Other Timed charging to maintain battery health?

[Paco II]

To close the loop on this, here is how my ‘experiment’ is currently set up:

I am using the standard Apple 5w charger. I have set up a Personal automation that turns off the charger when charge rises above 80%. At 6:00am the charger is turned back on for 20 minutes to top things up.

I’ll check back in in a year from now

 

[now i see it]

If you don't need the phone to be at the ready at 80% between the time the automation set point turns off and when your timer turns back on at 6AM, it's easier on the battery to keep it near 40% until it's time to charge it.

Instead of choosing 80% then auto stop, choose 75%. Every millivolt closer you can get to 3.92V max, the better (as far as charge stress and battery ultimate life span is concerned)

 

[1rottenapple]

hi does anyone know to to do this shortcut where your HomeKit plug stops charging at 80%. I’d like to do this.

 

[Paco II]

hi does anyone know to to do this shortcut where your HomeKit plug stops charging at 80%. I’d like to do this.

In the shortcuts app you create a Personal automation. Your ‘When’ will be battery level, which is shown in the list of options you are presented.

 

[contacos]

I wonder if its a bad idea to leave the iPhone plugged in during the day? I am working from home now and I do not see a reason to waste battery life if I am tied to my desk anyway. Obviously I am not gonna leave it plugged in 24/7. Just during my working hours of 8ish hours.

I am asking this because I left my MacBook Pro from 2012 plugged in 80 % of the time and according to coconut battery, my battery health is still at 94 % with only 471 of around 1,000 cycles

 

[Shadowbech]

I wonder if its a bad idea to leave the iPhone plugged in during the day? I am working from home now and I do not see a reason to waste battery life if I am tied to my desk anyway. Obviously I am not gonna leave it plugged in 24/7. Just during my working hours of 8ish hours.

No it's not bad idea to leave it plugged during the day. You should be fine.

 

[BigMcGuire]

I wonder if its a bad idea to leave the iPhone plugged in during the day? I am working from home now and I do not see a reason to waste battery life if I am tied to my desk anyway. Obviously I am not gonna leave it plugged in 24/7. Just during my working hours of 8ish hours.

I am asking this because I left my MacBook Pro from 2012 plugged in 80 % of the time and according to coconut battery, my battery health is still at 94 % with only 471 of around 1,000 cycles

As someone who has worked at a desk most of his adult life --- yeah this is exactly what I do. Most of my phones have maintained within 5% of their capacity after a 1-2 year usage. The last 3 phones I've had all said 100% (but I only used them 1 year).

 

[jay968]

I find it curious that so many people spend so much time thinking and worrying about battery life.
I once had an iphone for 5 years and only got rid of it because apps didn't upgrade to its liking anymore. The battery was fine. I never had to have it replaced or anything.
The thing that I wonder about is, especially with people who frequent forums such as this, don't you think you're more than likely to replace the entire phone FAR sooner than any 'ol battery? I'd be willing to bet that's it's kind've rare that anyone in this forum keeps his/her phone more than a couple of years or so. Is worrying about the battery life that important?
Am I wrong?

 

[BigMcGuire]

I find it curious that so many people spend so much time thinking and worrying about battery life.
I once had an iphone for 5 years and only got rid of it because apps didn't upgrade to its liking anymore. The battery was fine. I never had to have it replaced or anything.
The thing that I wonder about is, especially with people who frequent forums such as this, don't you think you're more than likely to replace the entire phone FAR sooner than any 'ol battery? I'd be willing to bet that's it's kind've rare that anyone in this forum keeps his/her phone more than a couple of years or so. Is worrying about the battery life that important?
Am I wrong?

You're not wrong at all. I see it more as an obsession/hobby. I don't keep my devices very long but the idea that I'm taking care of my battery gives me a lot of good feelings.

I know some people who spend 3 hours washing their car every week. My apt complex doesn't let me wash my car so I'll take it to an automatic wash every other month or so. My car looks pretty good (California).

I've never had to replace a battery in any of my apple devices due to an expiring battery. I do love batteries, reading about them, observing them, and thinking I'm giving them a better life than most. <cough>.

 

[Apple OC]

this 12 Pro is the first iPhone I’m purposely not going to charge over night... I’m always within reach of a charge cable to top up 20-30%

run the phone between 40-80 and only charge to 100 when going somewhere for 12+ hours

loving this phone coming from a 7+, excited this is where my phone experience is now for the next few years.

 

[BigMcGuire]

this 12 Pro is the first iPhone I’m purposely not going to charge over night... I’m always within reach of a charge cable to top up 20-30%

run the phone between 40-80 and only charge to 100 when going somewhere for 12+ hours

loving this phone coming from a 7+, excited this is where my phone experience is now for the next few years.

This is the first phone that I'm doing the same thing as you are with. The 40-80 is surprisingly easy to do - after a week of doing it, I can almost consistently pull it off the charger when it is 80% just due to experience.

 

[jay968]

You're not wrong at all. I see it more as an obsession/hobby. I don't keep my devices very long but the idea that I'm taking care of my battery gives me a lot of good feelings.

I know some people who spend 3 hours washing their car every week. My apt complex doesn't let me wash my car so I'll take it to an automatic wash every other month or so. My car looks pretty good (California).

I've never had to replace a battery in any of my apple devices due to an expiring battery. I do love batteries, reading about them, observing them, and thinking I'm giving them a better life than most. <cough>.

Haha, I also live in California. Sometimes I pray for rain because my car needs a bath LOL

I have a 2012 Macbook Pro, not only with the original battery but it reports something like 80% good. I've replaced several internal components in it and keep wondering how much longer the battery will last.

