Table of Contents
- Useful Information
- How to Charge an iPhone
- How to Charge iPhone from Samsung
- How to Charge iPhone to Preserve Battery
- In Case of Problems
Useful Information
Before diving into the tutorial on how to charge your iPhone, there are some useful pieces of information that I must provide to avoid misunderstandings.
Unlike old batteries, which would “forget” their full capacity over time, the battery of the iPhone – and generally all electronic devices sold nowadays – is made of lithium ions and does not suffer from the issues mentioned earlier.
Thus, the iPhone’s battery must be managed quite differently than what we were used to in the past: it doesn’t need to be fully drained before charging, and you don’t have to wait until it hits 100% before unplugging it. In fact, as we will see shortly, it’s even better to unplug it sooner.
The iPhone battery functions on charge cycles. Each cycle corresponds to 100% of the battery’s capacity, but it doesn’t need to be consumed at once (in fact, it’s discouraged). For instance, if you use 85% of the battery in one day, then charge it back to 100%, the cycle will end when it discharges by 15%.
In simple terms: you can charge your Apple smartphone whenever and however much you want. However, the fact that the lithium-ion battery in iPhones is “smart” does not exempt it from losing some of its capacity over time. The batteries are designed to retain at least 80% of their original capacity after 1,000 charge cycles. If this doesn’t happen, you can use the Apple warranty for a free battery replacement.
To keep the iPhone’s battery as healthy as possible, it’s advisable to maintain a charge between 30% and 80%. Additionally, avoid exposing the device to extremely high temperatures—the ideal range is between 16 and 22 °C. Otherwise, the battery’s capacity could permanently degrade, shortening the duration between charges. For more details, check out this page from Battery University, which specializes in battery-related information.
If you’re using an iOS version 11.3 or later, you can check the actual battery capacity directly on the device. Tap the Settings icon (the one shaped like a gear) on the home screen, then select Battery and then Battery Health. It will show the maximum capacity percentage and whether it can still provide optimal performance.
When the battery is labeled by iOS as no longer capable of providing maximum performance, after the first sudden shutdown due to lack of power, Apple, as stated by the company itself, implements specific measures to reduce certain operating system performance features in favor of greater autonomy and stability.
How to Charge an iPhone
Now that we’ve covered the theory, let’s move on to the practical part and discover exactly how to charge an iPhone. You can find all the instructions right below.
How to Charge iPhone via Cable
To charge an iPhone via cable, first take the Lightning cable or the USB-C cable that comes with the device if you have an iPhone 15 or later. Connect the end resembling a USB stick to the charging port of the iPhone at the bottom, and the other end into the wall socket. Done!
If you don’t have the original charging cable, you can still use third-party solutions. The important thing is that the cable you choose is of good quality and MFi certified (Made for iPod/iPhone/iPad standard created by Apple), which indicates that the manufacturer has been provided with specific technical information and Apple has consented to distribute the product made by them.
There are also some valid alternative cables on the market, some of which are constructed from more durable materials than the original charging cable, such as nylon.
If you need to charge an iPhone quickly, consider using a more powerful adapter, such as the one included with the iPhone 11 Pro Max. You can also consider charging iPhone with an iPad charger or using a MacBook charger.
Once you’ve plugged the device in, if the ringer is enabled, you will hear a notification indicating that the charging process has begun. If the iPhone is on silent with vibration, you will feel a slight vibration. Next to the charging indicator (the one shaped like a battery) at the top right of the smartphone screen, you will see a lightning bolt symbol. The battery indicator will gradually fill up as the charging process completes.
Once it reaches 100%, the charging will stop (even if it’s still plugged in) and you can use the device as usual. There’s nothing preventing you from using the iPhone while it’s charging, but keep in mind that it will take longer to charge since you’ll be draining the battery at the same time.
