually just happened with my very old iPad 2. It started shutting off at 3%. I did the calibration process and the battery meter is accurate now.
As for it lasting the whole day after a brief charge, that is unusual. I’ve never seen that before. It could be an iOS 10 specific bug. I still haven’t upgraded my iPhone 6 to iOS 10, because it just isn’t there yet. I am weary of iOS releases these days. It usually takes 6 months for Apple to get them right. I remember when it just worked! I used to upgrade iOS the day it launched.
I have exactly the same issue, it has got to be a bug. I do play Pokemon Go quite a lot and that drains it quite quickly but when it powers off at 30%, if I leave it for 5 minutes it turns back on and can last a few hours. It has got to be an IOS 10 bug!
I agree. It is probably an iOS 10 bug. I’m only hearing about this problem now.
UPDATE: This is definitely an iOS 10 bug, according to Forbes.
Is it okay if I calibrate my battery twice in a week?
I have a new 1 week iPhone 5s and I asked at the Apple Store, but the lady working there didn’t seem knowledgeable. She said to allow the battery to drain twice in a week for better performance What should I do? I have only done it once. Please reply. Thanks!
Calibrating it twice a week is unnecessary, but it won’t harm your device. Yes, the person at the Apple Store who told you that is wrong. You only need to calibrate the iPhone if the battery life is less than expected or if it shuts down at above 0%. Some people like to be proactive and calibrate it once a month. That’s probably a good idea, but I don’t do that anymore.
Okay. Thanks. It was helpful. I have one more doubt. This is a bit off topic from calibration.
Do I need to regularly fully charge to 100%. My friend suggested me to charge in the range of 80-90%. If you charge it 100% everyday then it may damage your battery. Can you please answer that?
Your friend is correct and I have written about that issue in the “How to Extend iPhone Battery Lifespan” article. They actually do this with satellites, as it keeps their batteries lasting longer.
I personally don’t do this. I charge all of my Apple devices to 100% and beyond. My iPhone 4 is almost 6 years old now, and it still holds a charge quite well. I have a 5 year old iPad 2 that also still has excellent battery life. With this experience, I charge my iPhone 6 to 100% and beyond, without worrying about it diminishing the battery lifespan. The battery will outlast the device’s usefulness. That iPad 2 I have is really well made, but iOS updates have rendered it practically useless. If I could downgrade it to iOS 7, it wouldn’t be much use either, as many of the apps I use require at least iOS 8. In short — your battery will probably outlast the usefulness of your device, unless you are hopelessly addicted to it. People who use their iPhones 12+ hours a day can’t expect the battery to last forever. These are the people who use it while it’s being charged, because they will get the shakes if they can’t check their Twitter feed. People like that tend to upgrade devices often, so the shortened battery lifespan is not an issue.
It’s a tradeoff. Charging to 90% will make the battery last longer, because it puts less stress on the lithium ion cells. But you will also get less use time on your device. It’s up to you. I personally don’t do it. I don’t recommend it. But it really will make your battery last longer.
I should mention that the iPhone does a trickle charge after it reaches 80%. This is designed to ameliorate the effects of fully charging a lithium ion battery.
Hi. My battery drops every minute even when the data is off and worse when my data is on. Do you think the calibration process will help? Also, I was wondering if a bad charger caused it? People have been saying I should change the battery, but I want to be sure. I noticed it started draining fast when I upgraded to IOS 9.1. What do you think I should do? Thanks.
The calibration process should fix this problem. Also, rapid battery drain often occurs after major iOS upgrades. This is because iOS runs processes in the background after the update. Spotlight is re-indexed and iCloud sometimes does some syncs in the background.
I recommend calibrating the battery after any major iOS update.
My battery is dropping every minute when the data is off or on. Do you think the calibration process will help? I noticed it started draining fast after upgrading to iOS 9.1. I was also wondering if a bad USB cord caused it. What do you think I should do?
I doubt it was a bad USB cable that caused a problem with your iPhone’s battery. When you upgrade iOS, it will sometimes run processes in the background. Battery life will decrease faster the first day or so after the iOS update is installed. I do recommend calibrating the battery after an upgrade. In my experience, it does seem to help.
Most times when I plug in, the battery either reduces or increases. I would also like to know if the process of holding the sleep/wake and home button is the same as reset/calibration. I am using an iPhone 6, and it’s just 17 months old.
The soft reset — holding the sleep/wake and Home buttons for 10 seconds — is different from the calibration process. The calibration instructions are listed in the article.
Hi. I want to calibrate the battery of my mother’s iPhone 5, because it dies before 1%.
Is this a problem or would calibration work anyway?
P.S. I let it sit for a few hours (at the moment I can’t leave it for the whole night because she needs it) and when it turned back on it was already showing 15%.
Now I turned it off and I’ll leave it on charge for 4/5 hours, then I’ll reset it.
Do you think it will work? Thanks.
Yes, it will probably work. One thing, if this iPhone is old and still has the original battery, it’s possible that the battery is reaching the end of its lifespan. Give calibration a try.
My phone has started to die at about 50 or 60 percent. It used to happen in colder temps — not too cold, only about 40 or 50 degrees F. Now it will die inside when over halfway charged. It’s a 6S and a little over a year old. I took it to the Apple Store and they restored it completely and problem is still occurring. But they said they couldn’t do anything hardware related for free. What do you think? Trying to recalibrate now. (it’s been at one percent for two hours which is funny given how bad the battery life typically is). Thanks for any and all advice!
Apple has a battery recall program for the iPhone 6S and you can check the serial number. One would think the Apple Store employees would do this, but who knows? If the battery is not part of the recall, try calibrating. If that doesn’t work, you may need to replace it.
It’s highly unusual for such a new iPhone to have these kind of battery problems, unless you are using it a lot, charging it when using it or you live in a very hot climate. Leaving it in a hot car can also damage the battery. Charging it in a case can also decrease battery lifespan. It’s unfortunate that Apple does so little to educate customers about protecting the battery’s lifespan, but it’s not in their interest to do so. After all, you may buy a new iPhone. You may take it to the Apple Store for service. If they are honest, the blogosphere may smear them with a new “gate” scandal. So they are quiet about it.
If you are interested in making your iPhone’s battery last years, check out this article.
Thanks for all the advice! When I drive (which is not that often but typically for longer trips) I have a USB that connects to the car and plays music. So I stream music while it is charging. Is this a big issue?
I wouldn’t worry about it. If the screen is off and the music is downloaded, it should be fine. If you’re truly streaming over a 3G or LTE connection, it will use considerable power, which will heat the phone and battery. If you plan on keeping your iPhone for years, it may be a problem. For people who replace their iPhone every 2 years, it won’t be.
Ideally, you should download the music onto the device.
My iPhone suddenly drops and increases battery like it’s 25% it suddenly jumps to 67% and also decreases like this. Tell me, what should I do?
You can try calibrating. It might work. There are a few other possibilities. iOS 10 introduced a battery bug that causes erratic meter behavior and unexpected shut downs. There is also a recall for certain models of the iPhone 6S. The other possibility is that the battery is on its last legs and will need to be replaced soon. It may be better to just buy a new iPhone, if it’s an older model.
A few days after updating my iPhone, the screen had a problem. It sometimes doesn’t respond to the touches of my fingers and when it does only the right side works not the left side. I decided to leave it untouched for like 1-2 days and charge it until it comes on, when it it was charged it finally worked. After using it that day, the next day it would have the same problem, the screen is broken again. So is using the method shown here the right thing to do or should I just take it to an Apple Store? Thanks in advance
I think your iPhone may have “touch disease”. Is it an iPhone 6 Plus? If that’s the case, calibration won’t fix this. You should bring it into the Apple Store and try to get them to fix it for free. If not, they charge about $150 to fix it.
I was so excited to try this with my iPhone (5s), as I began with only 17 hours of standby. Unfortunately now after going through this whole process, my phone now says 1 minute for standby and 1 minute for usage. After multiple hard restarts it’s not changed and is very disappointing. Guess I should have read some comments first before believing this would help, has seriously made it worse. I was so excited for improvement.
Standby and usage times are actual measurements, not an estimate of how long the battery will last. It’s usage, not an estimate of how much you will get. Look at the graphic toward the top of the article. The iPhone screen displays “TIME SINCE LAST FULL CHARGE” and the battery meter is 5%. The title of the screen is “Usage”, meaning how much you have used since it was last reset. After you calibrate, those stats start at 0 and increase as your battery is used. That’s why it shows 1 minute after you do a reset. The reset puts it at 0, but by the time you get to that screen, it shows 1 minute. What you are seeing is normal. Check the usage stats again when your battery is closer to 0%.
How could an iPhone estimate standby time and usage time? They would need to predict the future. How would they know how you use your iPhone? I know Apple has an app called Time Machine, but it doesn’t really facilitate time travel.
As for the comments, most of them are favorable and many people say it works. I know it works too. Apple does too. They used to give these instructions with the iPhone and Apple Store employees tell customers to calibrate as well. Google it.
This article has been viewed about 700,000 times. With all of those views, about two people have complained it made things worse. That’s probably because their battery’s lifespan was at its end. iPhone batteries don’t last forever, and when they are starting to fade, some people visit this page and expect a miracle. I’ve done my best to manage their expectations. Calibration does not perform miracles, but it fixes battery issues for many people. For a lot of people, there will be no improvement. There’s no harm in trying it.
I think it’s a bit silly to believe that running down the battery to 0%, charging it fully and resetting it will damage the battery, like it’s some malevolent Easter egg. I’ve been doing this for years, and I know it works. This process is nothing exotic or out of the ordinary. Beyond the iPhone, it will work for many devices with smart battery ICs.
Battery University also mentioned that one should calibrate batteries, and they specifically mention Apple devices.
Hi! I recently updated to iOS 10.2 on my iPhone 6s, around 2 weeks ago, and noticed that its draining my battery life. When on standby, my battery drains much more quickly than before. It lost around 20-30% overnight while I was asleep. Will calibrating help solve the issue? I’ve already turned off features that could drain battery and kept it in low power mode the whole time.
Does it shut down at around 30% and then, when restarted, shows a higher battery percentage? If so, it’s a bug in iOS. If not, try calibrating. Sometimes upgrading iOS can damage the battery, because the process takes a long time and, if done while charging, it can generate a lot of heat. If your battery is on its last legs, it can cause problems.
