Battery charge drops dramatically even when iPhone SE 2022 is turned off overnight.

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Battery charge drops dramatically even when iPhone SE 2022 is turned off overnight.

Hello all.

I have a 3rd Generation iPhone SE 2022, bought at the Apple Store earlier in May 2022. This is my "Secondary Phone", and I would say I am a casual user, with zero to minimal intensive use. The phone is used mostly for WhatsApp, Telegram, Web Browsing and Apple Music. On good days, my iPhone SE battery life can last for over 48 hours from 100% charge to about 20%! Also, I fully understand the limitations of the iPhone SE and it's battery capacity and I do not compare with it's bigger iPhone 13 Pro Max cousins with the same generation A15.

I have done the following:

1) iOS version is always up to date. I am currently on iOS 16.2 but this has happened randomly since iOS 15 and its following various iOS updates till today.

2) I do not run the battery down flat to 0% I always charge my phone when it hits 20% to 25%. I have only run the battery down to 0% once in hopes to do a "software reset" but don't seem to be working. I also do not plug in and plug out and charge my phone randomly.

3) Background App refresh is turned off mostly, except for a handful of essential apps like WhatsApp and Telegram. Mail is set to 'Fetch (Hourly)' instead of 'Push'. All system haptics is switched off.

4) Most frequently played Music is downloaded via WIFI on Apple Music and stored in device as I understand streaming using cellular data consumes more power. Of course there are times when I just stream some songs via Cellular data while commuting. I do not use video streaming services on my iPhone SE 2022.

5) Battery Health on iOS as of today is still 100%. Battery Stats shortcut details will be posted below.

Here's my experience: I noticed that my iPhone SE 2022 battery charge, at random "unlucky" nights, can drop and lose up to 35% overnight when switched OFF. I off my phone when I go to sleep every night. There was a night, when I had 100% battery (freshly charged). I turned my phone off and went to sleep. When I wake up and turn on my phone... I'm left with 67% charge? (Screenshot below). There are nights where I off my phone with 55% battery when I sleep, and wake up with low battery warning with about 10% charge. All this happens at random nights. I do not play any "Intensive Games" like Genshin Impact either. Here's the chart below for "Unlucky Nights" You can see the first green line after I power up my battery a noticeable drop. (Yes, phone was powered off for 11 hours)

On "Normal Nights", the battery charge only drops about 3% which is perfectly understandable, like the screenshot below.

I consulted at the Apple Store Genius Bar, they did a test and confirmed my battery is perfectly fine. Apple Support suggested me to leave my phone plugged in every night overnight to ensure I get a fully charged fresh battery at 100% when I wake up. I was also told not to worry about it because of the "Optimized Battery Charging" feature.

However, I also do not wish to plug in and charge my phone when I still have about 85% charge when I sleep. On a "normal" day, I will wake up with 81 or 82% charge if I off my phone with 85% charge (like above). On "Unlucky nights", I can wake up with 50% charge (30% drop). So at this point of time, it's really a gamble.

Of course, if I know my day tomorrow will be hectic and I need to use my iPhone SE excessively, I will leave it charged overnight even with 80% charge. But if I know my day tomorrow is gonna be a stay home day and my iPhone will be sitting on the desk on idle, why would I be worried going to sleep with 80% charge?

On the rare occasion if I forget to switch off my phone and leave it on overnight, my battery drops about 5% to 8% which is understandable as well. I have yet to encounter such "Dramatic Battery Charge Drops" if I leave my phone on overnight.

I hope to hear some possible solutions and explaination on what could be happening. Thank you in advance.

Regards

Zarke

iPhone SE

Posted on Jan 3, 2023 10:46 PM

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Answer 1

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Zarke Author

Level 1

135 points

Jan 13, 2023 11:32 PM in response to Zarke

Dear all

Posting for a quick update. It happened again. Yesterday, 13 January 2023 Friday, My phone was fully charged to 100% when I woke up at 11:35am as shown. I went sleep at 14 January 2023 Saturday 4:06am (took a screenshot) with 69% battery remaining, and then I switched off my iPhone SE 2022.

This morning, I woke up at 11:22am to be greeted with 42% battery left, screenshot below. Lucky I will be home most of the day so I can just plug it in and charge. That is a 27% battery drop when the phone is switched off.

I am updating my issue here, in hopes of more answers and visibility from the audience here. It's not a matter of 'just leave your phone charged overnight', and as a matter of fact, it is a good thing I don't charge my iPhone SE 2022 overnight daily, or else I would not have known about this issue.

Regards

Zarke

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Answer 2

Zarke Author

Level 1

135 points

Jan 5, 2023 1:42 AM in response to Dogcow-Moof

Hello Dogcow-Moof

Thank you for the link. Apart from this random occurrence of inconvenience, the battery life is still excellent as I can still push for 36 hours with moderate use before it hits 20% for charging, which is impressive. Like the Apple Support Staff and you mentioned, the 'solution' to this 'random inconvenience' is to simply leave the phone charged and plugged in overnight. Not to worry with the overnight charging, I completely understand the 'Optimised Battery Charging' feature that will protect the battery in my iPhone. Other than that, my iPhone SE 2022 is flawless and I am extremely happy with the phone.

Posting here to see if any other iPhone owners have similar occurrences to what I am facing now, hoping for more visibility and seeking other's opinions if they face such occurrences as well.

Regards

Zarke

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Answer 3

Dogcow-Moof

Level 8

36,557 points

Jan 3, 2023 11:12 PM in response to Zarke

Zarke wrote:

However, I also do not wish to plug in and charge my phone when I still have about 85% charge when I sleep.

Why? Letting it charge overnight is the normal expected way to use your iPhone.

