Does iPhone Stop Charging When Fully Charged? Learn How to Fixes!

I often get the question, “does the iPhone stop charging when fully charged?”  In reality, all iOS devices stop charging when they are fully charged. For iOS 13 and later, the optimized charging feature regulates the charging process. Under certain conditions, the feature slows down the charging process when the battery reaches 80% charge.

Many iPhone users charge their phones overnight. Typically, an iPhone reaches full 100% charge from 0% within 2½ to 3 hours. So, your phone should get fully charged before morning. But what happens when it stays plugged in overnight? Will the power degrade your battery health due to overcharging? As you proceed in this article, you’ll learn more about an iPhone’s battery charge.

iPhone Optimized Battery Charging

Optimized Battery Charging is a feature of iOS 13 and later versions. The feature helps to improve your battery’s lifespan by slowing the charging once the battery reaches 80%. It evaluates charging activities daily through data gathered from machine learning.

Such data is based on your regular charging pattern. So, the optimized battery charging estimates how long your iPhone will stay connected to a charger and sets a predetermined time when it will complete the charging. The feature has an algorithm that only activates it if the phone stays plugged in for a long time.

It helps to prolong your battery’s lifespan for an extended period. iPhone batteries tend to age chemically due to their lithium-ion content. As batteries chemically age, their peak performance and battery life reduce. Consequently, the amount of electrical charge the battery can hold diminishes.

Steps to activate optimized charging on your iPhone

Step 1: Go to “settings”

Step 2: Scroll down and select “Battery”.

Step 3: Under “Battery Health”, enable the “Optimized battery charging” option. Done.

Benefits of using the optimized charging feature of Apple iOS13 devices:

• Maintains the optimal charging temperature range
• Avoids overheating during high use or when charging
• Prevents unexpected shutdown or lagging
• Reduces the chemical degradation of iPhone battery
• Easy to disable

Cons:

• Won’t allow you to achieve a 100% battery level
• Might look like your charger isn’t working as the battery level won’t exceed 80%

Does iPhone Stop Charging When Fully Charged?

Upon full charge, an iPhone battery automatically stops charging based on its design. Your iPhone battery reaches full charge when the battery indicator shows a 100% charge level. If you leave your phone connected to the charger after it has reached full charge, the optimized battery charging can help you protect your battery.

However, as we mentioned earlier, the optimized battery charging feature is only available on iOS 13 and later versions.

iPhone batteries get fully charged in about 3 to 4 hours, but a good night’s sleep requires about 7 to 8 hours. So, what happens when your battery stays connected to the power source for the extra hours after it has reached full charge?

The iPhone battery charging circuit enables the charging rate to slow down or stop. This is known as Trickle charging. It makes the battery’s self-discharge rate equal to the charge rate. This helps prevent battery damage.

Moreover, Apple recommends always charging your iPhone to 80% instead of always charging fully to 100%. Overcharging could lead to overheating, battery damage, and fire due to thermal runaways. Overheating starts due to heat build-up during overcharging, and further heating eventually leads to fire.

When you constantly charge your iPhone to 100% and let it discharge to 0%, it reduces the battery capacity and life. This is due to the high stress on the battery’s mode of operation.

Is it Bad to Let My iPhone Charge Fully?

Without activating the optimized charging feature, it is not ideal for letting your iPhone charge to 100%. The lithium-ion battery in the phone degrades quickly when you regularly charge your iPhone fully. It happens when the iPhone gets warm, often due to excessive charge.

Does Fully Charging the iPhone Drain Battery Life?

Charging the iPhone fully diminishes the battery capacity and battery life. It shortens the battery’s lifespan, especially when repeatedly charging the phone to the peak. 

The iPhone battery capacity has 500 cycles and a 100% discharge rate. For instance, if your iPhone gets discharged to 50% today and you charge it up to fully to 100%, that equals ½ cycle. Likewise, if your battery level discharges to 75% the next day and you charge it back up to 100%, that is equivalent to ¼ cycle.

The more your battery cycles increase with each charge, the more the battery drains and degrades.

At What Battery Level Should I Charge My iPhone?

It is not recommended for your iPhone battery to discharge below 20% before charging. This helps the battery gain so many cycles, enabling it to last longer.

 Letting your battery drain below 20% over time affects the health and lifespan of the battery negatively.

Will It Damage My iPhone to Charge it Multiple Times a day?

Charging your iPhone multiple times a day is advisable and will not harm your iPhone. For instance, if the power goes out when your iPhone is at a 40% charge, you can continue charging your phone when the power returns.

You can charge as many times in a day as possible. All you need to do is monitor the maximum and minimum charging limits.

Will Using a Fast Charger be Bad for My iPhone Battery?

Using the exact charger that came with your Apple device is ideal. If, for any reason, you need a charger replacement, only buy an original Apple charger. This is due to the Apple batteries having specific charger specifications. As such, the specifications of a third party’s fast charger may not match Apple’s specifications.

Healthy Charging Tips for iPhone

These clues are necessary to ensure that your iPhone’s battery health and capacity stay at 100%. They will help you extend your battery life by controlling the charging process and allow your battery to last longer after charging.

1. Only Use an Original Apple Charger

Using original chargers and accessories is one of the key ways to keep your iPhone battery’s health at 100%. For instance, using a third-party charger can damage your battery and the battery’s health.

However, the battery specification is the main reason you need an original iPhone charger. These specifications are based on the maximum and minimum voltage and are currently used for charging the apple device. So, when a charger does not meet the specifications, it causes your iPhone to malfunction.

Below are other problems you can encounter by using an unauthorized Apple charger:

• Fake charging (Showing that it is charging but not adding bars)
• Not charging
• A charger will charge a partially dead battery but won’t charge a completely dead one.
• Battery charges to a certain extent, then stop
• The charger starts having partial contact
• Sudden drops in battery percentage
• The battery drains to a certain level and then shuts-down

2. Don’t let your iPhone stay for too long without charging

The lifespan of lithium-ion batteries is limited. An iPhone battery is a lithium-ion battery. Allowing a battery to run down completely is not good for the life of any battery. Some batteries may cease to work.

3. Try slow charging your iPhone battery

Charging your iPhone battery using your desktop or laptop computer can effectively maintain battery life. It is more convenient to fast charge, but the patience required for slow charging will eventually pay off in your battery’s extended lifespan.

Conclusion

As you already know, your iPhone’s overall battery health will always drop in time. So, does iPhone stop charging when fully charged? Your iPhone will stop charging when it reaches a full charge.

Luckily, Apple has the optimized battery charging feature, designed with algorithms to help safeguard your battery. The feature can also help to slow down the charging once the battery reaches 80%.

This will limit the time your battery stays connected after a full charge. Ideally, don’t let your battery go below 20% or above 80% for the best results. Also, the tips discussed above will help extend your battery’s life.