iPad shows low battery when fully charged

Question

Level 1

121 points

iPad shows low battery when fully charged

For the last few months (which correlates to updating to IOS 10.x) if I let my iPad Mini fully charge, it will usually result in it displaying the low battery screen.

I believe that the iPad is expecting the battery to be operating within an expected voltage range. If the detected voltage is outside this range (high or low), it will default to indicating a low battery.

To support this theory, and as a workaround, I will perform a hard reset to draw power from the battery when the low battery screen comes on. After multiple attempts, the voltage will come down to a level where the iPad will reset and I'm good to go.

This is annoying, especially as I use the iPad for my morning alarm. If I forget to unplug the charge cable, it will go to low battery and the alarm won't go off. I suppose that gives me an occasional sleep in.

Is this something Apple is aware of that could be remedied in a future patch? Is there a fix for this issue?

iPad Mini Wi-Fi, iOS 10.3, -

Posted on Apr 27, 2017 7:52 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

sterling r

Community Specialist

Apr 28, 2017 12:39 PM in response to YoungSC73

Greetings YoungSC73,

Thanks for using the Apple Support Communities.

I see that for the last few months, if you let your iPad mini fully charge it will result in the iPad displaying the low battery screen. This seems to have started after updating to iOS 10.3. I'm glad to help assist you with this.

First, have you tried to turn off Low Power Mode on your iPad to see if you get the same result? Tap Settings > Battery > Low Power Mode > Toggle off.

If you continue to have the issue after that, please try a reinstall of iOS.

First, use this article to make sure that you have a backup of your iPhone: How to back up your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch .

Then, use this article to reinstall iOS: If you can‘t update or restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Note: This article is intended to be for a different issue but following steps 1-5 will help you reinstall iOS without erasing data.
Best Regards.

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Answer 2

YoungSC73 Author

Level 1

121 points

May 1, 2017 7:07 PM in response to sterling r

Thanks for your reply Stirling.

I think Low Power mode is only on phones, as I couldn't find the setting on my iPad.

I reinstalled iOS, but the problem still persists. I still think it has to do with the settings for the voltage range detection.

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Answer 3

Sep 18, 2017 4:03 PM in response to YoungSC73

Since the last update I have been having problems with my iPad thinking it is low on power and shuts down. When you finally get it to reboot it shows full power. The reboot is getting more difficult as time goes on. Soon I won't be able to use My iPad unless Appl fixes this problem.

Larry Cradd

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Answer 4

Oct 7, 2017 12:40 PM in response to Ictslp

No fix far as I know. I get back on using the double keystroke to get to Apple screen and logging in with password. Sometimes I unplug power and it boots up to login. Or try plugging power back in and try double keystroke. Very frustrating. Then if you get to login it fades away before before you get your login typed. Frustrating yes!! You will need to get to the Apple screen to log in.

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Answer 5

Dec 1, 2017 4:58 AM in response to YoungSC73

Hey...after looking online for a while I think I might have found a (temporary) solution for everyone desperate out there.

My Ipad mini 4 wouldn´t start even though it was fully charged and all I got was the battery empty symbol. At first it would start after a while but recently it stopped working all together.

So that´s how I found this blog here... but no answers..

hehe...this sounds crazy but i got my ipad to work again with... a hairdryer!

I found a video on youtube of a guy with a similar problem for his iphone and I gave it a try.. it totally worked! Just gently warm up the back of the ipad for a minute and turn it on.

here´s the vid: How to Fix iPhone Stuck at Battery Logo - YouTube

or just look for it on youtube.

hope this helps...obiously only a temporary solution but at least i could recover all my data etc...

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Answer 6

YoungSC73 Author

Level 1

121 points

Dec 6, 2017 10:59 PM in response to jeremy_v

Hi All,

Long absence since I last posted.

I was somewhat doubtful about the advice provided by Jeremy, as it seemed to come straight from the standard resolution playbook (no offence intended). After a few long train rides home from work trying to get the iPad to come back on, I decided to give it a go.

The factory restore coincided with a new IOS version being released, so this resulted in the clean installation of the latest IOS version.

For a few days it looked promising, but then got the low battery screen again after the iPad was left on charge.

A comment in this thread indicated that gently using a hair dryer to heat up the back of the iPad makes a difference. This would cause a change in the battery output voltage, which kind of supports my original theory for a problem with the voltage detection.