But the most likely cause is that, after a major iOS upgrade, there are processes running in the background that use battery power. Spotlight often gets re-indexed. iCloud does some housekeeping. These processes cause the battery to drain. If this is the cause, it will get back to normal in a day or so. You can’t turn these off. These are post-update optimization processes. Let them run their course, and all should be fine.
Perhaps I missed it, but don’t you want to clarify that for 7’s and 7+’s you need to hold the sleep/wake button and the VOLUME Down button, NOT the Home button? Right?
I have a note to add this information, but I haven’t done it yet. I have this suggestion in a few articles, so I need to find and replace it. Thanks for reminding me!
I just bought a new iPhone 6S 32GB in India. I charged it to 100% all night. It still shows the lightening bolt icon. Does it need to vanish after a full charge? Ideally, if I remember it used to be in 5S I was earlier to was using just before this. Also should I update 10.2, I am little sceptical as I heard it has exchange push issues and lesser battery life. Need your expert advise on this. Many thanks and really loved your posts and a great learning.
The lightning bolt icon will continue to display even when the phone is at 100%. It indicates that your charger is connected.
I personally haven’t upgraded to iOS 10 yet. I am still on iOS 9. There are still too many bugs. This is the longest I have waited to upgrade iOS. I used to do it the day it released, but Apple’s quality has slipped lately.
Thanks for the appreciation!
Hello. I have an iPhone 5s and recently having some issues with the battery issues: it has these drops of percentage like now it’s at 83% and it suddenly drops at 67%. When I plug it in it goes up instantly at 76% (for example). It’s weird and I don’t know if I have to change the battery or something else.
Calibration will usually fix this type of problem. Simply follow the steps in this article and it should work. It’s also possible that your battery needs replacement. It may just be better to get a new iPhone, if that’s the case. Replacing the battery is expensive and sometimes the money is better spent on a new iPhone.
I have an iPhone 6 and the battery life is very inconsistent. It is sometimes very good and lasts long but sometimes drains quite quickly. Also, do you have to leave the phone plugged in after it has reached 100%? This is because I may find it difficult to leave my phone plugged in for five hours due to travel etc.
The inconsistencies in battery life may be due to the apps you are using. Go to Settings > Battery to see which apps are using the most juice. These differences can also be attributed to temperature extremes. As with all smartphones and lithium-ion battery-powered devices, the iPhone can experience power issues in cold and hot weather. Check out my article “iPhone Tips for Cold Weather” for more information.
If you are calibrating, you should keep charging it after it has reached 100%. For all other situations, it isn’t necessary. In fact, under-charging the device could extend the battery’s overall lifespan, however, I don’t recommend it. After all, most people want their iPhone’s charge to last all day. Even if you charge it to 100% and beyond, the battery should last 2 years under normal conditions. Most people just get a new iPhone after 2-3 years. I still have my 6 year old iPhone 4 (in addition to my iPhone 6). It’s battery lasts a really long time!
But no, charging it to 100% or below, for routine charges, is not a problem at all.
The battery usage data doesn’t show. Under standby it says information will be shown after iPhone is fully charged when it has been and where it should show the apps using the battery, it says data will be available after using the iPhone for a few minutes.
Right, that’s to be expected. When you notice your iPhone is discharging rapidly, check this screen. The app taking up the highest percentage of battery power may be the culprit.
That’s the problem the apps don’t come up it’s blank.
That’s normal. As you use your iPhone, the screen will be populated with battery usage data.
I’ve had the iPhone for two weeks I’ve even calibrated it but the data still doesn’t appear.
When you do the reset and fully charge the phone, it resets that data. The battery usage data is per charge cycle. It should show up eventually, although I have read of some cases where it doesn’t until the next charge cycle.
So what do I have to do to get it to show up?
I’ve charged my phone a few times and even calibrated it. However the battery still drains fast when using the phone but doesn’t drain during standby. Could it be due to the fact I restored the phone from an iCloud backup instead of setting up as a new iPhone. Any help will be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.
If it’s draining rapidly when you use it, but not in standby mode, it is probably an app that’s the culprit. I’m not sure if you can see the battery usage stats yet. Try closing all of your apps and seeing if the problem persists, just keeping the Home screen open.
Also, how strong is your cellular and WiFi signal strength? Try putting the device in Airplane mode (with WiFi turned off). If you have weak cellular or WiFi reception, your iPhone will use more power to establish a signal. This varies depending on whether you use GSM or CDMA. CDMA is more energy efficient. I use a Verizon CDMA iPhone, so it may be part of why I get great battery life. I also get great reception where I live.
Hi,
I have tried to drain my iPhone battery until the phone shuts down by itself, and then charged it for 5 hours, and tried to keep the phone off while charging.
But when I soft reset the phone, I held down power button+home button for like 3s till the screen went black, after waiting for another 3s and the screen was still black, I let go of the buttons. After I let go the buttons, the logo appeared after 0.5s and the phone rebooted. Did it count as soft reset? Do I need to do the whole process again?
Because I did not notice any battery improvement, the battery percentage is decreasing with inconsistent rate. I am using iphone 6s ios 10.2.1.
I’m not sure if your phone did the reset properly. From what I understand, you need to wait until you see the Apple logo before releasing both buttons.
Calibration doesn’t guarantee that your iPhone’s battery problems will be fixed. It helps in a lot of cases. It usually fixes problems with inaccurate battery metering. It should also help keep the battery lasting longer, by “exercising” all of the ions so they will not seize. If your battery isn’t in good shape, calibration can’t fix it.
Try looking at Settings > Battery for any apps that are using an unusual amount of power. Features such as auto updates and background content refreshes can also use power, even when your iPhone is locked. I turn all of these off.
The battery usage stats have not appeared yet. The battery drains no matter what app is being used. Plus, the WiFi signal is always strong.
How’s the cellular signal?
Strong, however today the phone drained by 7% during 2 hours of standby and only 1 minute of normal usage.
It may be the case that your battery needs replacement. If it is still under warranty, it may be a good idea to have it replaced as soon as possible. If not, it can be done through an authorized service technician. It’s not cheap, but since your iPhone is relatively new, it is worth it.
Ok thanks for your help.
I will try setting the iPhone up as new and see if anything improves. If not, then I will get the phone replaced.
I did find out how to get the battery stats to show up again. It happened on my iPhone too. It appears to be a defect with iOS 10. I plugged my iPhone into the charger, shut if off, and let it charge long enough to get to 100%. Then, with the cable still attached, I started up the phone and went to Settings > Battery. It showed 0 for both stats instead of “-“. I removed the cable after I verified that the stats were showing up. It should show 0 when the phone is fully charged and has just started.
It is true. Check your sources. Battery charges and it even charges faster.
Thanks. I will try and see if this works for me.
The battery stats appear but the battery usage stats which list all your apps still hasn’t appeared. Also the battery life on my phone has improved ?
Glad to hear your iPhone’s battery life has improved. Mine doesn’t show the app-specific battery usage either. It used to. It must be a defect. Hopefully, they will fix it in a future version of iOS.
OK. Thanks for your help.
Hi, I’m actually going through the charging phase already. However, during the first instance that I plugged my charger to my 4s, it did not seem to boot up and only showed a battery symbol with a thin red line (likely remaining power) on screen. So I took out the charger and plugged it back in a few times till the 4th try I just left it on and my phone eventually booted up. Now it’s off and has been charging for over 2 hours already. Will the repetitive plugging of the charger eventually affect the accurate calibration process as I conclude it later on? I’m running on ios 9.3.5. Thanks.
When an iPhone is completely drained, it takes some time for the system to boot up. It needs to charge the battery for a few minutes, and in that time, it shows the red battery symbol. Just leave it plugged in until it boots up. It should take no longer than 5 minutes.
I’m not sure if it affects the calibration process. Probably not, but if you don’t see results, try it again.
On an iPhone 6 I’ve noticed the battery switches from 65% to 1% in one step then turns off. When I plug it in, it quickly jumps from 1% to 65%. If I immediately remove power, in about a minute it jumps back to 1% and powers off. If I keep power connected, it eventually gets up to 100% (in a normal amount of time). It lasts overnight in low power mode, getting back down to about 70%. I was confused why it didn’t last a full day until I saw it jump from 65% to 1%
Is the battery shot? Seems like it may just be a calibration issue, but cycling has not helped. I don’t recall if I did a reset at 100%, but I will try that this time.
Calibration could help, but the battery might be shot. What seems to be happening is that the battery’s current drops dramatically at 65%. That could be the sign of a battery on its last legs. Give calibration a try, and if it doesn’t work, try replacing the battery.
One other suggestion — upgrade iOS. There was software related problem introduced in one of the iOS 10 minor versions. The battery meter would drop unexpectedly, which seems to be your situation.
I stopped at “first you drain the battery” because that’s the one thing you DO NOT want to do with lithium-ion batteries or the iPhone variation of it. It actually kills the battery. I highly advise to skip that step.
That’s incorrect. Draining the battery does not damage it unless you leave it in that state for months, causing the lithium ions to seize. It doesn’t even make sense. If you run your iPhone battery down (regardless of calibration) it doesn’t kill the battery. You’d have hundreds of millions of irate iPhone customers if that were true. Everyone who has read this article has surely drained their iPhone battery down to the point it shuts off.
I’ve been calibrating my devices using this method for years. I still have an iPhone 4 and 2011 iPad 2. After all these years, the batteries perform almost as new. My iPhone 6 is almost 3 years old and the battery lasts longer than expected. I know for a fact that draining the battery doesn’t harm it at all. In fact, it’s the exact opposite.
If you skip that step, you might as well not calibrate the battery at all. Just replace the battery or buy a new iPhone every year or so.
I have bought a new iphone 7. The battery is perfect but there is only the issue of calibration. I have done what you have said two times — 0 to 100%, but it doesn’t work. What can I do? My battery is draining too fast. Thanks.
