Phone batteries are efficient nowadays, and it’s not uncommon to find mid-range or budget phones that last a full day on a single charge. Instead of prioritizing day-to-day battery life, you may want to focus on battery lifespan, or how long your battery stays in good condition over the life of your device.
One way to improve your phone’s battery lifespan is to minimize the amount of time it takes to charge the battery when it’s 100% charged. A fully charged battery can experience stress, which reduces its health in the long run and causes it to wear out faster.
If you have an iPhone, it can already learn your charging routine thanks to Optimized Battery Charging. By enabling this feature, you can leave your device plugged in overnight, and it won’t be 100% charged until the next morning.
How to set Charge Limit
If you want even more control over your iPhone’s battery, you can use a feature called Charge Limit. By setting a charge limit, you can prevent your device from reaching its maximum capacity, which can help reduce the strain on the battery.
You can turn on Charge Limit on iPhone 15 or newer models by going to Settings > Battery > Charging. There, you can choose a percentage between 80% and 100% in 5% increments. (Note that Optimized Battery Charging can only be turned on at 100%.)
Should you ever charge your phone to 100%
According to Apple, Charge Limit can improve your phone’s battery lifespan and iOS may recommend it based on your usage patterns. Even if you only limit your charge to 95%, the feature can have long-term benefits for your iPhone.
However, if your phone is still plugged in when the battery is fully charged, you shouldn’t worry. “There are a lot of different variables that affect battery life and longevity, other than just charging it to 100%,” says Patrick Holland, CNET editor and phone reviewer. “Apple and other phone makers use software to mitigate these factors, and also give customers ways to control it if they want. But there’s a balance and people shouldn’t be afraid to fully charge their phone.”
You may sometimes see your iPhone charge to 100% even when Charge Limit is turned on. According to Apple, “If you have Charge Limit set to something lower than 100 percent, your iPhone will sometimes charge to 100 percent to maintain the battery’s accurate state of charge.”