How to check battery health in iPhone 5s

I had read recently that Li-ion batteries, though they don't have memory, do not like being constantly topped off. I know we aren't supposed to need to wait until they drain down to ~40%, and that draining them completely isn't good for them either, but it seems the info out about them is conflicting at times, especially considering all the expanding, exploding batteries in tech devices over the past few years - phones, laptops, iPads, cars, etc..

Personally, I really think it's just the OP has an old battery and it's time to replace it, or upgrade to a new iPhone.

But that's only with 1 year of use. My iPhone didn't start having battery issues until year 3.

I just came across this letter Apple put out in Dec. 2017.

A Message to Our Customers - Apple

I know on newer phones, running iOS 11 or higher, the way to check battery health is:

Settings > Battery > Battery Health

I don't know if the same feature is available on iPhone 5s.

For the most accurate test, schedule an appointment at your Apple Store Genius Bar and they can run diagnostics on your phone for you. Should it be determined a new battery is recommended the price to replace one on the 5s is $79.

How to check ya battery LiFe....

I know on newer phones, running iOS 11 or higher, the way to check battery health is:

Settings > Battery > Battery Health

I don't know if the same feature is available on iPhone 5s.

For the most accurate test, schedule an appointment at your Apple Store Genius Bar and they can run diagnostics on your phone for you. Should it be determined a new battery is recommended the price to replace one on the 5s is $79.

I know on newer phones, running iOS 11 or higher, the way to check battery health is:

Settings > Battery > Battery Health

I don't know if the same feature is available on iPhone 5s.

For the most accurate test, schedule an appointment at your Apple Store Genius Bar and they can run diagnostics on your phone for you. Should it be determined a new battery is recommended the price to replace one on the 5s is $79.

I've noticed that before too. Do not top off the battery frequently. Let it drain to at least 40% before you put it back on the charger, if possible. However, if it's still on the original battery, has the phone also been shutting off or the screen flickering? Has it shown you still had ~50% battery life and then it drained really fast? Those are signs the battery is old and needs replacing, or it's defective, if you have replaced the battery before. That being said, the Li-ion battery in my iPhone 5s just expanded this morning and popped my screen on the left side. That in turn broke my Otter Box Defender's inner plastic case too. I posted here just after you about that. After doing some more reading, I think I need to go to the Apple store immediately and see what they can do for me. Pretty sure I bought the phone from a different carrier than I'm using now, so not sure they'd be of any help.

I chatted with Apple about my iPhone issue just a moment ago, and asked about yours too. The tech said the folks at any Apple store can plug in any iPhone to a handheld device and do a battery check for free. Many independent Mac fix-it stores will do the same thing, and you can probably get the same help at Best Buy, and maybe even Office Depot, if there aren't any Apple stores close to you. If you don't have any of those big-box stores close to you either, try to make sure the indy fix-it shop is Apple certified. You might pay a little more, but in the end, it could be useful if things continue to go south with your iPhone.

As for my issue, I might be S.O.L. at this point. I was considering getting a new phone this year, but I wasn't expecting to have to do it now! 😮 I need to replace my 2011 laptop and I need a car now too. That old saying sure holds true for me... when it rains, it pours! Guess I'll have to sell some Apple stock to pay for new Apple tech. 😟

The old school method of charging a battery does NOT apply to Lithium Ion batteries. You can charge them anytime you want as they do not have memory. There is no need to wait till they are at 40%. And it's actually very BAD for them to drain them completely. Batteries degrade over time and in an older phone, it is likely a new battery will be a good thing.

I haven't read about topping up a Lithium iON battery, so I'm certainly not qualified to comment on that. I can tell you since Apple first introduced Battery Health as a measure of performance, my batteries have shown 100% performance, even with frequent top offs. My iPhone X, now retired as I just got XS Max, after a year of top offs, was still showing 100%.

If you have a valid Apple Care Plus warranty on your phone, you can call 1-800-MY-APPLE and they'll run diagnostics over the air for you. If you don't have a valid plan, they may want to charge for this. Best to give them a call and ask.

But, I wouldn't do it this weekend. Yesterday was new Apple iPhone Launch Day. Apple Customer Support is overwhelmed with people having issues activating or transitioning from a previous phone. Let the onslaught of new phone issues die down a bit. For example, I need to cancel and get a refund for the unused portion of AppleCare+ for my iPhone X and purchase a new plan for my XS Max. I was on hold for two hours to get a live person on the phone.

I'm well aware of that letter. It does not say anything about topping off a lithium ion battery. It was specifically put out when people learned their older phones were being throttled to prevent shutdowns after iOS 11 was introduced. iOS 11 is the first iOS version to be totally 64 bit architecture. For older phone with less RAM, it was taxing them. This is why for iPhone 6 and higher, through the end of this year, Apple is replacing batteries for $29 (no questions asked about battery health) when the normal price is $79.

And yes, it's not rocket science (well maybe it is a little) that as batteries are used over and over, they degrade over time.

iPhone 5s does not have battery health fea