Starting in March, Apple raised the prices of iPhone batteries. Whether you’re just curious about how your battery is doing, or you’re experiencing battery life issues or unexpected shutdowns, it’s easy to check the status in iOS Settings. Below, we cover how to tell iPhone battery health, tips on when it’s time to get a replacement, charge cycle expectations, and more.
The iPhone 14 series launched with a higher price for out-of-warranty battery replacements of $99. The change per March 1, however, caused Apple to increase battery replacements for all its older iPhone models by $20. That pushed iPhone 13 through iPhone X up to $89 and iPhone SE, iPhone 8 and earlier to $69.
If you upgrade your iPhone every year or two, hopefully you shouldn’t have a problem with a degraded battery unless you end up with a defect. But for those who have iPhones that are two years old or older, low battery condition ends up becoming an inevitability at some point due to chemical aging along with how many charge cycles they’ve gone through.
How to see iPhone battery health
- open Settings app on your iPhone
- Swipe down and tap Battery
- Choose now Battery health and charging
- Your current battery capacity is shown above
When should you replace an iPhone battery?
- TL;DR: When your battery has dropped below 80% of its original capacity, you may consider a replacement. The same if you see a warning that your battery is dead or if it won’t hold a charge.
- Under the “Battery Health and Charging” section shown above, you should see a warning if your battery’s health has deteriorated and if it’s causing problems like unexpected shutdowns and/or being unable to maintain maximum performance.
- Apple says iPhone batteries are “designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at 500 complete charge cycles when operating under normal conditions.”
If you’re in the US, replacements are covered by the one-year included warranty or with AppleCare. However, if you are not covered by warranty, Apple charges a fee of $69-$99 for iPhone battery replacement.
When an iPhone battery drops below 80% of its original capacity, a feature called “performance management” can be applied automatically. This helps prevent unexpected shutdowns.
However, it is possible to switch off performance regulation. Look for the small “Disable” button at the end of the text under “Peak Performance Capability.”
If you see a message that says the battery condition is degraded or unknown, go to an Apple Store, contact Apple Support, or an Apple-authorized service provider if you want to get a certified Apple battery replacement.
You can read more details about iPhone battery and performance in Apple’s full support document. Thanks for reading our guide on how to see iPhone battery health!
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