Try upgrading iOS. There is a bug in some versions of iOS 10 that causes the iPhone to shut down unexpectedly before the battery reaches 0%. It doesn’t affect most users, but it may be the problem. The other issue is that a new iPhone often has to do some background processes after you set it up. It communicates with Apple’s servers, indexes Spotlight, etc. It may just get back to normal on its own. You can also go to Settings > Battery to check the usage stats. There may be a specific app that is draining the battery. It happens.
Hello. I am having trouble with my battery percentage. It is hard to explain but I’ll try my best. This started like 2-4 months after I bought my 7 plus, when my phone will die and I’ll recharge it it will automatically open and be at 2%. When people charge their phone it would usually take about 5 minutes and it will open to 5%, right? I didn’t really think it was a big deal until my phone died again at 2% not 1%, when I charged it. It again, automatically opened but at 3% and not 2%. I noticed that it was a cycle, the next time my phone dies and I’ll recharge it, it will be 4% and die at 4% and not 1%. I didn’t know what to do and it reached to 20% (where my phone will again die at 20% to 21% 22% and so on). So I decided to recalibrate my phone and it went back to normal where I would charge it and it will take 5 minutes before it will open. But the cycle happened again after a few days, I noticed it always come back, it really frustrates me that I have to recalibrate my phone more than once a month because of this, please help me with my issue, thank you very much.
My best guess is that it’s a software bug causing the problem. It is basically a flaw which prevents accurate metering of your iPhone’s battery. Calibration will fix it temporarily, but then it returns as the software defect miscalculates the battery charge. You just have to keep upgrading iOS and hope they fix it. There was a bug in an early version of iOS 10 that affected battery metering. iPhones would shut down at around 30%. It seems like there is still a defect, though not as severe. Let’s hope they fix it.
You are a Godsend I did the calibration yesterday and today my iPhone is performing very well, thank you thank you for this article keep bringing more.
Thanks for the positive feedback! I don’t get a lot of that. Some people think I just made it up. Since there is so much false information on the Internet, I often get accused of generating it. You are one of the many people who have benefitted from battery calibration. That’s the silent majority. Thanks for speaking up!
As for more information, I have almost 800 pages of content on this site. Check out the sitemap, and you’ll probably find more useful information.
I attempted this and wish it could have worked with me. I think your method is useful, but didn’t work out for me. I believe my phone has experienced a software issue and when I drained my phone one day (I never do, I always charge it once it’s below 20%) and when I went to charge it, my phone never turned back on and thus began myself putting my phone in DFU, recovery mode, contacting Apple, using third-party apps to bring it out of loop. After I managed to somehow get my phone running again, I tried this process and it hasn’t worked. This has never happened to me before, and I feel unlucky since I’m not someone who abuses and drops their iPhone every twenty seconds and charges it with a knock-off cable. I hope you can help me find a solution. I even spoke to an Apple Technical Support person and they stated that my battery is still healthy through diagnostics, and using applications such as coconutBattery indicates my phone battery capacity is still at 91%.
Currently, there is a known problem with iOS 10.3.2, which causes battery problems for a small number of users. My theory is that it is from iCloud syncs, but I can’t prove it, as I don’t have access to an affected device. Do you have a lot of data in iCloud?
Overall, iOS 10 has had a few releases in which this problem has surfaced, and it is exactly as you describe. Unfortunately, calibration can’t fix it. You will have to wait until Apple releases an update. You could try turning off and signing out of iCloud to see if it helps. If it does, please let me know!
I recently got my screen replaced with a third party and since then my battery life has diminished. I went back to them and they examined it and said the battery was not touched and there’s nothing unusual going on with the hardware. I also did an Apple diagnostic and they said the battery works fine and to try restoring it (which I did) and resetting the settings. Basically nothing seems to be working so I’m planning on trying the calibration process. I was just wondering if you had any suggestions or if you’ve heard about this before?
Replacing the screen shouldn’t affect battery life, unless they installed an app or fiddled with settings. Did you disable Touch ID or your passcode so they could unlock the device? Also, did they do anything with the brightness settings?
There’s no harm in trying calibration. Currently, the main issue with iPhone battery life has been with some iOS 10 minor versions. Some of them have introduced battery draining bugs that only affect a small number of users. If you restored your device, it most likely upgraded to iOS 10.3.2, which has some known battery issues. Also, when you do a factory restore, or after certain iOS upgrades, your iPhone is running processes in the background for several hours. These drain the battery.
Just out of curiosity, do you have a lot of content in iCloud? When you do a factory reset, even if you don’t restore from an iCloud backup, certain apps will automatically do this. For example, Contacts, Notes, etc. will retrieve data from iCloud. This will drain your battery.
My advice — wait a few days, and if it doesn’t improve, try calibration. You may just have to wait for iOS 10.3.3 to fix this issue.
Thank you so much for this article. My overall battery life has improved by at least 30% after the calibration. People should seriously try this before passing judgment, because it actually does help.
Thanks for the affirmation!
Hi, is it okay to use a powerbank for this? I have noticed that when I used my powerbank it charges much faster than the iPhone charger. Will this affect my battery? By the way, im using iPhone SE. Thanks for your response.
It’s best to use the iPhone charger. Faster chargers can heat up the device and its battery. This may shorten the lifespan of your battery. For more information, please read “How to Extend iPhone Battery Lifespan”.
In addition with my previous question, I have read that some of those with updated IOS which is 10.3.2 has some issues after the calibration. Does it mean that I should not try to calibrate for now my phone for I’m using the updated version?
Yes, iOS 10.3.2 is causing battery problems for a small number of users. You can try calibration. It won’t hurt. But if the problem is due to the iOS 10.3.2 defect, you will have to wait for them to fix it.
I had the same issue. After replacing the screen with third party, battery life has diminished pretty much. The screen wasn’t original, and it seems there was some problem with one of 4 mics on iPhone 6. Was iOS 10.3.2, but now when iOS 10.3.3 is available battery health is already under 50%.
So just checked – in 20 days battery health diminished from more than 87% to 49%.
I being using my iphone 6 for about 2 1/2 years. This is the first time that occurred to me about the battery issue. I just noticed recently that the percentage of my phone isn’t correct. Whenever the percentage of the battery is 38% the phone shutdown. Anyone can you please help me? Thank you. I will appreciate your reply.
Sir I want a very urgent help from you. Sir my battery always dies as it comes to less than 70%. So how could I calibrate my battery when my iPhone 5s shuts down and again I press the power button then it shows less battery and doesn’t power on. SIR PLEASE REPLY ME for this I shall be obliged to u forever?
You need to plug your iPhone in and wait for it to charge enough before it will turn on. But you want to charge it when it is off. So turn it off after it powers on and then follow the rest of the steps listed in the article.
Thanks for the help!
I have a question. I did all the steps and charged my iphone for 5 hours it was 100% for at least an hour. But when I did the reset it was 96% is this a sign that it worked or what?
Actually, it’s more of a sign that it did not work. When you reset, it should be at 100%. Such a rapid decline in battery life may indicate a problem with the battery. Calibration might not be able to fix that. If you’re not getting the expected battery life, I suggest replacing your battery or iPhone.
Do not do those things in latest iPhone. The batteries are not the same anymore. Charge the battery often even if it’s just for 10% or 20% more. Do not let it charge over 100% or lower than 20% or 10%. That way you do not run through the battery life finite complete drain-charge cycle as quick.
http://www.apple.com/lae/batteries/why-lithium-ion/
I am well aware of Apple’s information, however, calibration is still helpful. I do not recommend that calibration be done every time you charge your iPhone. Apple Store employees also recommend calibrating the iPhone battery. Read the comments, and you will see that many people have been helped.
The iPhone 8 and X still use lithium-ion batteries. Nothing has changed with the core technology. The batteries are more compact, but they are still lithium-ion batteries. Calibration also has a lot to do with how iOS tracks battery life. As the battery ages and loses capacity, calibration helps reset the battery meter. It may not improve battery life in all cases, but it will make the battery meter more accurate.
Hi! I’ve been advised by an Apple Support Adviser to calibrate my battery because it was found out that my battery is still in good condition after apple’s diagnostics. I’ve calibrated it already but still my battery is draining so fast. I just noticed one problem on my battery. My phone can’t calculate its battery usage. The usage and standby usage are blank. There is no value for both. Is this a software problem? I have an iPhone 5s currently running at iOS 11.1 this problem persists after iOS 11 update. BTW, Thank you for doing this article. Even though it doesn’t work on my phone, I’m still very thankful.
Thank you so much for mentioning that an Apple Support Adviser recommended battery calibration. If you read through the comments, there’s always a few clever people who claim that calibration is complete fiction. Apple used to include these instructions with the iPhone, but removed them because it’s bad marketing. No other brand of smartphone recommends calibration, even though it applies. It applies to any device with a “smart” battery. Apple had to meet the lowest common denominator on this one. They use their Apple Store support infrastructure to recommend it more discretely.
The usage and standby stats are blank if you restart or reset the phone when it isn’t plugged in. I had the same experience and eventually figured it out. Also, after the calibration, both statistics are reset. Try plugging it in and restarting or soft resetting your iPhone.
Thank you. I fixed my battery problem which used to jump from 20-1.
I have to do it 2 times though
I bought this iPhone 5s from a trusted seller and plugged it in. The Apple logo would show for about a second and went away. This repeated until it started charging. Then it would charge 4% every 10 seconds and the battery indicator is stuck at 100%
Try calibrating the battery. It seems as though the battery may be shot. If calibration doesn’t help, try getting a refund.
I’ve just replaced my iPhone 6s Plus battery as I want to sell it, but have a problem. I did the procedure for calibrating, but on the last step when I turn on the phone it was only at 45%.. I had left it on the 5W Apple charger for 5:30 h. Now the percentage increases when connected to my iMac.
I started the whole calibration process because I’ve noticed the new battery drained very quickly (1% per 30-60 sec.) and this was after a restore. I will charge it now to 100% and see how it drains while on standby. If it’s too quickly I will buy a new battery, but can’t really decide from where. I live in Bulgaria and don’t want to wait 1-2-3 weeks for a delivery from abroad.
I just hope I didn’t mess up something else during the installation of the battery 🙂
Your approach seems to be the right way to go. Calibration can’t fix everything, but it’s worth a shot. I hope it works out!
Wonderful wealth of information and I like how it continues! I have a week old iPhone X. Works beautifully. Would it make sense to calibrate it now or wait a couple of months? Thanks much.
