The most common issues that iPhone users face, apart from broken screens, are related to charging. Apple devices, especially the ones that were launched before iPhone 11, were notoriously famous for their slow charging speeds and low-powered charging adapters.
If your iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 Pro Max is not charging above 80%, you are not the only one. This is a common issue faced by a lot of people and goes back to earlier devices as well. While you might get worried about your iPhone repair, frantically rebooting it, changing the USB cable, and whatnot, it might not be that grave an issue in reality.
So, read on to know why your iPhone is not charging more than 80% and what you can do about it.
Reasons Why Your iPhone 12 is Not Charging Above 80%
Here are some reasons why your iPhone 12 or other models sometimes don’t charge above 80%.
Optimized Battery Charging
Before throwing out your charger and USB cables and buying new ones, consider the possibility that the internals of your device might be the main culprit. Apparently, since the release of iOS 13, Apple included an “Optimized Battery Charging” feature in their devices, which prevents your battery from getting fully charged.
While you might think that the feature has been added to prevent you from playing your favorite battery-hungry games, the actual reason is a much better one. Lithium-ion batteries, the ones present in iPhones and most other devices, are most stressed when they are brimming with a full charge. Keeping them fully charged for long actually degrades the battery capacity over time and can end up damaging the whole device as well.
This is one of the biggest reasons why Apple devices sometimes just seem like they have stopped charging once they hit 80%. The devices use a machine-learning algorithm to understand when you use the device the most and plans the charging accordingly. This is helpful for people who leave their devices to charge overnight. With this feature, the device will trickle charge till 80% and then stop. It will again start charging slowly till 100% when the phone usage hours draw near.
iPhone Temperature
As your phone charges, the temperature of the battery increases. A heated battery gets damaged more quickly. If your phone is getting too warm while charging or if it’s kept in a warm location for a long period of time, Apple will automatically stop charging your device. This will protect your battery from degrading and your device from getting damaged. So, next time your iPhone 11 pro is not charging above 80 percent, you might want to check if it’s getting too hot while charging or is kept near a warm location.
Damaged iPhone Charger
If the above two issues are not the reasons for your iPhone 12 not charging above 80%, then sad as it might be, it is most likely that your iPhone or charger is damaged. Given the fragility of the cables that Apple uses, there is a good possibility that the USB charger is damaged and unable to charge your device. The charging port might also be damaged, preventing the device from charging completely.
How to get your iPhone Charged Above 80%
While it is not advised, charging your iPhone above 80 percent might be necessary at times. Especially if you are traveling and cannot find a power socket nearby. Here are some tricks you can try.
Disable Optimized Battery Charging
Keeping your phone battery between the 30-80 range is considered the sweet spot to maintain the lifespan of your battery. The optimized battery charging feature helps in keeping the battery in that range but can charge your phone beyond that if needed, albeit very slowly.
If you want the battery to be fully charged without any hiccups in between, then the first thing you should do is disable the ‘Optimized Battery Charging’ option under the battery settings of your device. It is available in iOS 13 and is enabled by default. Here are the steps to disable the setting.
Step 1: Go to the Settings app on your phone.
Step 2: Open Battery settings.
Step 3: Tap on Battery Health
Step 4: Disable Optimized Battery Charging. It will ask for three options, whether to “Turn Off Until Tomorrow”, “Turn Off” permanently or “Cancel” if you changed your mind.
That’s it and you’re done. This feature is available on older devices with iOS 13 as well, so if your iPhone 8 battery is not charging above 80%, then you might want to check your battery settings once.
Cooldown Your iPhone
If your device feels a little too hot while charging, then the heat might be preventing the battery from getting fully charged. Try unplugging the device for some time to let it cool down. You can also change its location to a relatively cooler area so that it starts charging once the battery has completely cooled down. Avoid charging the iPhone near appliances like a microwave, iron, or even a laptop blowing hot air, as it can increase the temperature substantially. You can even try removing the phone case as it hinders cooling.
Visit an iPhone Repair Center
Disabled the Optimize Battery Charging option? Changed USB cables? Tried charging the device in a cool area? If you’ve tried everything but still nothing works, it is a sign that the device needs a professional check-up. Head over to your nearest iPhone services center or a professional iPhone repair center like Rapid Repair to get your device fixed.
Apple provides a free diagnostic for your issue and depending on when you bought the device, can even fix the issue free of cost. If a battery replacement is required, they take care of that as well.
The battery in a mobile phone is the one thing that powers all the bells and trinkets available on the device. This makes it one of the most important parts of the device, and while fixing it can be easy, taking care of it is easier. There are a number of things you can do to increase the lifespan of your battery. Not keeping it fully charged is one way to do it and Apple has incorporated machine learning algorithms to instill this habit in its users. So, if the full charge is not that necessary, try keeping your phone at the optimum charge levels and never leave it charging overnight.
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