4 Common Charging Mistakes That Are Detrimental To Your iPhone's Battery, According To Tech Experts: Not Updating Your Software & More

Owning an iPhone and not charging it correctly is equivalent to owning any other [insert expensive object here] and flinging it around without regard to how it might be affected. How you charge your device matters greatly — it can mean the difference between a long-lasting battery and one that loses steam quickly. But it’s so easy to make mistakes when it comes to charging your phone. These four common charging mistakes are detrimental to your iPhone battery — being aware of them and avoiding them at all costs can help.

Waiting for Your Battery to Completely Drain

Don’t wait until your iPhone battery has dipped down to 5 percent before charging your device. Modern iPhone batteries perform their best when they are neither amped up to 100 percent or left to plummet to way down low below 20 percent. The sweet spot of phone charging is between 40 and 80 percent, so aiming to charge your phone while It’s in that zone is best.

Charging in Extreme Temperatures

Your iPhone battery is extremely sensitive to extreme temperatures. Charging it in a hot warm or a cold room can affect your battery and phone performance. It’s always best to charge your phone in moderate, room temperatures.

Charging with Non-Certified Cables

You don’t necessarily have to purchase Apple chargers and charging cables, but it is important to use charging accessories that are designed to provide the right charge for your phone. If you use off-market cables that are cheap and not certified for you phone’s model, you could leave your device vulnerable to charging speeds that either aren’t sufficient or are too fast for your phone, which can negatively affect your battery.

Not Updating Your Software

Apple often updates its software and it’s important to keep on top of these changes for a few reasons, including for the sake of your battery. When Apple detects bugs or ways to optimize battery performance and charging algorithms, it will issue new iOS updates. Setting your phone to automatically update is one smart way you can keep on top of these with minimal effort.