I would wait a few months. I find that the opportunity to calibrate usually presents itself. If my iPhone is close to 0% and I haven’t calibrated it in a few months, I do it.
It was interesting to learn about how calibration affects your battery. I learned a lot about why calibration is important. I wasn’t aware that it was something that needed to be taken care of once a month.
My wife and I just purchased those wireless chargers for the X. Really convenient but I do notice she takes every opportunity to rest the iPhone on the charger anytime she walks in the door. I’ve mentioned the 40-80% range with calibrating when the opportunity presents itself but she has a habit! Is the 40-80 advice still valid or was that from an earlier period? Thanks again for this wealth of information. I’ve been forwarding this page to friends/co-workers.
Thank you for sharing this page. I really appreciate it. Also, sorry for the delay in responding to this comment. I have recently returned from winter vacation and I’m just getting back into the swing of things.
You are correct about the 40% – 80% range. In fact, I wrote a whole article about the finer points of battery care — “How To Extend iPhone Battery Lifespan”. This is still valid for the iPhone X. In fact, I personally wouldn’t use a wireless charger, as they do create additional heat. But there is a tradeoff between battery lifespan and convenience. For example, if you only charge your iPhone to 80%, you will have fewer hours of use.
I wouldn’t overthink it. Just get the battery replaced towards the end of the year, and you’ll get a few more years out of your device. I strongly recommend taking advantage of the $29 iPhone battery replacement program — even if you have an iPhone X.
I am well aware of optimal battery care, however, I don’t really practice it. It’s just too inconvenient. I do calibrate the battery, but I also charge my iPhone to 100%. I let it run down below 40% all the time. Given the longevity of Apple devices, it will become obsolete before the battery dies. I still have my old iPhone 4 with the original battery, which still “just works”.
I’ve been calibrating the battery on my iPhones for 7 years and have never damaged the battery in any way. In fact, I still use my old iPhone 4 every day as a kitchen timer and clock. I only charge it once in two weeks. I also have a three year old iPhone 6, with the original battery, that has been calibrated several times. The battery is in mint condition, and it is not slowed down due to a failing battery.
Read through the comments and you will see many claims that this works. The whole reason I calibrate is because it was in my first iPhone’s manual. Although it is no longer in the manual, you can easily find that Apple Store geniuses recommend and follow this procedure.
You have confused long term storage at 0% with running a phone down to 0%, waiting hours (not days or weeks) and charging it. Long term storage at 0% will damage the battery, but that’s not part of the calibration process. I have written about these issues in other articles. I have studied lithium ion batteries, particularly with regard to Apple devices, for years now. This cockamamie theory pops up every once in a while.
There seems to be a lack of common sense in your comment. People run their iPhones down to 0% and charge them fully all the time. Some people do this every day. What you claim would suggest using the full range of one’s iPhone battery will ruin it. It would mean that simply running an iPhone down to 0% would ruin it. This is a misunderstanding with alarmist implications. It is simply not true.
It seems to me that you had a defective battery installed. Either that, or you used a charger with too much power. There’s no way calibration will “cook” a battery. That is completely cockamamie. It is completely safe to run down an iPhone battery all the way and charge it. Just don’t leave it at 0% for weeks.
OK. You ordered a battery online and replaced it yourself, and now you’re blaming the failing battery on this article. You probably should have had Apple install the correct replacement battery for $29. The battery you bought may be poor quality. It is well known that unofficial Apple replacement parts are often poor quality. You may have damaged the phone or battery with the DIY battery replacement.
The lesson to be learned here is that people should get their devices serviced by Apple or an authorized service technician. I know for a fact that calibration does not ruin the battery. I also know for a fact that people often buy poor quality batteries and damage their phone with DIY repairs.
I can’t comment on calibration on iPhones as I’m not knowledgable of apples systems but given the amount of rubbish this author has spouted about overcharging past 100% I would be inclined to completely disregard anything he has to say, you can’t over charge lithium battery’s they can explode so they have cut off circuits built into the battery, and discharging a battery past 0% is also rubbish and potentially damaging lithium ion battery’s can be irreversible damaged if discharged past a certain point, my guess is apple shuts down phones to save data is correct but it’s also to save the battery from over discharging just my 50p
I first learned about “overcharging” when I read an article featuring an interview with Apple SVP Michael Tchao. He admits that Apple devices charge beyond 100%. I have linked to this in my article, but you neglected to read it, and decided to add an ad hominem attack on my credibility. I don’t mind criticism, but I refuse to take this from such a moron.
Your personal attack is ironic, because you attempt to undermine my credibility, yet you are too ignorant and lazy to read a linked article providing proof. Your inconsiderate and thoughtless comment only makes you look bad.
Your writing is garbage. You can’t even formulate a proper sentence. Spell checking seems to be yet another technology you are unfamiliar with. I had to fix your spelling errors and profanity, but I left everything else as is. You should be embarrassed to post such poor quality trash. I rarely deal in ad hominem attacks, but you are a one-in-a-million moron. “Just my 50p”?!?! You are vastly overvaluing your opinion. You should be paying people to read or listen to your opinion, as it is of such low value.
Beyond the Apple SVP, Dr. Ray Soneira at DisplayMate has tested this extensively, and most devices charge beyond 100%. This includes non-Apple devices. 100% just means that a microprocessor has determined that the battery will last the expected time. It is not a measure of lithium-ion concentration. That is much too difficult to measure. 100% is just an estimation provided by an algorithm. It is an abstraction.
Was it too hard to search the web for this before posting? You don’t even need to look that hard. The link was right there.
I never wrote anything about discharging a battery below 0%. I recommend draining the battery fully overnight or for a few hours. This only damages the battery if this is done over long term storage — months. I cover this in more detail in the linked article about extending iPhone battery life. Of course, you didn’t read that either. You seem more interested in clobbering us with the tiny bit of misinformation you have.
“my guess is apple shuts down phones to save data”
Wow, there is no limit to your moronic nature. Apple slows down some iPhones with failing batteries. This was all over the news. The conclusion you have come to underscores what a complete moron you are. Are you in a prison or institution? Are you not able to get news coverage? Or are you just a moron?
“they have cut off circuits built into the battery”
Incorrect once again. The power IC manages charging. There is nothing in the battery itself that regulates charging. I actually read the documentation for power ICs in Apple devices. I look at the iFixit teardown, find out what the part is and read the manufacturer’s documentation. We can’t all just make things up, like you do. Some of us actually research before writing.
Charging past 100%? So you’re saying it’s possible to fill something beyond its capacity? Can you also fill a water bottle past 100%?? Do you realise how nonsensical and fundamentally dumb the statements you have made are. Never mind calling out readers, this article was a load of waffle, get your facts straight.
A smart battery is not a water bottle. The battery meter is an abstraction.
A 100% iPhone charge indicates that the device has the expected battery life. Batteries aren’t perfectly homogeneous components. Like most electronic components, there are some variances in their capacities. It’s possible to charge an iPhone beyond 100%, and I provide a link and quote from an Apple SVP who mentions this fact.
I’m not calling out readers. I’m calling out those who did not read the entire article or those with poor cognitive and reading comprehension skills. I realize that not everyone has had the advantages I’ve had in life. But don’t s**t on me because you can’t read or you don’t understand technology. The water bottle analogy is like something Rush Limbaugh would put forth. It has no place on a technology website.
You’re also wrong about the water bottle. It’s possible to fill a water bottle past 100% due to surface tension. You’re calling my statements dumb? Seriously? Where did you go to college? What are your SAT scores? What’s your IQ? You seem like some kind of Mc Idiot.
I replaced my 4s battery a year ago and i still have the problem with the phone shutting down at approx. 44 percent of battery charge. I am not sure if it is just a calculation error or if I am being short changed. I have resorted the phone twice. That did not change a thing. This situation makes it difficult to fully discharge the battery if it is almost half charged as the phone will not turn on. About a month ago, I managed to get it fully discharged once, but it took 2 weeks. I tested it early at 15% and it ran done to 3%. I drained it again, the fully charged the phone. I may not have restarted it. But, once again it shut off at 44%. But, again, maybe its its okay as I still get a couple of days out of the first half as I keep it in airplane mode overnight and I don’t use it much.
I have an iPhone 4s as an extra phone. It has a fairly new battery. For a long time now, it has been turning off at 45-50% charge because of low battery. How would you run the battery done to 0 if the phone will not turn on?
Hi. My iPhone battery keeps jumping, it’ll jump from 99 percent to 76 within the minute or 2. Would this calibration work on my phone? My iPhone is new.
You can try it, but I think something else is going on. When you buy a new iPhone, there are often background processes that drain the battery faster. I remember when I first got my iPhone 6, it was losing battery power like crazy. I calibrated it, and it helped, but something else was going on. Background processes were running to do all the optimizations and “housekeeping” required with a new device. These processes also run after major iOS updates.
Calibration won’t hurt, but the problem may go away when the background processes stop.
Does anyone have any observations to make in relation to re-calibration and the Battery Health statistic in iOS 11.3?
My 3+ year old iPhone 6 has 97% capacity after years of use. I calibrate it a few times a year. This would indicate that calibration definitely doesn’t hurt. It really surprised me that the battery is in great shape.
It would be interesting to see if someone with a low capacity has it increase after calibration, but I wouldn’t expect this to happen. Calibration is partially about getting an accurate battery meter, so your phone doesn’t shut down unexpectedly before 0%.
when I re-calibrate it solves the problem of my iPhone 6 plus always restarting. But then if I let my battery go lower than 50% it suddenly starts again even if I recharge. Until I re-calibrate again and maintain a battery life above 50%. Tried replacing the battery at a local technician’s but it is still the same it just last a little longer before it gets below 50%. This seems to be a common problem after the iOS 11.3 update. I might just lose my loyalty to the apple brand -_- it really sucks!!
I recently upgraded to iOS 11.3, and my iPhone is losing charge faster than normal. This is to be expected. After major updates, iOS typically runs some optimization tasks in the background. It seems to get back to normal after the subsequent charge cycle.
With iOS 11.3, you can now check the health of your battery. Just tap on Settings > Battery.
