This article explains how to maintain iPhone 12 battery health.
iPhone users are growing with each new version, accounting for nearly 25% of the global market share. However, with all of the new functions and features, users are still concerned about whether or not their iPhone’s battery can last the entire day.
Lithium-ion batteries are used in iPhones and almost every other Apple product. In comparison to conventional batteries, they charge faster, last longer, and weigh less. However, the power of all Lithium-ion batteries depletes over time.
In simple words, they deteriorate as the unit ages. And if you’re not using your iPhone, you’ll find that you’re charging it more often than you used to and having significantly less screen time and battery life as the battery ages. This is where the word “battery health” comes into play.
The amount of time a system will operate until it needs to be recharged is referred to as “battery life.” The term “battery lifetime” refers to how long a battery can last before it needs to be replaced. The battery age is measured in charge cycles, while the battery life is measured in percentages and hours. Apple says that, when operated under normal conditions, a typical battery is built to maintain up to 80% of its original capacity after 500 complete charge cycles. Service compensation for a faulty battery is included in the one-year warranty. If it’s out of warranty, Apple will replace the battery for a fee.
How to maintain iPhone 12 battery health
Here are 20 tips to maintain iPhone 12 battery health. These tips also applies to other iPhone models including iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max.
1. Stay away from high temperatures.
Extreme temperatures can destroy lithium-ion batteries. Apple has also released an official temperature range for iOS devices’ comfort zones.
0°C to 35°C (32°F to 95°F) is the recommended operating temperature range. It’s not realistic, though, since many places have temperatures well above the recommended operating level. As a result, you can either use thick cases to keep your phone warm or stop leaving it out in the sun on a hot day.
Also, don’t leave your iPhone in confined spaces (like cars) with little ventilation because it increases the room temperature. Many people leave their phones in their cars or in the glove compartment, which increases the temperature of the device.
Simply put, heat is a battery killer since it permanently decreases the power of the battery. Extreme cold temperatures, on the other hand, have a temporary negative impact on the battery’s health.
Charging your iPhone in high ambient temperatures is also not recommended, so make sure you charge it in “comfortable temperature areas.”
2. Don’t let the battery die completely.
Almost all Lithium-ion batteries have the following structure:
[Usable capacity] (Overcharge Security Buffer) Danger Zone – [Total Cell Failure] – (Under-Voltage Safety Buffer)
The danger zone is a filthy place from which you may be able to recover, but there is no guarantee of success afterwards. As a result, the iPhone’s battery power is permanently harmed.
So, unless you’re calibrating the iPhone, it’s not a good idea to deplete the battery to 0%. If your schedule is unpredictable, you can go charger hopping during the day because it will only be counted as one full charge period until the battery has reached 100% discharge. Find out what constitutes a full battery charge period.
3. Don’t let your iPhone get too hot while charging.
Heat, as previously said, is a battery killer. As a result, make sure your iPhone doesn’t overheat when charging. According to Apple, heat destroys the battery capacity permanently, while severe cold weather only decreases the capacity temporarily.
Heat may cause the internal structure of the battery chemicals to change, causing the voltage indicator to be damaged even more. A faulty voltage indicator will be unable to optimize current flow, resulting in overcharging of the iPhone and eventual battery and iPhone damage.
4. Just use MFi charging devices.
The use of charging accessories that have not been approved by Apple is one of the most common causes of poor iPhone battery health. Often double-check that the charging cable and adapter are both MFi approved.
Made for iPod, Made for iPhone, and Made for iPad is abbreviated as MFi. The MFi logo can only be used on items that pass Apple’s strict system and facility checks. As a result, keep an eye out for the MFi logo on charging accessories.
Every lighting cable adapter, for example, contains a tiny authentication chip that informs the iPhone that it is MFi approved. Otherwise, when iPhone senses a cable that isn’t MFi approved, it displays a pop-up.
