Image created using DALL·E 3 with this prompt: Create an image of an iPhone getting charged, becoming supercharged, superpowered, like it can conquer the world. Dimensions: 1280×720
I was at a holiday party this past weekend and, for reasons I cannot explain, iPhone battery life became the discussion topic. A slightly overserved holiday reveler was demonstrating how you can extend the battery life of your iPhone by setting the maximum charge to 80% instead of choosing “Optimized Battery Charging” in the Battery Health & Charging section of your settings. I was asked to confirm the veracity of the claim. The answer: “Yes… but…”
If your iPhone is less than two years old, just choose “Optimized Battery Charging.” The operating system will take care of the rest.
If you really want to extend battery life during the day, turn off “Background App Refresh” and limit Location Services to “While Using.” These two battery saving tips really work, but they are also really annoying. You’ll have to wait for your apps to refresh when you use them, and your phone will ask you if you want to share your location, but the battery savings can be significant. As for the 80% setting in battery health, it’s not something you need to do for a phone that’s less than two years old.
As your phone ages, its battery degrades. At a certain point (generally after about two years), its capacity to charge will have degraded to the point where you will need a new battery (or a new phone). This is a fact of battery life.
Why does Apple even have the 80% setting? If you are going to keep your phone for more than two years, and if an 80% battery charge will get you through the day, this setting will likely extend the life of the battery beyond the two-year average. Is it worth it? I don’t think so, but – as they say – your actual mileage may vary.
Author’s note: This is not a sponsored post. I am the author of this article and it expresses my own opinions. I am not, nor is my company, receiving compensation for it. This work was created with the assistance of various generative AI models.