Is iPhone battery discharge bad?

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Level 1

15 points

Is iPhone battery discharge bad?

I recently did some research and saw some conflicting discoveries when it came to discharging lithium ion batteries. Some articles state it's not good to do so while others state it's fine to do 1 to every 3 months from 100% to 0%. I was in fact told this by an Apple advisor about 2 years ago when I had an iPhone 6. The advisor stated it helps calibrate the battery and gives an accurate battery percentage. In the past when my iPhone was not charging beyond 97% I ran my iPhone until it died and recharged it back to 100%. I guess I'm curious if it's a necessity to discharge fully 1 to every 3 months and if I do so is it bad. I have a new iPhone 7+ and I've only discharged fully once. If its not considered safe to do, I will not let it discharge fully.

iPhone 7 Plus, iOS 10.3.3

Posted on Aug 25, 2017 10:21 AM

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Answer 1

Aug 25, 2017 10:26 AM in response to FatalJRA78

Draining the battery to 0% (which is not really zero so as to protect your battery) then recharging it was frequently suggested as a way to calibrate the battery sensor, thus giving you a more accurate reading. Apple dropped that recommendation a couple of years ago.

Lithium ion batteries should not be left in an uncharged state for long periods of time as they may never take a charge again.

See this article from Apple:

Batteries - Maximizing Performance - Apple

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Answer 2

FatalJRA78 Author

Level 1

15 points

Aug 25, 2017 10:35 AM in response to IdrisSeabright

I see. What I usually do and in my last case is drain it to what we see as 0% and plug it in right away before the red battery light goes away. I believe Apple has been using lithium ion batteries for some time so perhaps the Apple person I spoke too was providing incorrect information. I notice the Apple website states: "It's no longer necessary to fully discharge your battery", however it doesn't state that it's bad for your phone or not recommended. I guess I'm a little anal when it comes to my phone.

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Answer 3

Aug 25, 2017 10:39 AM in response to FatalJRA78

FatalJRA78 wrote:

I see. What I usually do and in my last case is drain it to what we see as 0% and plug it in right away before the red battery light goes away. I believe Apple has been using lithium ion batteries for some time so perhaps the Apple person I spoke too was providing incorrect information. I notice the Apple website states: "It's no longer necessary to fully discharge your battery", however it doesn't state that it's bad for your phone or not recommended.

You'll note that Apple explains that, if you're planning to store your device, that you should charge it to 50%.

iPhones have always had lithium ion batteries. The information you received from the tech was best practice (though with a bad explanation) at the time. It is no longer necessary.

There is no need to do much special with your battery. Charge it when you need or want to. I recommend charging it overnight because, if the phone is plugged in, the screen is locked and it's connected to WiFi, it will automatically back up to iCloud. Also, the phone will be fully charged and ready to go in the morning.

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