BTW, Apple will replace an iPhone 6 Plus battery for free. Just make sure to do this by December 2018. This was part of their apology for slowing down iPhones with failing batteries. If you don’t live near an Apple store, you can send it in. You will have to live without an iPhone for a few days. Make sure to forward calls.
As a software developer, I think they made the right decision. People were upset about it, as if they’d rather have their phone shut down unexpectedly. No one I know wants that. It is the typical, mindless Apple-bashing that happens in Internet echo chambers. Thank (or blame) social media for that one.
Thank you for the time it took you to write such an informative article. I have 2 questions.
1. In another article you alluded to the debate on daily charging and it’s effects on lifespan. You mentioned you typcially charge your own battery to 100%. I’m curious at what percent you go down to prior to charging. I generally wait until I’m under 5% and then charge to 100%.
2. What is your opinion on leaving the battery in low power mode all the time? I typically do this and it helps the battery last longer, however I don’t know your take on if there is a downside to this for lifespan.
It really depends on whether I need my iPhone all day or not. If my iPhone is at 70% in the morning and I am going out all day, I will charge it all the way. If I am staying home, I run it down as much as possible. That said, with all of the cyber attacks going on, my Internet service is fragile. Lately, I have been topping off my iPhone because sometimes I don’t have home Internet access for 12 hours. Yeah, I am a Comcast/Xfinity customer!
Apple’s take is that incremental charging is fine and if you charge from say, 70% to 100%, it only counts as 30% of a charge cycle. You can expect about 300 to 500 charge cycles on an iPhone before the battery dips below 80% capacity.
There’s actually a good case for incremental charging. When you charge an iPhone above 80%, it does a slower trickle charge. This is common with all lithium ion battery-powered devices, as the last 20% puts more stress on the battery, so it is done with less charge. Thus, charging it before it gets below 80% does a slower trickle charge.
There is another notion that one shouldn’t let the battery go over 80% because of the stress issue. This is actually done in satellites, since it is so hard to get up there and replace the batteries. While it is true that charging above 80% shortens the battery’s lifespan, it also reduces the time you can use your iPhone.
It’s all a balancing act. You have to choose between preserving battery lifespan and convenience.
I noticed Apple updated their battery info page once again, removing even more information. They used to mention calibration. Now they don’t even mention the number of charge cycles. They’re sliding to the lowest common denominator because their competitors don’t mention these things, and if they do, people may perceive it as a flaw. It’s a true irony of the information age — a lot of times marketing experts like to keep things vague.
If you want to keep your battery lasting longer, keeping it in low power mode all the time will help. I wouldn’t advise this, as it diminishes your iPhone experience. That said, I turn off all the automatic downloads and content refreshes. I do this more because it eats up network bandwidth, and as a Comcast/Xfinity customer, sometimes it slows down to 0.1 Mbps. Seriously. It is worse than 1993 CompuServe.
It IS true. Read everything thoroughly. If you follow the instructions as to how to turn it off exactly as stated on here, then it works perfectly. (I agree it won’t work if you just turn it off as per usual)….I used the above method followed precisely last night for the first time. Excellent! Bang on! Result!
Hello,
Thank you so much for the detailed instructions and information about Apple batteries. Unfortunately, it hasn’t fixed my problem, but maybe you have another idea.
I changed the battery of my iPhone 6S because the performance became low. The main problem for me was the fast drain overnight in standby mode (no Wi-Fi/cellular/bluetooth connection), I lost up to 70% during 7-8 hours. I tried some cheap eBay batteries, all of which were worse than my old genuine battery, or had different problems (bad connection, not chargeable, …). Now I tried a battery from ifixit.com, and in comparison to all batteries I had it is the best, but still loses several % overnight, up to 30% in 7-8 hours. The performance during the day is ok, I can use the phone up to 3-4h in different areas (often changing between Wi-Fi and cellular with good or weak signal). I did battery calibration, software reset, deactivated iCloud, and used the iPhone without restoring my backup. I always recognized the drain in standby mode.
Maybe you have another idea? The iPhone works absolutely perfect, all parts are genuine except the battery. Of course I can try Apple’s battery service, but the next Genius Bar is too far away, and I don’t want to send my iPhone. And maybe Apple will decline the battery change because now a third party battery is installed?
Cheers, Toni
My advice is to find a certified Apple repair shop. Apple recommends some — https://support.apple.com/repair.
Apple has pledged to repair all iPhone batteries (6/6 Plus or newer) for $29 until December 2018. It may be worth sending it in to Apple for that. They’ll use the right parts. You can always forward your calls to another number. But I do understand, living without an iPhone is not easy.
One more thing you can try… My hunch is that, in standby mode, your phone is losing charge trying to maintain a connection to the cell tower. How good is your cellular reception at home? iPhones drain rapidly when they don’t have a good cellular connection.
You can test this by putting your device in Airplane mode overnight. Keep in mind, you will not be able to receive calls. If you are on call in some important job (surgeon or something like that), make sure to forward your calls to another line. Otherwise, just put it in Airplane mode and have a good night’s rest. I think this will end the overnight battery drain.
Hi,
thank you for your answer. Sorry for the misunderstanding, with “standby mode” I meant “airplane mode”. Anyway, at home I have a very good signal. Maybe you have another idea? Maybe it is a kind of software bug in iOS11?
I will also try a genuine battery soon, then I will report my results to you.
Cheers, Toni
Hello am Etta just wanted to inquire if it’s good to charge your iPhone on a laptop without an iTunes installed on that message
Yes. In fact, I would avoid connecting to iTunes altogether and resist any impulse to install it. iTunes is simply horrible!
Charging your iPhone with your laptop is also a smart move because it uses very little current — actually less than the original iPhone charger. It will take longer, but it will keep your iPhone’s battery in better shape. Slower charging is better for the battery.
Does this calibration method still hold true for the latest iPhones?
Yes. It also applies to virtually any device with a smart lithium ion battery. I have a vaporizer that I calibrate periodically too. It works on pretty much any modern, high tech, lithium-ion powered device.
The new iPhones use the same lithium-ion technology and still need to be calibrated. I actually had a conversation with a Geek Squad geek about this at Best Buy a few days ago. They calibrate iPhone batteries, as do Apple Geniuses. In fact, they usually don’t even let users replace their battery if the “health” is above 80%. This is because any battery anomaly can usually be calibrated away. So to prevent unscrupulous maintenance techs from taking advantage of unsuspecting iPhone owners, Apple requires < 80% battery health for a replacement. They did waive this requirement for the $29 battery replacement offer (which expires at the end of December 2018!).
Thank you for this article! I am trying to recover my iPhone’s battery thru the process you have wrote. Hope this would help. 🙂
That was really nice to know about the calibration part. Actually we were looking for some more ways in which we can drain a battery at a very faster rate. Can you suggest any possible solution for that?
One thing we got in mind is to make sure of gyroscope using an app but still we want few other things like such to drain at a very faster rate..
Looking for suggestions.
Thanks in Advance
Geekbench does an excellent job of draining iPhone batteries. They also have an excellent battery benchmark.
Thanks for pointing it out mate. This is what I am really looking for ☺.
I have an iPhone 8 plus since February this year. About a month ago or less my battery health was 93%, couple a days ago was 91%, yesterday was 90% and now is 89%. I don’t do anything with my new phone, I use it as usual. I don’t know if there is anything I can do to increase the battery health? I would be very thankful if someone can help me!
I would recommend going for the $29 battery replacement deal before it expires at the end of December 2018. I just had my iPhone 6 serviced and it had 97% battery health. Now it is 100%. If they tell you it has to be under 80% to qualify for battery replacement, tell them that Apple has waived that requirement. I first took my iPhone to Best Buy and they told me Apple won’t allow them to replace the battery unless it is below 80%. That is usually true. I called Apple and they said they will replace the battery without question. They sent me a mailer box and the whole process took a few days. With shipping, it ended up being $37 or so.
Calibration probably won’t affect the battery health statistic. I calibrated my iPhone and it stayed at 97%. Calibration fixes issues with battery metering and should also prolong battery life.
I have a few ideas as to why your iPhone is losing battery health rapidly. My hunch is that the iPhone is getting warm. If you use a case, remove the case before charging. Apple mentions this on their site. Cases trap in heat, which affects battery health. Also, turn off your iPhone while charging. This will ensure that the battery doesn’t get too warm while charging. The iPhone runs its iCloud backup when it’s plugged in and turned on. This, combined with charging, can make your iPhone warm. Of course, you do want that iCloud sync to run. I typically do that once in a while, by turning on the iPhone after it has charged and leaving it plugged in. It does warm up the phone, so I’m to to fond of doing this, but it’s the only way to do an iCloud backup.
Also, check if there are any apps that are using an unusual amount of battery power. You can find these statistics in Settings > Battery. It could be that some background process is running and using a lot of resources. I remember there was a bug in Google+ a few years ago, that caused the app to use a lot of battery power. My iPhone got really warm whenever I used Google+. Perhaps another app has a similar defect.
I do it all the time when I want a full charge as quickly as possible.
You are damaging the battery so your estimate will be accurate? You are just trying to justify wanting to fully charge it when you admit everyone says to keep it between 20-80%! Some batteries can’t be replaced so you will have to replace the phone in a few years, 1000 days of once a day charging like that and capacity will be so reduced it will lose 1% every few minutes. Do you get Apple kickbacks?
You should try reading the article instead of trying to construct a delusional straw man. You seem to have both mental health and cognitive problems.
I just got an iPhone 6 for Christmas haven’t had it long my it new. My battery dain evey 15 to 20 I only can get a few 2 to 3 hour outta my iPhone haven’t had it a month yet
Thank you for the clear directions. I’m at a loss and could use some advice. I have an iPhone X that I acquired on 1/9/19, as my old X stopped working.
It seems that something has gone awry since. My battery (the health reads 100%) drains rather quickly for the last month or so, since the last time the phone backed up, which was 1/25/19. I can’t seem to get it to back up for the life of me.
The symptoms (I’m a RN) 🙂
*Won’t back up (even manually in the cloud)
*Very hot when its used/charging
*Battery won’t charge past certain percentages like 82, 84, etc. even with a reboot, I can get the percentage up, once at 100%, but nonetheless, it drains within 3 hours and then charges very, very slowly.
