What is Optimized Battery Charging on an iPhone (and How does it work)

If you’re like me, you’d have noticed that iPhones generally stop charging after 80 percent. But why does that happen? Well, it’s because of the Optimized Battery Charging feature.

Apple unveiled Optimized Battery Charging with iOS 13 in 2019, so most iPhones available in the market already support this feature, and most of you might be already familiar with it.

Let’s jump in to understand what it does, how it works, and whether you should keep it turned on always. We have an answer to all your doubts.

What is Optimized Battery Charging on iPhone?

Optimized Battery Charging is a nifty feature available on iPhones that helps extend the lifespan of your battery. Once enabled, it reduces the time your iPhone spends fully charged. This is because keeping your battery at 100 percent for a long period can wear it out faster.

By learning your daily charging routine, your iPhone delays charging past 80 percent until it thinks you’ll need it, typically just before you wake up or start using your phone more frequently.

How does Optimized Battery Charging work on an iPhone?

All iPhones pack in a lithium-ion battery under the hood. For a lithium-ion battery to maintain longevity, it shouldn’t stay plugged in for long periods, as that can impact its health and lifespan.

However, many of us plug in our iPhones just before bed to have them fully charged the next morning. Although it seems harmless, it actually comes at the cost of wear on the battery.

This is where Optimized Battery Charging helps. It relies on on-device machine learning to learn your daily charging routine over time. Then, it uses this data to activate the feature when it thinks you may leave your iPhone plugged for longer.

When it does so, it pauses charging your iPhone at 80 percent and completes the charge just before you wake up. When Optimized Battery Charging kicks in, you get a notification on your Lock Screen informing you of the time by which your iPhone will be fully charged.

Optimized Battery Charging is also available on Apple Watch and AirPods.

How to turn on or off Optimized Battery Charging on an iPhone

Now that you’ve understood what Optimized Battery Charging is, you’ll want to turn the feature on. Fret not, it takes barely a minute to do so. Here’s what you need to do, depending on your iPhone mode.

On iPhone 14 or earlier

Open Settings on your iPhone.
Scroll down and tap Battery.
Tap Battery Health & Charging.
Turn the toggle on for Optimized Battery Charging.

On iPhone 15 or newer

Open Settings on your iPhone.
Scroll down and tap Battery.
Go to Charging.
Select Optimized Battery Charging.
You can also change the charging limit using the Charge Limit slider.

Note

You can follow the same steps and turn the toggle off to disable Optimized Battery Charging on your iPhone.

How to fix it when Optimized Battery Charging isn’t working on your iPhone

If the Optimized Battery Charging isn’t functioning properly on your iPhone, here’s what you can do:

Ensure that Optimized Battery Charging is enabled.
Turn on location services on your iPhone: Head to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services, and turn the toggle on.
Restart your iPhone: Press and hold the Side button and Volume Up button, and then slide the Slide to Power Off slider. Hold the Side button to restart.
Update iOS to the latest version: Head to Settings → General → Software Update → If an update is available, Download and Install.
Charge routinely: Ensure that you charge your iPhone at a fixed time daily, i.e., at night, and use during the day to help the feature learn your habits.
Reset your iPhone: Head to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset All Settings.

Signing off…

Now that you know about the Optimized Battery Charging feature, you may wonder if you should leave it enabled all the time. Well, we’d say you should. There are several benefits of keeping the feature enabled on iPhones, including maintaining the iPhone’s battery health and ensuring prolonged longevity, which can help in the long run.

Does using Optimized Battery Charging slow down charging speed?

Optimized Battery Charging may appear to charge your iPhone slower. That’s because it pauses the charging at 80 percent and completes the rest before you typically start using your iPhone.

Is Optimized Battery Charging beneficial for iPhone battery health?

Yes, Optimized Battery Charging helps minimize battery aging, which can prolong the lifespan of your iPhone’s battery.

Is it safe to stop charging iPhones at 80 percent?

Yes, it’s safe to stop charging iPhones at 80 percent. In fact, doing so can help extend your iPhone’s battery life.

Is it harmful to leave your iPhone charging overnight?

You needn’t worry about leaving your iPhone charging overnight with Optimized Battery Charging enabled. With the feature turned on, charging is halted when your iPhone reaches 80 percent and completes just before you wake up.

Is charging your iPhone to 100 percent bad for battery life?

As a thumb rule, you should avoid regularly charging to 100 percent and instead keep your iPhone charged to 80 percent. That said, you can occasionally charge it fully, especially when you need the backup.

Are Optimized Battery Charging and 80 percent charging limit the same feature?

No, Optimized Battery Charging and 80 percent charging limit options serve different purposes on your iPhone. While Optimized Battery Charging manages when to charge beyond 80 percent, the 80 percent charging limit is a strict cap. If you are looking for a piece of advice, go for Optimized Battery Charging any day.

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