If your iPhone is updated to iOS 13 or later, you can enable an interesting feature in the settings that optimizes the battery, reducing the time it takes to fully charge the device and preventing aging. More specifically, the feature allows the iPhone to learn your daily charging habits and wait until you’re not expected to use it again to exceed the 80% charge.
To enable this feature, tap the Settings icon (the gear-shaped one) on the home screen, select Battery on the next screen, and then tap Battery Health. Then, turn on the switch next to Optimized Battery Charging. The charge monitoring information can be viewed at the bottom of the main page after reaching Settings > Battery on iOS.
How to Charge iPhone without Cable
If the idea of keeping your “iPhone” connected to a cable doesn’t appeal to you, you may be wondering if it’s possible to charge your iPhone without a cable? The answer is yes, since the most modern iPhone models (from iPhone 8 and iPhone X onward) support the use of wireless chargers with Qi certification (an open and universal charging standard created by the Wireless Power Consortium).
To use them, just place your smartphone on the base of the charger. They come at varying costs depending on the brand, materials, power, and size. You can purchase them at both physical electronics stores and online.
How to Charge a New iPhone
Have you just purchased your first Apple smartphone and are wondering if any particular precautions need to be taken to charge a new iPhone? The answer is no.
The procedure for charging iPhone for the first time and, more generally, for charging any newly purchased smartphone is practically the same as what you should follow under all other circumstances, as I already indicated in the section on how to charge iPhone via cable.
How to Charge an iPhone without Charger
Do you often find yourself without your “iPhone” charger on hand? You might be interested in understanding how to charge an iPhone without a charger? Well, there are at least two solutions available to you.
First, if you have a powered computer, you can connect your iPhone to it to charge the device this way. Specifically, what you need to do to charge an iPhone with a PC or Mac is take the iPhone cable, connect the larger end with one of the USB ports on the computer, and the smaller end to the smartphone charging port. After completing these steps, the charging will begin immediately. If you have a computer with only USB-C ports, you will need to purchase a suitable adapter or hub or a cable with a USB-C connector.
Another method you can use to charge your iPhone without using the charger is to use a power bank, which is a portable rechargeable battery that allows you to charge smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, laptops (if they have a USB-C port), and other devices anywhere, at any time. They come in various capacities, shapes, and USB port configurations.
There are many power banks available on the market, which can range in price from €10 to €100 depending on their technical specifications.
How to Charge iPhone when Off
Assuming that the iPhone should be charged while on, since all charging processes are managed by iOS (that’s why, even if you turn off the smartphone and connect it to the charger, it automatically turns itself back on), there is, however, a “trick” to charge your iPhone when it’s off. Be careful, though, because it only works on older devices.
To perform this operation (which is generally not advisable), what you need to do is connect the device while it’s on, as I explained earlier, and then you must turn it off normally.
Once you have completed the aforementioned steps, the iPhone will turn off but will continue charging and you will see the charging indicator on the display. When charging is complete or whenever you want, you can turn on and use your iPhone as you usually do.
How to Charge an iPhone with Another iPhone
Have you seen a friend charge their Android smartphone with another phone by connecting them with a cable or simply bringing them close together? Are you wondering if it’s possible to charge one iPhone with another iPhone? Yes, this is possible, but under certain conditions.
This procedure is only possible (at least until the current generation) via cable between two iPhones equipped with USB-C or between an iPhone with USB-C (which has to be the one donating its energy) and any iPhone model, provided you have the appropriate cable.
How do you activate this feature? It’s actually active by default; simply connect the USB-C cable to the donating iPhone and then to the receiving iPhone to see that the latter starts to charge. This function is valid for any receiving device, even if you want to charge earbuds or an Android device.
Be aware that the charging speed of this method is very low and should generally be used as an emergency. The health of your iPhone’s battery may be compromised if you rely on this system too often, so it’s better to use it as a last resort.
