It cannot be easy to care for your phone correctly. Finding a sturdy case, avoiding scratches, and turning on your AppleCare+ plan are all things you can do to safeguard your device. However, there is one conflict we do not anticipate: the gradual but constant deterioration of the health of our iPhone batteries.

Your iPhone battery eventually degrades from 100 percent to a depressing 85 percent, leaving you to decide whether to replace it immediately or wait until your device needs to be replaced.

So, how can you assess the battery life of your iPhone? How do you determine whether it needs to be replaced when you do? Thankfully, there are procedures for determining its health.

Why Does the Battery On An iPhone Run Out?

Batteries are consumables, even rechargeable ones. The iPhone battery health starts to deteriorate as soon as you use your device, which affects both its capacity and the functionality of your phone.

Your iPhone’s battery won’t be able to be charged more than 80% after 500 or so charging cycles, according to Apple. Because of this, your phone may shut off without warning even when the battery gauge shows that it is complete, and it may also “die” more quickly than you might anticipate.

Apple tried to address the issue by covertly slowing down users’ older iPhones when their batteries grew too old in the wake of the 2017 iPhone battery controversy. 

Apple’s Battery Health tool is helpful in this situation. This simple feature, which was added with iOS 11.3 in response to the battery “conspiracy,” allows you to check your battery’s maximum capacity and performance. Additionally, it enables you to disable the performance management feature that initially caused Apple problems.

How To Check The Health Of Your iPhone’s Battery

Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health to check the condition of your iPhone’s battery. The Maximum Capacity section can be found near the top of the screen. This shows you how well your battery charges now compared to when your iPhone was new. The longer you can go between charges, the higher the number.

Moreover, if you are planning to buy a used iPhone, for instance, a refurbished iPhone 12, it is very crucial first check the phone’s battery life before purchasing it. 

What Do Those Numbers and Messages Mean?

Although it can be a little technical, breaking down these percentages and messages is relatively simple. Is an iPhone battery with 85% maximum capacity healthy or unhealthy? What about 90 percent? What exactly does it all mean? In short, the higher the percentage, the better your iPhone will perform.

However, at 79% or less, your battery is considered degraded. But what if the figure falls somewhere in the middle? In general, if your iPhone’s battery health is at 85% or 90%, it should continue to perform optimally for another six months to a year.

Remember that certain conditions, such as extreme heat or cold, may cause your battery and phone to malfunction. Keeping your phone between the two is best to avoid further battery conditioning issues.

As previously mentioned, the Peak Performance Capability message depends on the Maximum Capacity percentage of your iPhone battery and how your phone responds to your battery’s health. These messages could appear depending on each of the factors:

• “Your battery is currently supporting normal peak performance.” 

The message above depicts your iPhone’s screen when it is brand new, along with its battery. Your phone should function perfectly, so there is nothing to worry about. At least right now.

• “This iPhone has experienced an unexpected shutdown because the battery could not deliver the peak power. Performance management has been applied to help prevent this from happening again. Disable…”

This message informs you that your iPhone has enabled performance management automatically. It simply means that something went wrong with your battery to cause it to stop functioning correctly, and as a result, your iPhone is slowing down to prevent a total shutdown.

• “This iPhone has experienced an unexpected shutdown because the battery could not deliver the peak power. You have manually disabled performance management protections.”

When the performance management software on your iPhone is turned off, you will see this message.

• “This iPhone is unable to determine battery health. An Apple Authorized Service Provider can service the battery. More about service options….”

This message may occasionally appear at the top of the screen without the maximum capacity percentage listed. This suggests that there may be a problem with how your battery was installed or with another aspect of it. If that’s the case, you might want to inquire about further assistance from an Apple store or repair facility.

• “Your battery’s health is significantly degraded. An Apple Authorized Service Provider can replace the battery to restore full performance and capacity. More about service options….”

This message should appear at the top of your screen once your phone reaches 79% or less of its charge. That doesn’t necessarily mean that your battery will stop working altogether, but the more you use your phone, the greater the chance its performance will degrade. Once more, repair might be your best option, though it might be a bit expensive if AppleCare+ isn’t applicable.

When To Replace Your iPhone’s battery? 

The message “Your battery’s health is significantly degraded” will appear when the battery’s maximum capacity reaches 79% or less. This is the easiest way to tell if it’s time to replace the battery. A deteriorating battery can significantly lower the value of your phone if you intend to sell it to a buyback company. 

Even if your iPhone is in perfect working condition with only minor dings and scratches, you might get between $30 and $100 less simply because your battery’s maximum is under 80%. 

Final Thoughts 

Avoid doing it yourself when it comes to fixing the health of your iPhone battery because it will cost you money and possibly even your sanity. Make an appointment at an Apple Store or a repair facility with a licence if you need it. 

On the other hand, perhaps your phone’s dying battery is a sign from the universe telling you that it’s time to upgrade to a new phone. If that’s the case, we’ll still buy, for example, a refurbished iPhone 12 for a fair price.