I’ve tried every possible remedy I can find online: soft resets, reset “all” settings, draining and calibrating the battery, signing out of the cloud…
I see two restores in the back up section: 1/9/19 7.3 GB (this was done at the genius bar when I got the new phone) and 1/25/29 7.4 GB.
I have tried backing up to iTunes (I use PC) and it won’t even allow me to do that!
I fear losing all my photos, texts, etc. if I restore back to one of the backups as it was my son’s birthday and there are many photos, as well, I am in litigation and need to keep all my data.
Is there anything you could think of that is causing my phone to act like a creep?
Thank you, thank you, thank you for taking the time to read this!
How are you backing up your iPhone? It should do the iCloud backup when you plug your iPhone in and leave it on. If this is getting interrupted, I would suspect a defective cable or some damage to the lightning port.
A slow Internet connection can also prevent proper backups. Run Speedtest (www.speedtest.net) and make sure the upload speed is sufficient.
What seems to be happening is that your iPhone is running some background process (backup?) and is caught in a loop. You may have to erase all content and settings and set it up again. Unfortunately, if you can’t back it up, you will lose documents and content, such as photos. You may be able to bounce those onto iCloud directly, without the backup. If you tap the heart button on a photo, it should sync it with iCloud. You can also use the Files app to bounce just about anything to iCloud. Then do the “erase all content and settings”. Then you will have a brand new, tabula rasa, iPhone X.
Thank you for your response! I will try the cloud through the files app – great idea! 🙂
My battery capacity was 96% before I tried this way but after trying this..it dropped to 95%.Should I be worried about it?
I wouldn’t worry about it. It is most likely a coincidence. Once the battery starts getting below 100% “health”, you can expect further decreases in that statistic over time. I haven’t seen mine drop after calibration, so it is probably a coincidence.
My iphone 8 plus’ battery health was at 94% but suddenly dropped to 91% over a span of two days. I have no idea what caused it. Will this method help?
It’s taken weeks of searching the web to find a fix for my battery issues (suddenly plummets 30% in under 5 mins or shuts down at 6%) and then I found this page. And it has worked a treat. It’s been over a week since I followed your calibration advice and all battery issues have disappeared. Thank you.
Hi. Thanks for the article. I have couple of questions:
1. After attending a call at around 1pm, my iPhone 6 showed 1% battery. It was around 20% before the call came. I spoke for 2 mins max. Now that 1% stays on the same even at 4:30pm. Only when I switch off to calibrate it, it does not restart because it now indicates me to attach charger. When I plug in the charger and then restart, it starts at 1%.
What I wish to know is how do I synchronise battery % and actual battery left.
2. I have always observed that while charging the iPhone, if I keep it charged for 10 mins more even after it has just reached 100%, the time taken for battery % to go to 99 from 100 takes little longer. This makes me feel that the phone is not fully charged when it indicates it has just reached 100%. You think that charging 10 mins more makes sense? Or am I harming the battery more?
Thanks.
Calibration resets your iPhone’s smart battery metering, according to Battery University. Of course, if your battery is in bad shape, the battery meter will be erratic. You can check battery health by tapping on Settings > Battery > Battery Health. Anything above 80% is OK.
Your observation about 99 – 100% charging is correct. The iPhone allows for some overcharging. In fact, if you leave it plugged in after it’s at 100% it will charge fully, then stop charging, letting some charge deplete, and then start charging again. This prevents the battery from being overcharged.
According to Apple, 100% gives you the expected run time. You can go beyond 100%, but the meter will only show 100%.
Thanks for your reply.
I just got my battery replaced 2 months ago. I keep a watch on the battery health. Currently, it is 100%.
Regarding charging over 100%, I usually stop after 10 mins after it just goes to 100%. But if I forget to remove, does it impact the health of the battery? I have read several article with conflicting views stating overcharging for hours can deplete the health of the battery… Whereas some say it does not impact the battery…
Also again talking about point no. 1 of my original post – after reading your article again – I am about to do the following to calibrate the battery…
1. Let my iPhone 6 turn off completely by itself.
2. Plug in the charger and let it charge 100% and beyond
3. Remove the charger and press home and sleep button together to reset.
4. Phone restarts automatically.
Please tell if this is ok to do? Also how much extra time should I charge the iPhone for for this reset? Please note that I use iPad charger to charge my iPhone as it does not harm the phone but only charges it faster.
Thanks again 🙂
Sorry, for got to mention – I will have to keep my phone on when I charge to calibrate the battery as I cannot switch off for longer time…
Will this work in a surplus iPhone 5s? My bro in law bought an iPhone 5s in Japan. It’s working great except the battery life. It sucks. 100% won’t last for 1 hour use even if it’s just a normal browsing on the net.
I have the iPhone XS, will these calibration steps work for this phone too?
Yes!
I just calibrated my battery using the steps below. I let the battery go out and let my phone sit there for two hours.When I plugged it in the charger, the battery icon showed up but the phone took about a minute or two to come back on, battery was at 2% when it came back on. I’m guessing when the phone didn’t come on right away after plugging it in to the charger that the battery was completely drained. Would you consider this to be an accurate assessment?
Yes. What you see is normal. Your iPhone needs a certain amount of charge to start, in order to shut down properly if need be. If it started up just when it got enough juice, and the user yanked the cable, it wouldn’t shut down properly. This is by design. I usually see it in about that range.
When getting wrong percentage or you just replaced your battery (iPhone, iPad):
– Put iPhone/iPad on charger
– “Hard reset” your device (Home and Main button at the same time until it reboots)
– Leave it on charger after restart until 100% charged + 1.5 hours
This is called “calibrating the battery”. The “Hard reset” will reset your iPhone’s information about the (old) battery.
It worked perfectly for my iPhone 5
Not quite the same thing as battery calibration, but if it works, great!
I bought an iPhone 8 plus from a trusted source. It’s slightly used and is less than a week old. I just recently replaced the battery and the meter does not update when it is charging. It only indicates the last pecentage for many minutes.
It only show an increse in percentage after you have restarted the phone. I tried factory settings but it’s the still same. I have yet to calibrate to see how it goes.
Hi. I bought an used iphone 6s which has the battery health of 99%. The thing is, the charge doesnt last longer. It keeps jumping from 100-75 in just 10-12 minutes. I switched off background process, location,wifi,bluetooth and just every other thing. Will this calibration help me?
Hello, thank you for this article. Not a lot of information on the web about proper battery management despite the super widespread usage of smartphones in our era…
I have got a question about calibration of the iPhones without a Home button, how do you do the step « 7. When the iPhone has booted up, hold down the sleep/wake and home buttons until you see the Apple logo.«
I am currently draining my iPhone 11 to understand the process of battery calibration and I am wondering how to deal with the lasts steps of the process. Thanks
My battery health keeps reducing. Does calibration make it static or adds some percentage to it ?
This is probably the worst advice concerning Lithium-ion batteries I have ever seen online. No, you should not “recalibrate” your battery once a month. You know what that’ll do? Speed up the rate at which your battery degrades and loses capacity. Sick and tired of hearing people with iPhones telling me that they recalibrate their batteries. It’s a myth. Back before lithium batteries, yes, you had to occasionally let them die, THIS IS NO LONGER THE CASE. Read literally any other article and they will remind you not to do this. It’s proven scientifically, idiots. TLDR: stop letting your phone’s die all the time. That’s the reason your battery sucks so bad. Best method to preserve battery life: only charge to 80%, and only let it drain to 30%. Obviously if your battery is already damaged, get a new one, recalibrate it ONCE, and then change your charging habits to prevent damage to ur new battery. Also, short charges are way better than long charges, so yeah, you might have to occasionally plug your phone in a few times, but trust me, it’s worth it. Also stop charging overnight, morons.
I’m sure people with iPhones are telling you about recalibration all the time. I know! It happens to me too. People just can’t stop talking about it. Arrrgggghhh!
Actually, I wrote about charging to 80% and 30% in an article about prolonging battery life. Calibration is different. It’s about resetting the software in a smart battery system, as the battery ages and loses capacity. I know that Apple Store Geniuses perform this operation.
If you only use your battery to 30%, the software meter will eventually lose track of the battery’s state. Regardless of how your charge, smart battery systems need to be calibrated once every one to three months.
Hi,
I have an Iphone 11 bought in Octomber 2019.
The battery health recently dropped at 99%. I would like to follow your steps to try and bring it back to 100%. I dont understand why it dropped at 99% because I always make sure not to use it while charging it, i keep off all background refresh apps and i also do not constantly charge it.
Do you have any tips on how I could preserve the battery life?
Also, do you think I could have a chance to bring back the 100% health after following the steps?
Thanks,
George
Hi, I had replaced my Iphone7 battery month ago. Now i am facing some problems regarding this. After change of battery my phone don’t show battery health. Another serious problem i am facing is that while use it , it restart it self and continue this process until i plug in the charger. And some time , when battery goes below 30 % its shutdown it self and when i plug the charger it start charging like its was completely drain out. Please give me suggestions.
Does iphone 7 show battery health after replacement???
There is quite a lot of misunderstanding and misinformation here.
The process decribed does indeed effect [sic] recalibration, but it is not recalibration of the battery, rather it recalibrates the battery meter.
This process does not help the battery. In fact any depletion of the battery to 0% causes disproportionate degradation.
However there are many issues with iPhones and other devices that can be mitigated or solved by this recalibration process, but I would advise that it should only be undertaken if there is an issue that has not responded to other remedies, and definitely not as an act of routine maintenance.
Yes, your comment is full of misunderstanding and misinformation. I’m not sure why you’re posting it, but at least you admit that.
Research from sources like Battery University confirms the need to calibrate smart batteries, particularly in Apple devices, once every one to three months.
You seem to disagree that this should be done periodically. Instead, you feel it should be done as needed. Go ahead and do that, then. My article is based on research, not your personal whims.
Please can calibration increase my battery health Co’s I want my battery health to increase from 90-100
On the other day I charge my iphone and it stuck in 80% for almost 1 hour but it became 100% for almost 3 hours and I turn on the low power mode when the percentage became 22% and after 8 mins I open my iphone and suddenly it became 20% so I shut it down while the low power mode is on but on the next day I turn it on and the percent became 23%. Is my iphone battery okay??