5. Activate Optimised battery charging setting on iPhone
On your iPhone, go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health > Optimised Battery Charging
With iOS 13, Apple introduced Optimized battery charging, which extends the life of your battery and thus enhances its health. It learns from your everyday charging patterns to predict when your iPhone will be charged for a longer period of time and charges accordingly.
Many people, for example, have developed the habit of charging their iPhones overnight. As a result, the device learning algorithm will try to ensure that the iPhone is fully charged by the time you wake up (based on your previous charging and unplugging data). This is achieved by the algorithm to ensure that the iPhone is charged in less time.
When you enable the feature, it will display the time when your iPhone will be fully charged. You can charge it to 100% right away by tapping the “Charge Now” button.
6. Use Auto-Brightness rather than Maximum Brightness.
To conserve battery, switch off Auto Join Hotspots in the iPhone’s Wi-Fi settings.
The retina displays on iPhones use a lot of power. The iPhone’s screen is one of the most used and battery-draining components. Pushing those retina monitor pixels to maximum brightness puts a strain on an iPhone’s battery. As a result, keeping your iPhone at 100 percent brightness all of the time isn’t a smart idea because it has a direct impact on the battery’s health. Switching to auto-brightness will help your iPhone’s battery health in the long run by automatically changing the brightness levels depending on the setting. Furthermore, it is helpful to your skin.
7. While charging, remove the cover.
Since charging produces heat, your iPhone can become warm while charging. If this is the case, you can remove the cover from your iPhone to ensure that the heat produced during charging is properly dissipated. Some thick cases and covers trap heat, causing the iPhone to overheat when charging excessively. This could jeopardize the battery’s health. It’s most popular in thick leather foldable cases with card pockets and other small access features. If you have one of those huge, thick rubber cartoon covers, don’t charge your iPhone in it because it will overheat.
8. Fast charging isn’t really a bad thing for your iPhone.
For those who are curious, quick charging is not harmful to your iPhone (unless it isn’t officially supported). Fast charging is officially supported on iPhones released after 2017 (iPhone 8 and above), as long as you use an Apple-approved fast charger or an MFi-certified charger.
Fast charging is done in two stages. The charger moves current into the battery at a faster pace in the first step, known as quick charging. You may have noticed how brands encourage this with slogans like “60% battery in 30 minutes of charging.” Since Lithium-ion batteries are made up of chemicals whose composition changes as they absorb electricity, this is the case. A low-charge battery can be charged more quickly without causing damage.
With a battery capacity of 60-80 percent (this varies by device), the battery’s ability to absorb charge at a faster rate decreases. The second step of quick charging kicks in at this stage, ensuring that the battery is charged at a slower pace without being harmed.
The battery health monitoring system in iOS also does this. That’s why charging the last 20% of your iPhone battery takes longer.
In short, quick charging will not affect the health of your iPhone’s battery if you use MFi approved or official fast chargers.
Fast chargers are not harmful to your iPhones. However, as opposed to the sluggish 5W chargers, they still produce more. So, if you have the spare time, I’d suggest letting your iPhone charge slowly. When compared to slow 5W charging, fast charging operates in stages, and the initial burst phase still produces a lot of heat. Heat, as previously said, is a battery killer. So, use the 5W whenever possible, but don’t let this affect your charging or usage habits. The iPhone is supposed to help you rather than the other way around.
9. Charging over night
Many people, let’s face it, have the habit of charging their iPhones overnight. On a single charge, our phones don’t last for long. However, there is a popular misconception among iPhone users that says, “Don’t charge your iPhone overnight for the sake of your battery!” Let’s get that out of the way.
Lithium-ion batteries are used in modern smartphones, and smart battery control software ensures that your handset does not overcharge.
Similarly, iPhone batteries have a cutoff point to prevent the mobile battery from overcharging. This helps to maintain iPhone 12 battery health.
Furthermore, you can allow Optimized battery charging to ensure that you have 100 percent battery when you wake up every morning without having to worry about the battery being fried by overnight charging.
