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I charge my 13 pro max once every 2 days via magsafe. Lasts me 2 full days no problem and 100% battery health, got it when it first came out.
 
A few years ago Apple added a feature that charges iPhones to something like 80%, then waits to finish charging it until shortly before you unplug it. So it doesn’t sit at 100% for hours, which would degrade the battery unnecessarily.

I think for most people it’s fine to plug it in every day, and let the built in battery management learn your schedule.
 
On some days or most of the time since I work from home since 2020, I leave my iPhone 7 Plus connected to the charger for 12 hours straight... Non-Apple charger, non-Apple cable... I've had the phone since November 2020 on 100% battery health and currently on 93% although I read somewhere here in Macrumors that that is not the actual maximum battery capacity, meaning it is not 93% of what it was when it was 100% or about 2900mAh brand new...
 
A few years ago Apple added a feature that charges iPhones to something like 80%, then waits to finish charging it until shortly before you unplug it. So it doesn’t sit at 100% for hours, which would degrade the battery unnecessarily.

I think for most people it’s fine to plug it in every day, and let the built in battery management learn your schedule.

The problem with Apple’s optimised charging is that it sucks. You need to stick to an absolutely rigid schedule for it to stand a chance of working. Deviate even slightly and it’s next to useless. And even if you can get it to reliably work, it still charges the device to 100% at least four hours before it’s needed. At least that is my experience anyway on both my watch and iPhone. They need to add a manual control along the lines of AlDente for Mac, but that’s never going to happen because, well, it’s Apple.
 
A few years ago Apple added a feature that charges iPhones to something like 80%, then waits to finish charging it until shortly before you unplug it. So it doesn’t sit at 100% for hours, which would degrade the battery unnecessarily.

I think for most people it’s fine to plug it in every day, and let the built in battery management learn your schedule.
Optimized charging. Which is why I always tell people to be constant with the charging habits and charge at a specific time. Long term, it'll help.
 
I'm still using two XS Max every day and they are on the original batteries. Both are at 86% and easily last me all day. I keep them plugged in the entire time I am home and have done that since the beginning and with every iPhone I have ever owned.
 
Do I charge my iPhone daily? No, typically. Normally, I charge it to 100% and use it until the device automatic shut-off, which it does after hanging onto 1% for quite a while.

Launch day iPhone X. Current battery health is ~83%. Total charge cycles >880. Last charge (100% -> off) spanned ~24 hours, including a couple hours of GPS usage, navigation as well as workout tracking (i.e., assisting Watch).

I have used everything from the Apple 5W charger, Apple 10W charger, Apple 12W charger, Amazon Basics 30W GaN charger, Mophie Powerstation battery pack, and Anker PowerPort Wireless 10W Qi pad.

Long ago I used to keep my iPhone 5 plugged in continuously- and the battery swelled and pushed off the screen.
This is one of the few exceptions when charging routine (or rather lack thereof) can be significant — sorry to spotlight you. Basically, it’s not whether you charge the battery past 80% or below 20%, for example. The problem is if the cells remain in either of those “extreme” states for weeks or more. To elaborate a little further, if the ions are crammed near one electrode or the other, it creates pressure. Therefore, a battery cell has the least strain when the ions float in the middle (i.e. ~50% charge). As most of us have learned, excessive/extreme heat also creates additional pressure. This is why you’ll often see instructions for batteries/battery-powered devices to store the battery at 50% - 60% charge, disconnected from the device, in a cool and dry location if expected to be unused for a significant period. The slightly higher charge level is to account for an inevitable slow discharge. The dry aspect is, of course, primarily to help prevent corrosion.

Ultimately, as long as you keep devices/batteries away from high heat and active or stored properly, battery degradation is out of your control. Well… You can also hope to win the “battery lottery.”

:)
 
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I charge my phone all night while I'm sleeping and all day while I'm at my office desk. 13 Pro - 100% battery health
 
I religiously keep my…
“Religiously” seems to be a good word for how some people treat charging. Lots of opinions & everyone is convinced they’ve found the “Right Answer.”

For me, onto a Qi charger every night. Also on a Qi in the car (which isn’t all that common; I work from home).
 
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“Religiously” seems to be a good word for how some people treat charging. Lots of opinions & everyone is convinced they’ve found the “Right Answer.”

For me, onto a Qi charger every night. Also on a Qi in the car (which isn’t all that common; I work from home).

