I was recently introduced to an Apple product issue by a colleague of mine at work who said that his Apple Watch Series 3 wasn’t charging beyond 80 percent citing an error notification that indicated that the device temperature was high.
As an Apple product user, I am sure many of you would have encountered similar issues when you are not able to charge or use your Apple device beyond a certain limit.
That’s because Apple devices usually come with in-built software that prevents the devices from charging beyond a certain limit if environmental conditions aren't conducive.
One reason is that Apple doesn’t want the life of the battery to be affected due to overcharging and also it wants to prevent damages to the phone battery when you are using it in high-temperature environments.
But, there is a way you can bypass this safety feature.
Optimised Battery Charging
The release of iOS 13 brought a new feature to the iPhone family called Optimised Battery Charging. This is an AI-based tool that limits the charge than an Apple Device can take.
Most smartphones today use lithium-ion batteries which become less effective over the course of time. In order to extend the life of a smartphone battery the device’s software intentionally stops charging the device after a certain point.
The phone’s AI learns about your daily charging routine and estimates when the phone might need a full charge. It slows down the charging after the 80 percent mark which improves the battery lifespan.
Also, if you avoid keeping your phone plugged in even at 100 percent charge, it will increase the life of your battery.
However, if you wish to keep your need for more battery juice above the battery health, you can deactivate the Optimised Battery Charging feature.
To Deactivate Optimised Battery Charging
- Go to the iPhone’s Settings
- Select the Battery option
- Tap Battery Health
- Tap ‘Optimised Battery Charging’ to turn it off.
You get the option of turning the feature off till the day after or permanently.
Extreme Temperatures
Another reason for the battery not charging could be that the device is getting too hot.
The average temperature for a smartphone is 37-43 degrees Celsius. It can go beyond that if you are using the phone outdoors under direct sunlight or running multiple applications without giving the device a break to cool down.
Apple’s support section on their website also says that you should try moving the device to a cooler location if it is not charging.
To extend the lifespan of your battery, if the battery gets too warm, software might limit charging above 80 percent. Your iPhone will charge again when the temperature drops. Try moving your iPhone and charger to a cooler location.Apple Support
There are also times when an Apple device might slow down or not work at all if the device is getting too hot while using it outdoors. This is another battery protection feature in the device.
You should immediately take the device to a cooler location and let the phone temperature come down before restarting it.
Also, if you have a bulky iPhone case, I suggest you remove that as it could prevent the heat from dissipating.
That Extra Safety
Make sure that you are using genuine Apple accessories to charge the devices. Using third-party chargers and accessories can lead to incompatibility issues and that can take a toll on the battery.
Make sure you use out-of-the-box chargers or the ones that are Apple MFI certified.
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