10. Make use of Wi-Fi.
Wi-Fi is well-known for using less power than cellular radio. Since Wi-Fi is typically quicker than cellular, it downloads and uploads files much faster, so you and your iPhone won’t have to wait as long. For example, if you’re watching a YouTube video on Wi-Fi instead of cellular, your iPhone can download the video faster (while you’re watching it), resulting in less screen time and battery usage. In the long run, this increases the battery health of your iPhone. However, there is a downside of using Wi-Fi. In the following segment, you will learn more about this.
11. Wi-Fi settings that are right
To conserve battery, switch off Auto Join Hotspots in the iPhone’s Wi-Fi settings.
To get the best battery life out of your iPhone, make sure you follow the tips below:
- Disable Auto-Join Hotspots – Even though your iPhone is linked to a secure network, it is constantly searching for new networks to join. So, after a software update, make sure to turn it off.
- Avoid slow Wi-Fi networks – Slow Wi-Fi networks cause your iPhone to take longer to process queries. As a result of the increased battery usage for background app tasks and on-screen time, your iPhone’s battery health will suffer.
- Manually pick Wi-Fi if you’re connected to several internet routers in the same location – This method enables your iPhone to recognize when you’re on the move and link to the nearest Wi-Fi network instead of searching for other connections or attempting to connect to an already-connected network.
12. Switching on the Low Power Setting.
When your iPhone’s battery runs out, Low Power Mode reduces the amount of power it consumes. When your iPhone’s battery reaches 20% and then 10%, it sends you a notification to activate Low Power Mode. When the battery is switched on, the symbol switches to a yellow bar.
Since battery consumption is limited, some features can not function or may take longer to process.
The following activities are specifically affected by the Low Power Mode:
- Auto-Lock (defaults to 30 seconds)
- iCloud Images
- Email fetch
- “Hey Siri”
- Background app update
- Automatic updates
- Several visual effects (temporarily paused)
When iPhone is moved to low power mode on a regular basis, users have recorded a longer battery life. There’s also no risk in switching to this mode even if your iPhone’s battery life is still good.
13. Make sure your iPhone’s battery is in good working order.
The lithium-ion battery in the iPhone must be calibrated on a regular basis for two reasons:
- It assists the iOS in calculating the actual battery life range.
- Battery reporting inconsistencies are caused by a non-calibrated battery. It could, for example, drop from 35% to 25% within minutes of being used.
Many factors lead to an iPhone battery being improperly configured, including software updates, background app refresh, and day-to-day use.
The iPhone’s battery can be calibrated by discharging it to 0% and leaving it there for a while, then charging it to 100% and waiting an hour or so.
After each software update, the iPhone’s battery should be calibrated.
14. Stay away from beta software updates.
To save battery life on your iPhone, avoid installing beta app updates.
Don’t install updates as soon as they’re available to keep your iPhone’s battery safe. Beta software updates are riddled with glitches and problems, and they can permanently damage the battery’s health because the new software isn’t yet completely configured for the hardware.
Waiting a few weeks before those bugs are patched and new updates are issued is the best practice. Often check the forums for customer reviews to see whether the latest update is optimized or causing any problems.
15. Keep your apps up to date.
Before upgrading an app, read user feedback to prevent overheating your iPhone.
Apps are one of the most common causes of iPhone battery drain. Always refreshing, consuming data, and sending out those alerts in the background.
You can monitor them in the background app refresh settings, and you can disable the ones you don’t use.
However, developers continue to add new features to these applications. So, before updating your software and accessing the latest app capabilities, make sure to read the most recent feedback because these newly added functionalities carry a swarm of bugs that affect the performance and battery health of your iPhone. Overheating or battery drain caused by a recently updated app is the most popular example.
This tip extends to users who update their software on a regular basis as well as those who search for updates just once in a while.
16. Run a daily check for apps that use too much power.
We all know that even when an app isn’t in use, it consumes power and data. The most popular example is Facebook. To save battery life, turn off background refresh activities in apps that aren’t necessary, and do so at regular intervals.