Just a turn of phrase. My launch iPhone 12 Pro is still reporting 100% so whatever I’m doing most definitely is the right answer for me 👍
 
Mag safe charger right next to me in the living room and I throw it on when it suits me and I charge it to 100%. I take it off and repeat the same daily on my iPhone 12 Pro. I’m not like some owners and concern myself with the 80% charge limit nor not letting it drop down a certain percentage either. I get a new phone every two years anyway.
 
Please, tell me what is the benefits that you let your phone drained to totally zero?
To maintain the battery calibration (i.e. percentage shown in the status bar and battery health) as much as possible.

Apple has removed the battery calibration recommendation and procedure from their support documents/knowledge base but here’s an old thread that references it:


The thread is regarding MacBooks, however, the recommendation and instructions were similar for every iPhones and iPads.

My anecdotal evidence is my iDevices, including a still used iPad 2 with more than 1300 charge cycles, have never exhibited massive percentage drops or consistent unexpected shut downs. For examples:



My speculation is Apple switched to forced recalibration on updates because it’s very rare for users to allow their devices to run down until low battery auto shut down.
 
None, except he will damage his battery quicker.

Agreed. Contiguous 0-100% cycles is the very quickest way to kill an iPhone. Calibration status doesn’t affect the health of the battery and can be performed on demand without issue if the need arises. At most it’s a monthly endeavour but even that’s excessive. Exception might be a MacBook that’s permanently running on outlet power with a static charge level.
 
Agreed. Contiguous 0-100% cycles is the very quickest way to kill an iPhone. Calibration status doesn’t affect the health of the battery and can be performed on demand without issue if the need arises. At most it’s a monthly endeavour but even that’s excessive. Exception might be a MacBook that’s permanently running on outlet power with a static charge level.
Macs running on wall power is not an issue as they have special algorithms that discharge the battery to 80% after a certain amount of time connected. Then it cycles between 80 to 90 and back n forth.
 
Macs running on wall power is not an issue as they have special algorithms that discharge the battery to 80% after a certain amount of time connected. Then it cycles between 80 to 90 and back n forth.

Indeed. That is unless you happen to sometimes also run on battery power, after which optimised charging is bricked for days or more. I personally use AlDente Pro and hold my Mac's charge at 50%, but even then I have found that when unplugged I get unexpected shutdowns at 30-40% if I don't calibrate one per month or so. Static charges do seem to be the enemy of calibration, no matter the actual charge level. For a fully mobile device where the ebb and flow of power is constantly flowing through the battery I don't think it's necessary at all except maybe as a corrective measure in the event of issues 👍
 
Indeed. That is unless you happen to sometimes also run on battery power, after which optimised charging is bricked for days or more. I personally use AlDente Pro and hold my Mac's charge at 50%, but even then I have found that when unplugged I get unexpected shutdowns at 30-40% if I don't calibrate one per month or so. Static charges do seem to be the enemy of calibration, no matter the actual charge level. For a fully mobile device where the ebb and flow of power is constantly flowing through the battery I don't think it's necessary at all except maybe as a corrective measure in the event of issues 👍
Well, the cycling is done by my Mac in order to keep the charging fluctuating to prevent the issue you describe. I verify it via Coconut battery.
 
I have always charged all my phones multiple times a day regardless of time or current %, and there has never been any battery issues or exaggerated degradation on any of them.

For example, on an iPhone X that I've treated the battery this way from day of launch, with optimized charging off, the battery health is still 90%. On this device, the battery rarely goes below 80% before I charge it, and almost never under 75%. In real world usage, it feels like new.

I am not sure whether I am some battery whisperer or whether the painful habits suggested by others are myths and unnecessary.
 
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Well, the cycling is done by my Mac in order to keep the charging fluctuating to prevent the issue you describe. I verify it via Coconut battery.

Yeah that's fair. To be honest I previously didn't have the Pro version of AlDente. The paid version supports Sailing Mode which may in fact make all the difference. I still maintain that, across the board, Apple's optimised charging is pretty useless because even a small break in schedule kills it for several days or more, by which time your schedule may have changed again. But all that is a different topic for another day.
 
I am not sure whether I am some battery whisperer or whether the painful habits suggested by others are myths and unnecessary.

I am one of those who indulges in those 'painful' habits, and as previously stated, my launch 12 Pro still reporting 100% health is all the evidence I need to believe that it works. Whether or not anyone cares is of course another matter 👍
 
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