With older phones, many of us were told to let the battery go flat before recharging. But do today’s iPhones need this too? Short answer: no. Modern lithium-ion batteries don’t need to be fully discharged before charging, and in fact, this practice can wear them out more quickly. Here’s why letting your battery go flat is unnecessary—and even a bit harmful.
Why Full Discharges Aren’t Helpful Anymore
Unlike older batteries, today’s lithium-ion technology doesn’t suffer from the “memory effect,” where partial charges lead to reduced capacity. Instead, these batteries are designed to handle partial charges well, which means you can top up whenever it’s convenient.
The Best Practice: Aim to keep your battery between 20% and 80% whenever possible. This range reduces wear on the battery and helps maintain its capacity for longer.
What’s the Impact of Regularly Letting Your Battery Go Flat?
Allowing your battery to deplete completely can stress the cells over time, leading to faster wear. While occasional full discharges won’t do much harm, frequently running your battery to 0% can gradually reduce its maximum capacity.
Tip: If you find yourself frequently down to 0%, consider charging up more often or bringing a portable charger if you’re out and about.
Use Optimised Battery Charging
Apple has added Optimised Battery Charging in recent iOS updates to help preserve battery health. This feature learns your charging routine and slows down charging past 80% when you don’t need a full charge immediately, such as when charging overnight.
How to Enable It:
- Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging and switch on Optimised Battery Charging. It’ll help your battery maintain its health without the need to go flat.
Final Thoughts
Gone are the days of waiting until the battery is fully drained. Topping up whenever convenient is the best approach for iPhones today. So, let go of the old habit and keep your iPhone comfortably charged—it’ll thank you with a longer-lasting battery!