Additionally, some apps add new features (as previously mentioned) and can consume more power in the background when you update them. Since the effects can manifest themselves in the form of overheating, battery drain, and other issues, you should check the background refresh activities and either suspend them or wait for another update. Make this a weekly habit, and you can discover apps that are draining your battery even if you don’t use them often.
17. Switch to dark mode
To save battery, set your iPhone to Dark Mode.
Dark mode was eventually introduced to iPhones in iOS 13, and according to a recent test, Dark Mode can potentially extend the battery life of your iPhone by 30%. Using Dark Mode for longer periods of time relieves tension on your iPhone’s battery, enhancing its overall health. The dark mode is not only good for your iPhone’s battery, but it also makes your eyes feel better.
As a consequence, it’s a win-win situation. Just if your iPhone’s monitor is OLED. Each pixel in an OLED display emits its own light, which is why the pixels showing black colors do not light up at all. As a result, less energy is consumed. Even when viewing a black color on an LCD screen, some amount of backlight is needed.
18. Forcing apps to shut down does not save you resources.
On the iPhone, forcing applications to close does not conserve battery.
In 2021, the urban legend of “forcing apps to leave to save battery life on your iPhone” is still alive and well. People force-quit background applications to extend the life of their iPhone’s battery. In fact, this practice depletes the battery life of your iPhone.
Simply put, when apps are running in the background on iOS, they are automatically moved to different states. Not running, disabled, active, history, and suspended are the five states. When you force quit an app, it is removed from memory (its suspended state) and locked. When an app is relaunched, more resources are needed to run it, resulting in increased battery usage.
Even Apple executives have stated that forcing apps to close does not help with battery life.
19. Disable AirDrop
To conserve your iPhone’s battery, turn off the Airdrop always discoverable settings.
You may use AirDrop to share files and images with other Apple devices that are close by. It’s a useful function when you’re constantly transferring files between devices, but it can drain your device’s battery over time.
As I previously said, if you’re a daily AirDrop user, this shouldn’t be a problem, but if you aren’t. Then here’s what you can do to minimize the damage to your iPhone’s battery.
Check to see if the discoverable function is disabled. Otherwise, your iPhone will continue to search for nearby Apple devices, putting a strain on your iPhone’s battery even when it isn’t needed.
It can only be used when absolutely necessary. On a daily basis, I tend to use WeTransfer to send files between computers. Although it does use details, it is more convenient.
20. App Notifications Management – Disable notifications for non-essential applications.
Optimizing your app notification settings is a simple step that can have a big impact on your iPhone’s battery life and health over time.
This practice of turning off app alerts for non-critical apps such as games and service apps that nag you with in-app purchase deals every hour can be followed. To save power, toggle off other unimportant updates such as Instagram, Facebook likes, and so on.
On Instagram, for example, some of my photos receive a lot of likes. Each notification lasts 5 seconds on the iPhone’s screen. Let’s say my photo received more than 100 likes. But that’s a total of 500 seconds. On average, I receive a thousand Instagram alerts every month, which translates to more than an hour of on-screen time saved simply by turning off these notifications.
21. Make use of the required wireless chargers
It’s very easy to charge your phone wirelessly. Simply place your phone on the pad/stand and you’re done. There’s no reason to be concerned about tangled cables. If you charge your iPhone overnight, like most of us, this is the ideal bedside accessory for you. The only catch is that wireless chargers, even the slow ones, produce a lot of heat. This isn’t to say you shouldn’t invest in a wireless charger. Choose the ones with built-in heat dissipation mechanisms instead. For better thermal efficiency, many wireless chargers have built-in fans and grills. This keeps the charger and iPhone reasonably cold, which leads to improved battery health.
How to maintain iPhone 12 battery: the bottom line
Simply adhere to these guidelines, and you will notice a gradual increase in the health of your iPhone’s 12 battery. Furthermore, the battery’s health does not improve with each charge and discharge. Only by following these procedures can we guarantee that the battery’s health deteriorates at a very slow pace.
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