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In iOS 11.3, Apple introduced the Battery Health tool. Learn how to use this tool to check your battery’s charge capacity and peak performance capability.
If you’ve had your smartphone for more than a year, you might have noticed that you have to charge it more often. Modern smartphones use lithium-ion batteries. As these batteries age, the amount of charge they can hold diminishes.
While the laws of science dictate that a lithium-ion battery’s charge capacity will diminish over time, there is no magic formula you can use to determine its precise rate of decline because that rate is influenced by many factors. However, if you have an iPhone 6 or later version, you do not need such a formula. In iOS 11.3, Apple introduced the Battery Health tool. It specifies the charge capacity of your iPhone’s battery. Plus, the tool lets you know if there are other problems with the battery.
You can access the new Battery Health tool by opening the Settings app, tapping “Battery”, and selecting “Battery Health”. The tool has two sections: “Maximum Capacity” and “Peak Performance Capability”.
The “Maximum Capacity” Section
The “Maximum Capacity” section of the Battery Health tool specifies your battery’s current maximum capacity as a percentage. Batteries start at 100% maximum capacity when they are first activated. So, if you check the tool and the maximum capacity percentage is 90%, it means that your battery’s capacity has diminished by 10%.
The “Peak Performance Capability” Section
Charge capacity is not the only thing that declines over time in lithium-ion batteries. Their ability to deliver maximum power instantaneously — which Apple refers to as “peak power” — also degrades. Not having enough peak power can cause a smartphone to shut down unexpectedly or experience other problems.
The information provided in the “Peak Performance Capability” section lets you know whether your battery can effectively deliver peak power and whether its maximum capacity is sufficient. You will also find out if the iPhone’s performance management feature has been enabled. The performance management feature dynamically manages system components to prevent unexpected shutdowns due to poor peak performance. Sometimes, though, it is at the expense of system performance. For example, you might experience longer app launch times or lower speaker volume.
In the “Peak Performance Capability” section, you will see one (and possibly more) of the following messages:
A Useful Tool
The Battery Health tool is a welcome addition to the iPhone. With just a few taps, you can quickly see if there are any problems with your iPhone’s battery.