Best ways to charge your iPhone. How I changed and you should too | ZDNet

How do you charge your iPhone in the best way for it’s battery life? I asked myself this same question and decided to do some experimenting. Here’s what happened next!

Before going to sleep, I used to do what millions of other people do: I charged my iPhone while I slept.

It’s what you’re supposed to do, right? 

A few weeks ago, it struck me as a very strange way to charge something, especially something that can charge up as quickly as the new iPhone 13 can. You’re looking at a 50 percent charge in about 30 minutes using a 20W charger.

Also: iOS 15.2.1: An unexpected bug fix for the iPhone

Now, Apple has baked Optimized Battery Charging into iOS, which stops the iPhone from charging once the battery hits 80 percent and only adds the final 20 percent in time for you to wake up in the morning. But this still means that the iPhone is attached to power all night.

That’s a good chunk of time — up to a third of its life. Maybe more.

Well, I’ve radically changed how I charge my iPhone.

Rather than charge it at night, I give it a charge or two during the day. This is the charging schedule that works for me:

• I put it on for 30 to 45 minutes in the morning after I get up (I also charge up my Apple Watch at the same time).
• Then I charge it around mid-afternoon for another 30 minutes or so to bring it to that 80 percent mark, which usually will be enough to see me through to the next morning.

Note that if I’m going to be spending a lot of time in the car or out and about, I’ll also use a car charger or carry a power bank with me.

This system works well, and I believe it puts less stress on the iPhone’s battery (time will tell) as well as the charger. It also makes me plan where I need my chargers, so I’m not just relying on a bedside charger.

And when I’m at home, working on the road, or traveling, this charging regime hasn’t let me down. 

Because people always ask, I still charge using a cable rather than wireless, and I use a

. For portable power banks, I’ve been using the candy-bar sized

and the larger 

. Both are portable, rugged, reliable, and fantastic power banks. Just don’t forget to bring a charging cable!