Hi.
Which phone is it. It’s happening same with my iPhone 11 pro. Battery Health is 97%
Hi
Good article.
I own a iPhone 11 pro. Bought from a trusted seller which is only 5 months old. The battery Health percentage is 97%.
The problem i am facing is. The battery doesn’t charge past 80%. Even when the optimyzed battery charging is off. I tried with keeping it on as well. But no luck. I left my phone plugged whole night but in the morning it was only at 80%.
The other problem is the battery draining during my sleep. Even with wifi off and even in airplane mode i lose about 15% battery within 6 hrs of my sleep.
I would really appreciate if u help me. And sure i am gonna try the calibration today. Will keep you posted
Thanks and stay safe.
You did not keep us posted.
Two questions:
1- Is it necessary to reset the iPhone because I don’t want to lose my data and i can’t save 100 GB somewhere else.
2- My phone’s bettery life has drastically decreased from 80 to 68 in few days. Is it a calibration issue?
Thanks
The type of reset one does with calibration won’t erase your data. All of your content will remain. There’s no need to erase your iPhone to fix this issue. Doing so won’t fix the problem.
Your iPhone’s battery may be wearing out. Check Settings > Battery > Battery Health for more information. If the maximum capacity is below 80%, you may want to replace the battery. It’s not terribly expensive, but you will most likely have to do without your device for a few days.
Hey, I have an iPhone 6s Plus it’s almost 5 yrs old and my battery health is 74% the battery stays at 100 for 5mins and then suddenly gets to 92 sometimes takes too long to reduce and sometimes too fast I’ve never tried calibarating would this be effective? I really wanna know please help me out by replying and I also want you to make a video of this process of you can
Thank you
If your battery health is 74%, I doubt calibration will reduce this number, however, it may keep your phone from shutting down unexpectedly. Presumably, low power mode prevents this, but calibration may prevent the condition entirely.
Your best bet is to throw the iPhone in the garbage and pick up a high-end Android phone. Consumer Reports ranks high-end Android devices, such as the Galaxy S20 series or the OnePlus 8 Pro, with the same score as the iPhone 11. They have better, bigger, brighter screens with 120Hz refresh rates. Apple is unable to deliver 120Hz technology with the upcoming iPhone 12.
Furthermore, iPhone users can no longer install Fortnite, the most popular game on the planet, because of the App Store monopoly. All Epic Games have been removed from the App Store, due to a dispute between both corporations. Apple also won’t allow cloud based gaming, such as Stadia and the upcoming xCloud, in the App Store. iPhone users will only be able to play baby games, like Candy Crush, due to Apple’s myopic business practices.
I used to think I would be an iPhone lifer. The iPhone is a decent phone, but you can do better. After Apple sold me two completely defective Macs and did little to make up for it, I decided they took enough of my money. I would use Android even if it was worse. But it’s not. It’s better! iOS and the iPhone are stale, old technology. You can do better, and save some money in the process!
I really enjoyed your article! I had been an android user. I decided to buy a iPhone 6s Plus (used) to try it. It has been only few daysand I have not used it that much yet. First day or two the Battery health showed 100%. Yesterday I updated the IOS to 14.0 (from 12 something). Now, it says “This phone is unable to determine battery health…”.
I charged it until “battery percentage” showed 100%. The battery lasted only about 12 hours. The specs says it should last 16 days on standby! What is going on? Did I get ripped off?
I think it’s OK. Standby time can vary based on cellular reception and other factors. How is your cellular reception?
Funny. I just switched from the iPhone to a OnePlus 8 Pro. I like it so much better. It’s far more capable, yet easier to use. There’s just too many restrictions with Apple products. They want to do it all themselves, but they can’t compete with the rest of the world. Android is the most popular operating system in the world. With so many contributing to its greatness, it really has surpassed iOS in quality, at least with the versions on top flagship devices.
Thank you so much for this article. I’m not sure if you can help me – I am running into an issue with my iPhone 8. I bought it refurbished in January and the battery life was awesome – I got it because my 5S was abruptly unable to hold a charge despite replacing the battery. A couple weeks ago in the span of two days my 8 is suddenly incapable of staying powered on unless it’s plugged in. It will say it’s fully charged and then turn off in 30 seconds and when I plug it back in it will restart and tell me the battery is anywhere from 1% to 100%! The issue is that I cannot get it to drain. I believe it’s more or less fully charged and so it would probably take days of me being unreachable by phone to discharge completely (being powered off, not plugged in with a full battery).
I wish I knew about your procedure when I used my 5S because I bet it was the same issue. In order to fix my current situation, I tried reviving the 5S so I could swap out phones while the 8 drains its battery but the 5S will not power on, so I’m guessing the battery is toast. I could replace that battery again (which was an enormous pain) and see if it will say least limp along, or attempt to use my friggin 4S if my phone company can transfer it over temporarily while I let my perfectly good 8 sit there trying to drain. Do you have any suggestions on a solution for my weird situation?
I concur. Your battery is toast. Most refurbished phones come with a warranty. If the warranty hasn’t expired, try getting the battery replaced. Apple also reduced the price on battery replacements, and there are third-party repair shops that can do it for less. Just make sure they’re certified and the parts are genuine.
Before you do this, it’s a good idea to check your iPhone’s battery health. Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health. Apple’s warranty policy (adopted by third-parties, like Best Buy) is that they won’t replace a battery unless the health is below 80%. The battery health stat will tell you what condition your battery is in.
Anytime I go to the apple store to get the battery replaced on an IPhone or IPad, the apple store staff and management bluntly tell me that apple does not replace batteries. In every instance I have been asked to upgrade to a new phone or IPad .
I’ve tried apple stores in NY, NJ, FL, CA, TX.
All Apple stores give me the same story.
Even Best Buy advised me the same.
Due to this I have several unusable IPhones and IPads.
Do you have a suggestion how I can get the batteries replaced?
I tried to do this back when Apple had the $29 battery replacement deal, as an apology for slowing down iPhones with failing batteries. BestBuy wouldn’t replace my battery, as the battery health meter was not below 80%. I called Apple and, only because of that current $29 deal, they offered to replace my iPhone 6 battery. Normally, if your iPhone’s battery health is over 80% they will not replace it, as a matter of consumer protection. If it’s above 80%, the battery should give you a full day of use. They do it so that unscrupulous repair shops can’t rip off Apple customers.
You can check battery health by tapping on Settings > Battery > Battery Health. If this statistic is above 80%, Apple and affiliated repair shops won’t replace your battery, as it doesn’t need replacing.
If your Apple device has below 80% battery health and they still refuse to replace the battery, call Apple’s customer support. I did this, and I should have done it in the first place. Dealing with BestBuy was a waste of time.
If you had been in India this would have resolved with very reasonable rates within hours.
Probably. I wish I could send my mom’s 27″ iMac to India to have it fixed. The Apple Store can’t seem to fix it, and it’s their own computer!
I replaced my iPhone 8 battery. It’s health is 100% but its last only 2 hours if I charged 100%. What can I do?
You should contact customer service. I think the replacement battery may be defective and, for whatever reason, its showing 100% health. Since Apple is so secretive and clandestine, no one knows how they come up with their battery health statistic. A fully charged iPhone should last 8-10 hours, depending on what you’re doing.
Hi there. Thank you for this info. I have just had a new battery installed in my iPhone SE. When it died, eventually, I found this article of yours. Is it a good idea to calibrate a new battery?
I did leave it to completely drain overnight, plugged it in this morning to boot up, and shut it off, as recommended. I am planning on leaving it off, with the charging cable connected for 5 hours.
What do you think? New batteries need calibration or no?
Thanks so much,
Cheryl
It all depends on its behavior. If it is shutting down unexpectedly, you should calibrate it. If it behaves normally, and you can still use the phone at 1%, then just do it periodically, when it’s convenient.
Opportunities for calibration present themselves. If it’s late night, my phone it at 4% or something and I haven’t calibrated it in a while, I’ll just do it then.
I switched to Android, and I calibrate my new phone as well.
Please my phone has been acting up late goes on and goes off itself ,,,,please help me what can i do
Hi There!
Thanks for this article..Im following the steps hopefully it will work like Magic for me:).
My iPhone 6S plus is gone into Panic-Full mode(Switching on and off pretty much not usable).(Its Battery health is at 69%)and I cannot update it to iOS 14.2. Currently on iOS 13.6.
1.Do you think calibrating the battery will help me update it successfully?
2.Or DO you think that Replacing my Battery will help from panic-Full log to successfully downloading and installing the new iOs 14.2??
3. Apple Store said my phone is of no use now and will need to get a new one.:(
Any help is much appreciate 🙂
Many Thanks.
Of course the Apple Store wants you to get a new one. Apart from OnePlus, every other smartphone maker has lost year-over-year sales in 2020. Apple is desperate to sell new iPhones. The iPhone 6S is still a viable phone, however. You can run iOS 14 on a 6S. I would recommend replacing the battery if the price is reasonable. It’s only $49 for an iPhone 6S. With 69% battery health, it’s completely normal for it to shut down randomly. When it goes under 80%, all bets are off…
I had the battery on my iPhone 6 replaced about two years ago, when Apple offered the $29 battery replacements as an apology for slowing down devices without user knowledge or consent. Although I switched to Android, I still use this iPhone 6 as a music player. It was a great decision. Currently, this iPhone has 97% battery health. Not bad!
You can try calibrating the battery. It might stop the unexpected shutdowns. Replacing the battery definitely will…
I have been reading of many complaints about iOS 14 draining battery life. Customers believe Apple is doing this on purpose to drive sales of iPhones. I don’t know if this is true, but it’s something to watch.
Thank you that was my next move to replace the batteries :). Thanks again for your prompt reply! 🙂
Please sir how do I get my phone’s battery life back to 100%?
I bought this phone barely two months now and it has 99% battery health now.
It’s an iPhone 11promax
Unfortunately, the only way to get Battery Health back to 100% is to replace the battery. Apple won’t do that until it goes below 80%.
99% seems about normal for two months of use, depending on how you use it. Don’t worry about it. Use it until the battery doesn’t perform well, and either replace the battery or phone.
My iPhone 11 (Purple, 128gb) battery health/capacity went down to 99% during the 7th month of use. Awesome!