How to Charge iPhone from Samsung
Would you like to charge an iPhone from a Samsung? This is possible, although it may vary depending on the specific Samsung model in question. Generally, all latest generation models should be capable of this. The advantage is that if your Samsung has the reverse wireless charging feature, you can even charge your iPhone without a cable. Let’s see how to do it.
Let’s start with the simple part, which is charging via USB-C cable. Use the same procedure described in the previous section, where you connect the USB-C cable first to the Samsung and then to the iPhone being charged (generally always from charge to discharge) to start the second device charging. If the iPhone has a lightning port, the procedure remains the same.
Now, the process becomes more complex if you want to use reverse wireless charging. By placing your iPhone on the back of the Samsung, you’ll notice that nothing happens. So, how to activate this function? You need to go to the Settings menu of the Samsung, then select Battery, followed by Wireless PowerShare.
There you’ll find the toggle to activate it, with the wording changing from Off to On. Turn it on, and then place your iPhone back against the Samsung to see the latter start charging. The wireless charging share disables automatically whenever you stop it, so you’ll need to remember to turn it back on.
Furthermore, if charging reversely via cable is not healthy for the device’s battery, it will be even worse wirelessly. You’ll notice the devices heating up, which is detrimental to the battery, so I reiterate the recommendation to use it only in case of real necessity.
How to Charge iPhone to Preserve Battery
If you want to know how to charge iPhone to preserve battery, there are several tips I can offer to maximize its lifespan.
- Use optimized charging — this feature, as previously mentioned, limits the maximum charge based on user usage and time of day, preventing it from remaining fully charged when unnecessary.
- Charging limit — starting from iPhone 15 onwards, a function was added that allows users to set the maximum charging limit for the battery via software. This should be kept to a minimum (i.e., 80% maximum charge) to extend its lifespan. This feature can always be found in the menu Settings > Battery > Battery Health.
- Avoid complete discharges — the two maximum stress situations for a battery are complete discharge and complete charge, with the ideal being around 50% remaining charge. It’s impossible to maintain the phone at 50% all the time, but at least avoiding letting it shut down completely before connecting the charger is ideal. The less you let the battery drop below 20%, the better for its future.
- Never leave it fully discharged or fully charged — as mentioned, the maximum stress situations are being fully charged and fully discharged, so imagine how detrimental prolonged stays in this state can be. Leaving the phone abandoned for days at 0% battery or, conversely, constantly keeping it connected to the charger to maintain it at 100% is one of the worst practices.
- Avoid extreme temperatures — as stated, the battery works best at moderate temperatures, between 15 and 25 degrees. In summer or if you live in a tropical area, you cannot simply place it in the fridge for cooling. Alternatively, try to avoid exposing it to the sun or leaving it in your backpack if heading to the mountains during winter. Keeping it close to your body while in your pocket should be temperate and less damaging to the battery.
- Fast, wireless, and reverse charging — wireless charging, fast charging, reverse charging, or reverse wireless charging are interesting and useful features; however, they tend to generate heat in the battery, and stress it more. While not all equally, we can indicate them as not optimal for ensuring the maximum lifespan of the phone.
- MFi-certified original accessories — finally, avoid using exotic and non-MFi certified charging accessories, as they could damage the battery and shorten its lifespan.
In Case of Problems
Even after following my guidelines on how to charge the iPhone, is your Apple smartphone still showing signs of imbalance with its charge duration? If so, try calibrating the battery. Calibration is a process that resets the phone’s battery management to eliminate any charging issues or incorrect indicators related to remaining battery capacity.
Should you continue experiencing issues, the best advice I can offer is to reach out to Apple support for tailored assistance. You can do this in various ways: via phone, chat, or by visiting an Apple Store, etc.
Keep in mind that, depending on the issues you’re facing, you may be offered a battery replacement. If your iPhone is still under warranty or if its maximum charge capacity has dropped below 80% before completing 1,000 cycles, the replacement will be free at any Apple center. Otherwise, support is still available but, as can be easily deduced, it will come at a cost.