 

[1rottenapple]

You're not wrong at all. I see it more as an obsession/hobby. I don't keep my devices very long but the idea that I'm taking care of my battery gives me a lot of good feelings.

I know some people who spend 3 hours washing their car every week. My apt complex doesn't let me wash my car so I'll take it to an automatic wash every other month or so. My car looks pretty good (California).

I've never had to replace a battery in any of my apple devices due to an expiring battery. I do love batteries, reading about them, observing them, and thinking I'm giving them a better life than most. <cough>.

True good analogy about cars. I was that guy every 2 weeks I have to wash my car and wax every 6 months. Now... once a month. I try not to be like that with my gadgets.

 

[n1smo]

Let me say again, it is not about worry. It is about curiosity. I would like to learn and understand. It is the spice of life, as they say.

Agreed, you guys inspired me to setup some Shortcuts to mimic Optimized Battery Charging since it refuses to work on the iPhone 7+ (works fine on my wife’s 6s). I’m stuck in the Alexa world unfortunately so I had to use Homebrige to connect my Amazon Smart Plugs to HomeKit. I followed the instructions here.

 

[Paco II]

For those playing along, I’ve added a location check to my automations. If I’m beyond a certain distance from home, no need to enable the power adapters.

 

[n1smo]

For those playing along, I’ve added a location check to my automations. If I’m beyond a certain distance from home, no need to enable the power adapters.

Do you have it setup to top off to 100% in the mornings? If so, how are you doing it?

 

[Paco II]

Do you have it setup to top off to 100% in the mornings? If so, how are you doing it?

In the mornings I max out to 85%’ish. I have a HomeKit automation that turns on at 5am and stays on for about 25 minutes. In my personal automation that turns off Chargers at 75%, I have an If statement to not turn off if the hour of the day contains 5am. Per feedback in this thread, I chose to not go to 100%.

 

[n1smo]

In the mornings I max out to 85%’ish. I have a HomeKit automation that turns on at 5am and stays on for about 25 minutes. In my personal automation that turns off Chargers at 75%, I have an If statement to not turn off if the hour of the day contains 5am. Per feedback in this thread, I chose to not go to 100%.

I see. I'll do some research on how to do if statements because I don't see that option in Shortcuts. I would like it to top off to 100% in the mornings and have setup a timer in the morning but my automation to turn off the smart plug when battery level is above 80% interrupts that most of the time. Not a big deal, but if there's a way to do something similar to Tasker, it would be a game changer for the home automations I have currently setup.

 

[Paco II]

I see. I'll do some research on how to do if statements because I don't see that option in Shortcuts. I would like it to top off to 100% in the mornings and have setup a timer in the morning but my automation to turn off the smart plug when battery level is above 80% interrupts that most of the time. Not a big deal, but if there's a way to do something similar to Tasker, it would be a game changer for the home automations I have currently setup.

Don’t know tasker, but figure out what your exception is. For me it was to not turn off if the time is in the 5am hour, which I do by getting time, parsing it, and seeing if it contains “5AM”. You can do so much with Shortcuts nowadays.

 

[cub4bearin]

In the mornings I max out to 85%’ish. I have a HomeKit automation that turns on at 5am and stays on for about 25 minutes. In my personal automation that turns off Chargers at 75%, I have an If statement to not turn off if the hour of the day contains 5am. Per feedback in this thread, I chose to not go to 100%.

Can you please explain in more details
How to add the IF statement for time? Having little bit problems here finding it. Thank you

 

[Paco II]

Can you please explain in more details
How to add the IF statement for time? Having little bit problems here finding it. Thank you

I have a Personal Automation to disable my charger set to trigger when battery level rises above 75%. I have another personal automation to reenable the charger when charge level drops below 70%.

Just for the morning, I want the iPhone to charge a bit more, so I have a HomeKit automation set to turn on the charger at 5am for 25 minutes. Within the personal automation to disable at 75%, within the Do, I include a check of the time. If the time is not “05AM” I continue with disabling the charger. If not I don’t. Allowing the morning extra charge. I get the date, then use custom formatting to pull out just the hour and am/pm (if you use 24 hour time that wouldn’t be needed).

 

[cub4bearin]

does this look right to you? I use 24H format on my phone

I have a Personal Automation to disable my charger set to trigger when battery level rises above 75%. I have another personal automation to reenable the charger when charge level drops below 70%.

Just for the morning, I want the iPhone to charge a bit more, so I have a HomeKit automation set to turn on the charger at 5am for 25 minutes. Within the personal automation to disable at 75%, within the Do, I include a check of the time. If the time is not “05AM” I continue with disabling the charger. If not I don’t. Allowing the morning extra charge. I get the date, then use custom formatting to pull out just the hour and am/pm (if you use 24 hour time that wouldn’t be needed).

 

[Paco II]

does this look right to you? I use 24H format on my phone

View attachment 1700919

So anything within the If statement will happen only if it is not within the 09:00 hour. Looks good to me. And note that you don’t need to use the else statement if it is not needed. It can simply be removed.

You can also use the Show Alert feature to verify the output of formatted date if you aren’t sure if it is correct. It’s a good debugging tool.

 

[cub4bearin]

So anything within the If statement will happen only if it is not within the 09:00 hour. Looks good to me. And note that you don’t need to use the else statement if it is not needed. It can simply be removed.

You can also use the Show Alert feature to verify the output of formatted date if you aren’t sure if it is correct. It’s a good debugging tool.

And this is my trigger on daily basis to activate the plug at 9 am for 25 minutes

 

[Paco II]

And this is my trigger on daily basis to activate the plug at 9 am for 25 minutes

Looks good!