That’s pretty good. At that rate, your battery should last until the phone is obsolete. Can’t ask for more than that!
Sir i bought iphone 11 last month and today when i see my battery health goes down to 95percent
Will i calibrate my phone to get it back plz answer me?
I bought an iPhone 7 plus last weekend,the battery health was 100% but yesterday I let it over charge and in the morning today the battery health is 92%
I replaced the battery of my iPhone 6 from a third party service center. It shows a 100% battery health but the battery drains fast and no stand by time whatsoever.
Can this recalibration help fix this issue or doing a factory reset will?
I recommend trying the calibration process on your iPhone. Your iPhone is probably still setup to use the old battery, which is why the metering is so far off.
Hi there,
My 2-year-old iPhone SE all of a sudden started to show annoying behaviour: after charging, battery health drops from 100% to 20% in about half an hour.
Then, after dismissing dialog that recommends going to “Power save mode” a couple of times, it quickly drains to single-digit percentages.
However, I’m still capable of using it for hours, even with 1% charge level displayed. Thus, the battery life is not actually reduced – only the computed charge level is completely off.
I have already followed advice such as yours at least thrice, attempting a “re-calibration” – it hasn’t worked at all 🙁
However, I have always skipped step 7 (i.e. reset the iPhone immediately after fully charging it).
Could that actually make the difference?
Yes, the reset at the end clears out cached data. Apple doesn’t provide any information as to how these features work, but it is known that soft resets delete cached data. Try the process again, but do the soft reset at the end. Please let us know how it works out! Thanks!
I followed your instructions very thorouhly, but, unfortunately, it did made not difference…
So I’ll probably keep using the phone the way it is – even though it is annoying not to know when it will finally shut off after 12 hours of “1%” charge level…
Thanks anyway!
P.S. Even though there are many instructions like yours out there, I was not able to find a comment anywhere saying that it actually worked. Maybe “battery calibration” is a kind of Urban Legend?
That’s strange that it stays at 1% for 12 hours. You may need to reset your phone. I’ve never encountered such a strange anomaly.
The comments on this page are paginated. I show the first 50, but there are hundreds. Lots of people say it works. Also, there are links to Battery University about calibrating Apple devices. They’re a very reliable source. Battery University is run by Cadex Electronics, a company specializing in lithium-ion battery technology.
I started this process last night on my iPhone SE 1st gen by letting video play with the flashlight on before going to bed but when I plugged the phone in this morning the apple logo came on immediately and the phone was at 5%. I left the phone at 34% before going to bed and didn’t plug it back in until 9+ hours after I had left it. Is this a true recalibration then if the phone was able to power back on so quickly?
It seems as though your phone shut down unexpectedly, when the battery was above zero. This can happen if the battery isn’t in peak condition. Indeed, such inaccurate battery metering is the problem that calibration solves.
The calibration will likely work, because it should now calibrate 0% with the same state as when the iPhone powers down.
Please sir how do I get my phone’s battery life back to 100%? Because my battery life is 62% please help me! Is it still working or will I buy a new battery?
Do you mean battery life or battery health? I’m assuming the latter — battery health. The only way you can restore battery health back to 100% is to replace the battery. Apple offers the service for a reasonable price.
I got an iPhone 7 plus a year ago and its battery health is 83%. I updated the phone to iOS 14 2 months ago and now it stops 22% and closes down and then opens again and shows ten percent and then closes again. When I connect it to the charger it jumps to 22 percent again. How can I fix this?
Try calibrating the battery using the instructions provided. iOS 14 is particularly hard on batteries after installation. All major iOS updates run a post-installation optimization process. This usually drains the battery rapidly, even when you’re not using the phone. Often, the stress of downloading, installing and optimizing a major iOS update, while using your device normally, can stress the battery and reduce its health.
18 months ago I replaced the battery in my first generation iPhone SE.
Ever since then I have used your calibration procedure every 3 months or so.
Battery performance is still almost like new and the iPhone is indicating a maximum capacity of 96%.
Glad to hear that it works. That was my experience as well. Thank you for your feedback!
Hello there. I just wanna ask if battery calibration will help solve this problem of mine. My battery percentage increases gradually even of it is not plugged in to charge. Sometimes it’s 34% then all of a sudden after a minute it shows 38%. Will this process of yours help?? Thank you so much.
I believe calibration will likely solve this issue. It’s also possible that the battery is in poor condition. What’s your battery health like? You can check this out by tapping on Settings > Battery > Battery Health. If it’s below 80%, I recommend either replacing the battery or accepting that it won’t perform as expected. You can actually get by for some time, perhaps years, on an “unhealthy” battery.
Drain your battery until your iPhone or iPad turns off, try turning it on and stop when it’s battery is 0% (So that it won’t turn ON any more). Then charge it again, that solved my issue of restart loop. Moreover after draining your battery, charge it with new charger and cable. Don’t use the old one.
Thanks so much for this guide! Very useful! I have an iPhone 5 here that won’t charge beyond 93%. I drained the battery as per the guide, then left it charging for over 12 hours while switched off. I switched it on and the battery level showed 93%. After another hour of charging it was still on 93!
Any tips? Or shall I just do the reset as suggested and assume the battery is full?
Thanks for your help!
What does your battery health look like? (Settings > Battery > Battery Health)
Thanks for writing back. It shows Maximum Capacity 96%. Is that a problem?
That’s good. Apple (or any authorized repair shop) won’t replace your battery until that statistic dips below 80%. That doesn’t seem to be a problem.
Hello and thank you for your guide.
Even though most of them were known to me since Nokia era ,it is a good thing to see all info gathered and well written on a page and to confirm that some new technology batteries need calibration too.So ,again, thank you.
My device is an iPhone 5s, 16 GB(used)/iOS:12.5.1 to 12.5.2/Kernel 18.7.0.Seller stated only 186 battery power cycles I don’t remember exactly(now as I write this -> 192).
My parcel arrived one week ago and I am testing it this whole week and of course battery was doing its thing ,thus I came up with your site.
I will get into many details and screenshots some time in the future and post them here.This is because I am trying to somehow stabilize battery efficiency-readings-rates-health(they change like the pacific climate for fuck’s sake) and to get to know this phone because it is my first time dealing with an iPhone ( and with its shitty system restrictions and of course I jailbroke it on day 2 ).
But preliminary results are positive, battery seems to “behave” and the charge holds better now( health was 68% to 70-75-78% now I get 79-82% to 85%(with fluctuations but my goal is to not drop under 80%) .
Although I did not do a hard calibration but have done 2 medium calibrations,plus one soft plus one or two fuzzy ( Hard calibration: totally empty ,like you mention, charge not even in the reservoir .Medium calibration: Drain until off ,then while phone powered off, charge all night.Soft calibration: While phone is powered on charge to 100% .Fuzzy calibration: Whatever the percentage charge until whatever the percentage load when phone powered on ).
So, to me, it seems and “feels” that it works.Like I said, I will return with more
information when possible.
All of you, writer and commenters have a good day …or night!
Thanks for your remarkable comment!
Please my battery health is 96 but it’s on service so I want to know if calibration would help.And also does calibration of battery erase all data on your phone
If your battery health is 96%, you shouldn’t have it replaced. In fact, unless they’re running a special program, Apple won’t replace an iPhone’s battery unless battery health is below 80%. (This is true, it happened to me!)
Calibration won’t erase all data. The reset isn’t done from the settings menu. It’s a soft reset, so your apps, contacts and other data will remain after the calibration process.
Now the battery health has gone down to 94, so I want to ask whether calibration can help improve my battery health or this service situation in any way.
Please if my iPhone battery health degraded from 94% battery health to 76%
And this message is was shown on my battery health page
“ Your battery’s health is significantly degraded. An Apple Authorized Service Provider can replace the battery to restore full performance and capacity. More about service options…”
Can Calibration work and restore it back to it’s normal state??
It may help and it’s worth a shot. Normally, when an iPhone battery dips below 80% battery health, you will no longer benefit from full battery life. Your best bet is to replace it. Calibrating the battery helps when an iPhone’s battery is “healthy”, but the software doesn’t have the correct data to track it. Running down the battery until it shuts off, charging it fully and doing all of the other steps updates this data.
Lithium-ion batteries degrade over time. Calibration resets the data so your iPhone won’t shut down unexpectedly at 17% (or whatever). In some cases, it prolongs operating time per charge. Calibration isn’t a panacea, but it does work for many.
Hello sir,
My iPhone xs max is just 2months old, now the battery health is showing — and saying Your battery’s health is significantly degraded. An Apple Authorized Service Provider can replace the battery to restore full performance and capacity. More about service options
Hi! can i ask if i do the 7th step which is resetting, do i just hold the sound button and power button till i see a logo, and will this erase everything on my iphone, (i have a xr)?
Hi! is this callibration safe? and when do i soft reset the phone after or when i am powering on my phone?
My iPhone is showing 100% it it cannot support the phone for 5-10secods
This is something calibration may fix. Try following the steps in this article. What’s your battery health like?
Hi! I just want to confirm something. I hope this thread is still active.
So, I got a second-hand iPhone 7 Plus back in Feb 2019 with a battery health of 88%. It still is at the same battery health percentage as I’m writing this, which I suppose isn’t accurate, so I did your battery calibration thingy, as in the all the steps.
When I turned the phone on, I checked the battery health % but it’s still the same (88%). My question is, should I see the accurate battery health % right after the calibration/re-calibration? Or does it take days to give me the most accurate reporting of the battery meter?
Thanks in advance for your response!
Calibration won’t affect the battery health indicator. It should remedy an inaccurate battery meter. For example, if your iPhone shuts down unexpectedly at 14%, calibration may fix this issue.
88% battery health is pretty good. Apple (or any certified vendor) won’t replace the battery until “battery health” dips below 80%, because it’s unnecessary.
Thanks for this useful article! Calibration totally saved my iPhone!
I have replaced the battery in my iphone6s and followed your instructions but no good. Battery health shows as 87%
If you replaced your battery and the health shows 87%, the repair shop ripped you off. They must have put a used battery in your iPhone. Ask for a refund and get your device serviced at an Apple authorized repair shop. You can find these on the Apple support site.