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Answer 7

cairny

Level 1

14 points

Dec 7, 2017 7:15 AM in response to YoungSC73

I updated to the latest IOS 11.2 and still have the problem with my ipad pro. The best luck I have had so far is after it reaches the full charge in the morning I boot up with the power still connected and start using it that way for a rew minutes. When I see it is staying on I dissconnect the power. Going to try that each morning to see if its consistent, real pain in the butt.

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Answer 8

Apr 19, 2018 10:51 AM in response to YoungSC73

This problem is now at least 1 year old - anyone knows if Apple fixed it ?

This unreliability and instability issue makes the iPadPro and other iPads totally useless as a tool for business where you have to rely on it working all the time. Think about clinics and hospital settings for example...

This is my 7th ipad and will be my last unless there is a proper fix.

A real disappointment. Apple wake up!

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Answer 9

May 18, 2018 1:21 AM in response to Binsbergen

This problem is more than 1 year old. I have suffered with this for over 2 years now.

I have always managed to get it going in the end but I have known it take up to 10 attempts.

Now I have got into the habit of never fully charging my iPad.

It seems to be a widespread problem and so it really is time Apple sorted it out.

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Answer 10

Jun 13, 2018 8:46 AM in response to georgefrommirfield

It’s like the software updates have planted a virus in any and older Apple products. My iPad 2 ran for years always the same never slowed down, until there was an update that changed the look and operation. It was the first change in the overall look. It became the death of my iPad 2, 3, mini 2 several phones it’s now effecting my iPad Pro 12.9 it’s upsetting. My MacBook Air 2014 has been effected along with my MacBook Pro 2015. Don’t think I’m going to continue spending money on a product that starts to self destruct. I keep waiting for my phone to start showing symptoms it’s the iPhone 7plus and the battery reads 90%! This form has been recording complaints for a year and a half and no response from Apple. Maybe it’s time to retire Apple? It’s sad because I like the family of phone, tablet, computer all talking the IOS language. Asking for a better partnership from Apple! All the best to the rest of you hope someone listening!

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Answer 11

Lageee

Level 1

4 points

Jun 24, 2018 1:54 PM in response to YoungSC73

My iPad Air 2 is also showing low battery and fully charged when I get it back. It has been backed up and restored and that worked for about a week. Now the battery and plug comes on and no screen or anything. 😢 Not working at all.

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Answer 12

jeremy_v

Community Specialist

May 6, 2017 5:43 AM in response to YoungSC73

Hello YoungSC73,

Thank you for trying those steps. We have something else for you to try.

Since this is still happening after a reinstall, let's try a restore to factory settings and see if you get the same issue after that. This will help isolate the software from the hardware on the iPad.

First, make sure that you have a recent backup of your data: How to back up your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch .

Then, use this article to restore to factory settings: Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to factory settings .

Once you've restored to factory settings, set up the iPad as new and test to see if you get the same result.

If you need to restore from your backup after testing, please use this article: Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch from a backup .

Please let us know what happens.

Have a great day.

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Answer 13

Jakesy85

Level 1

4 points

Dec 9, 2017 1:00 AM in response to YoungSC73

I’ve been having this problem too for the last three weeks.

ive took it into the store and they ran a diagnostic and said the battery was charging to 4900 instead of its optimal 6300,but that shouldn’t be low enough to cause the problem of full charge shut down. At this point I was considering paying for a new battery but was told that the problem haven’t happened at all once the staff had it.

is this a hardware problem or have apple glitched the last few updates as this is frustrating.

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Answer 14

java777

Level 1

9 points

Dec 9, 2017 7:52 AM in response to Sp4cemannSp1ff

the hair dryer trick works for me so far (twice already). I try not to charge it to 100% but forget twice. After blowing it using a hair dryer foe 1 minute or so, pressing the power button can turn my ipad on.

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Answer 15

Dec 16, 2017 10:12 AM in response to YoungSC73

I have an iPad Mini 2 and if you fully charge it over night the next day you will get this symbol that the battery is 100% discharged and needs to be charged. If you spend lots of time rebooting it and put it in recovery mode and stuff at some point it will boot up again and everything is fine.

The my wife found how to avoid it is not fully charge it. Just charge it to 99% and stop and it will not be an issue.

It was such a pain I just bought her a new Mini 4 refurbished to avoid the issue and I took the Mini 2.

But this is no doubt a bug that could be fixed in software or hardware but apple is not providing any support and just told me to buy a new ipad.

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