Apple offers an intelligent Optimized Battery Charging feature on iPhones that reduces thermal stress and delays battery ageing. While this feature has existed since the launch of iOS 13, not many users understand its importance and wonder how it makes a difference. In this article, we’ll discuss what is Optimized Battery Charging on iPhones, how it works, and how to disable it when your iPhone stops charging at 80%. Let’s move along and learn how to preserve battery health on an iPhone.
What Is Optimized Battery Charging on iPhones
An iPhone packs a lithium-ion battery that can charge faster, last longer, and offer more battery life in a lighter package. That said, lithium batteries also become less effective as they chemically age. Over time, they can hold less charge, which results in reduced battery life and reduced peak performance. With iOS 13 and later, Apple introduced a thoughtful feature, Optimized Battery Charging that’s designed to avoid overstressing the battery and delay battery ageing.
When enabled, Optimized Battery Charging will automatically delay charging past 80% in certain situations. The main objective of Optimized Battery Charging is to improve the battery health of an iPhone by reducing the time your iPhone spends in the fully charged state.
How Optimized Battery Charging Works on iPhone
Your iPhone uses on-device machine learning to learn your charging habits and routine. The Optimized Battery Charging feature is enabled by default and activated only when your iPhone predicts that it will be connected to a charger for a long time. It’s worth knowing that Optimized Charging is triggered only in locations where you tend to spend the most time, like your home and office.
Here’s how Optimized Battery Charging works on iPhones:
- Your iPhone tracks your everyday phone usage and charging habits to understand when you connect it to a charger for an extended period. For instance, many users have a habit of charging their iPhones overnight.
- With Optimized Charging, your iPhone charges the battery as usual to 80% when it’s plugged in and not in use, and then stops it automatically.
- With the understanding of your charging habits, Optimized Battery Charging predicts when you will unplug the charger and delays charging to 100% until then. This slows down the natural ageing of the lithium-ion batteries.
So, if your iPhone stops charging at 80% at night when it’s plugged in, Apple’s Optimized Battery Charging is working for you.
How to Turn On/Off Optimized Battery Charging on iPhones
On iPhones running iOS 13 or later, Optimized Battery Charging is enabled by default when you first set up your iPhone. This is done to preserve the battery’s health in the long run. That said, if you want complete control over the charging or if your iPhone isn’t charging past 80%, you can turn off Optimized Battery Charging on your iPhone. Here’s how to do it:
- On your iPhone, open the Settings app and navigate to the Battery section.
- Now, tap on Battery Health & Charging.
- Here, turn off the Optimized Battery Charging toggle.
- Next up, you can choose to Turn Off Until Tomorrow or hit the Turn Off button to disable Optimized Battery Charging permanently on your iPhone.
You can always turn it back on, whenever you want to.
Is It Good to Keep Your iPhone on Optimized Battery Charging
Yes, Optimized Battery Charging is good for your iPhone. When you keep your iPhone plugged in and fully charged for a long time, it puts unnecessary stress on the battery and makes it wear out faster. Apple explains how lithium-ion batteries use fast charge to quickly reach 80% of their capacity, and then makes a switch to slower trickle charging.
The Optimized Battery Charging feature stops charging your iPhone beyond 80% even with a trickle charge as they have learnt that you may not need a fully charged iPhone at the moment. Instead, the charging is resumed just before you’re likely to unplug the charge.
If you have specific charging habits and patterns, like if you usually put your iPhone to charge before sleeping, the Optimized Battery Charging feature will work great for you. It will normally charge your iPhone up to 80%, pause it, and then activate it before your usual wake-up time so you always have a fully charged iPhone. On the flip side, if you have irregular charging habits or sleeping patterns, the Optimized Battery Charging might not work for you.
Does Optimized Battery Charging Charge your iPhone Slower
Yes, Optimized Charging is slower than fast charging, which can quickly top up your iPhone in minutes but makes compromises in the battery health. Optimized Battery Charging stops charging your iPhone at 80%. It will only charge the remaining 20% depending on when you typically disconnect the charger. In specific situations, quickly charging your iPhone to 100% may seem tempting, but optimized charging ensures longevity in the long run.
Yes, it’s safe to keep your iPhone connected to a charge overnight. Once the battery is fully charged, the iPhone will automatically stop. It will resume automatically if the battery level drops below 95%. That said, whenever possible, you should unplug your iPhone after it has fully charged.
To maintain optimal battery health for better longevity or resale value, it’s a great idea to charge your iPhone between 20% to 80%.
Optimized Battery Charging is different from the Charging Limit Option on iPhones that won’t charge your iPhone past 80%. Optimized Battery Charging will eventually charge your iPhone to 100%, it only takes a longer time. That said, both features are designed to improve the battery lifespan by reducing extreme thermal stress.