Mine is actually on a wireless charger at all times except when I am away from home or when I am in the car, and in the car it's plugged in with a cord. Thanks to in-seat AC outlets, my phone is even charging when I'm on a flight.

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Answer 4

Dogcow-Moof

Level 8

36,557 points

Jan 4, 2023 12:36 AM in response to Zarke

This is the way I have treated every iPhone I have owned, it has never wrecked a battery and there are no Apple Support documents stating this is improper.

The device’s smart charging mechanism prevents any damage to the battery, and what I describe is essentially how all demo iPhones in stores worldwide spend their days every day.

No batteries were destroyed, none even fell below Apple limits for battery health within one year.

For Apple’s official guidelines, you can read them here:

iPhone Battery and Performance - Apple Support

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Answer 5

Zarke Author

Level 1

135 points

Jan 4, 2023 2:09 AM in response to Dogcow-Moof

Thank you for the link, Dogcow-Moof, I've already read all of the Batteries related articles on Apple's Website before posting my question.

Yes, there are no official documentations stating that such charging habits is improper on the Apple's Website. I've only been verbally told to avoid such charging habits (The 6 Steps) as listed in my reply above by a Apple Genius Bar staff.

Even the said Apple Staff that have given me the above advice, in his past experiences which he practices such charging habits (The 6 Steps) also admitted to wreck all his phones batteries within 12 - 18 months. iPhone or not.

Nonetheless, this "charging pattern" is out of topic, and does not answer or clarify why my iPhone SE 2022 battery drops 30% overnight on random nights when switched off.

Regards

Zarke

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Answer 6

Dogcow-Moof

Level 8

36,557 points

Jan 4, 2023 2:25 AM in response to Zarke

Then the Apple Store staff is passing on incorrect information; as stated I have owned every iPhone since the original one, have used them all twelve months to two years, and have never "wrecked" a battery by following the charging procedures I do, nor have they "wrecked" the batteries in the store display models which are treated the same way.

The Apple document is the official statement on how to care for your battery, despite what store employees may have told you.

While newer iPhones with the U1 chip do remain active in a low power state even when off, certainly your drop seems to be higher than usual - but leaving your phone connected and charging all night every night will certainly not damage your battery, especially now that Optimized Charging is a feature of iOS.

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Answer 7

Zarke Author

Level 1

135 points

Jan 4, 2023 12:13 AM in response to Dogcow-Moof

Hi Dogcow-Moof

The pattern of charging which you mentioned is actually discouraged by the Apple Genius Bar staff. I do know people who charges their phones like this and their batteries got wrecked within 12 months.

1) Wake up, unplug phone with 100% charge.

2) Use phone, commute to work, reach office desk, plug phone in.

3) Goes for a 1 hour morning work meeting, unplugs phone. Back from meeting, plug phone in.

4) Lunch Break, plugs out phone. Back from lunch, plug in phone.

5) If there is another meeting in the afternoon, repeat step 3.

6) End work, unplug phone. Commute home and use phone. Plug in phone back at home.

12 months later… “This phone is lousy, I paid over a grand for a flagship phone and now my battery cannot even last me a full day outing at the beach where I have no access to a wall power source and now I need to carry a power bank with more cables. Such an expensive and lousy phone, and big tech companies still dare to charge a hundred bucks for a battery replacement!”

I’m not naming other brands but it happened to an iPhone user as well (iPhone Xs). I’ve seen such cases happened too many times. Those who change and upgrade their phone yearly every generation, that’s fine. But I intend to use my phone for 2 years and beyond.

Regards

Zarke

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Answer 8

Dogcow-Moof

Level 8

36,557 points

Jan 4, 2023 11:24 AM in response to Zarke

The bottom line is I can’t say why it is occurring, but if Apple has tested your phone and found no issue, that’s pretty much all you can do at this point.

The official Apple statement on batteries say leaving your phone charging overnight isn’t an issue as the intelligent charging circuitry will ensure no overcharging or battery damage occurs; you may of course do what you wish.

Remember if your battery health falls below 80% within 12 months of purchase, Apple will replace your battery for free.

Finally, feel free to leave a complaint for Apple here:

Feedback - iPhone - Apple

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Answer 9

Zarke Author

Level 1

135 points

Jan 4, 2023 5:26 AM in response to Dogcow-Moof

Dogcow-Moof wrote:

certainly your drop seems to be higher than usual.

Hello Dogcow-Moof

Yes, the random 25% to 30% overnight battery charge drop while the phone is switched off is a concern. It goes beyond the topic of my charging habits. What If I had a tiring day and I just forget to leave it plugged in? Not forgetting in my original post in the first screenshot, my phone was freshly charged at 100%, turned if off before I sleep and I woke up with a shocking 67% charge. What made the phone lose 33% charge when switched off for one night? Certainly it's not unreasonable to unplug your phone when it's fully 100% charged?

Apple Support via the Support App confirmed my battery is fine. I went down to the physical Apple Store, booked an appointment with the Genius Bar, they plugged my phone into their diagnostics tool, confirmed battery is fine too. Battery Drain Rate is draining at a acceptable rate. Apple Genius Bar cannot determine the cause of this "random dramatic" drops. So I am on my wits end and decided to post here hoping for answers or a possible solutions.

Too add on a minor detail. I am using all Original Apple Accessories. I am using the 9th Generation iPad Charger and iPad cable to charge my iPhone SE 2022. Just adding this point for a more detailed picture. My iPad does not have this battery charge dropping issue even though I use it rather intensively during the evenings and nights before I sleep.

Regards

Zarke

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Battery charge drops dramatically even when iPhone SE 2022 is turned off overnight.

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