Category: Guide

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Guide

How to Take Care of Your Phone’s Battery

Batteries are an essential component of almost every device. However, it is widely known that it tends to be the first one to lose its power after being used extensively. Even the most reliable devices such as laptops and phones lose their capability to charge at some point because their battery’s life cycle is already used up.

But don’t fret because there are a lot of ways that you can do to prolong the life of your battery, all it takes is proper care and the knowledge on how to maintain them correctly. By doing this, your battery will surely last for a long time.

Here’s what you can do:

Avoid Using The Device In Extreme Temperatures

Most of the devices are made to be portable nowadays, making them convenient to be used wherever you are. But, you have to take note that there are certain limitations when exposing it to extreme temperatures in an extended period of time.

The Ideal temperature zones are 16° to 22° C and it’s crucial not to use it when the temperature is higher than 35° C, due to the fact that it can damage your battery permanently. Also, charging the batteries in a room that exceeded the recommended temperature will disrupt the battery’s performance even further. 

Save Your Battery’s Life Cycle

This may be difficult to do especially if you often rely on your device to accomplish your day-to-day tasks. However, if it’s really your goal to prolong the lifespan of your battery, turning it off once a week can help it to perform longer by saving its life cycle.

Normally, a battery can survive up to 500 charge cycles and each cycle lessens its capacity to perform efficiently. If you can’t turn off your device for a day, some devices allow you to change the power settings that will benefit the battery’s life in the long run.

Removing Your Battery When Not In Use

This has been one of the most asked questions by people .Is it really necessary to remove your battery when the device is not in use?

Well, every brand has a different opinion regarding this matter— with Apple telling customers not to take their batteries out and Acer which recommends that you should take it out if you don’t plan to use it for more than a week. 

But generally, if you are planning not to use the device for a couple of days or more it is advised to have it charged between 40 to 80 percent and must be stored at room temperature. This way, it will be ready to use again when needed rather than discharging it completely before storing it somewhere else. Never store a fully discharged battery, they should always be charged for maximum longevity.

Only use ultra-fast charging when necessary

Fast charging is convenient, but don’t use it every time you charge your phone. Fast charging puts more stress on the battery than necessary, so battery performance can suffer over time. Opt for a standard “slow” charge more often than not to preserve battery longevity.

Use your phone sparingly while it’s charging

To avoid parasitic load, don’t play games or stream videos while charging your phone. Parasitic load is what happens while a battery is being drained during charging. Parasitic load adds higher voltage stress to the battery, increases heat, and can cause parts of the battery to continually cycle and deteriorate faster than the rest of the cell. While you can take calls or browse the web during a charging session, avoid heavy tasks.

Keep track of your phone’s battery health  

Both iPhones and Androids have built-in tools for battery health tracking. You can use these tools to find out more information about your battery’s performance and life span using these tools.

iPhone: Open your Settings and go to Battery > Battery Health.

Samsung Galaxy: Open the Samsung Members app and go to Get Help > Interactive checks (or View tests) > Battery status (or Battery).

Other Androids: Open the Phone app and dial *#*#4636#*#*. When the menu appears, select Battery information (it may be buried in another menu).

You can also try other Android battery health apps, such as CPU-Z, Battery by MacroPinch, and AccuBattery by Digibites.  

But You Have To Remember…

Eventually, batteries will lose their power and will hold less charge over time. What makes proper care beneficial is it will enable you to use the battery longer and will save you time and money from replacing it earlier than expected.

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Guide

Can I replace my iPhone battery myself?

YOU MIGHT BE in the habit of replacing your smartphone every couple of years, but most phones can last a lot longer than that. Like your car, they might just need a new part every now and then, and the best repair you can do on your phone to make it last longer is a battery replacement. But most batteries aren’t user-replaceable. So how do you actually get one?

Unfortunately, user-replaceable batteries are becoming increasingly rare, and most smartphone manufacturers don’t go too far out of their way to let you know that you can get a battery replacement at all. In fact, when Apple briefly lowered the cost of iPhone battery replacements, it resulted in about 10 times as many people replacing their batteries as usual (and, coincidentally, far fewer new iPhones sold that year). However, even if your battery is locked inside your phone, you can get a new one and keep your phone lasting longer.

Some Things to Consider Before Replacing the Battery

Even though battery replacements are very useful, they can also be a hassle to get done. In fact it’s not unlike getting work done on your car: You might be able to do it yourself, but it’s probably easier to pay someone else to do it, and you should expect to be without your phone for a while as you wait for the repair to finish.
Many places offer same-day repairs, as long as the battery for your device is in stock. That is, for repair places with physical locations near you. If you have a local Apple store near you, they might have what you need. But in some cases you’ll need to mail in your phone to get a repair, which could leave you without it for days. And while you may be able to get a loaner phone from some places, it can still be a hassle. On the other hand, it’s a lot better for the environment, not to mention your wallet, if you replace the battery rather than buy a new phone.

When You Should Replace the Battery

As a general rule, if you’ve had your phone for a couple years and it’s starting to show its age, that’s a pretty good time to look into a battery replacement. That’s right around the time you might be thinking about getting a new phone anyway–many carriers still offer upgrades or payment plans that renew every two years to entice you–but you can also check your battery’s health manually if you want to see if you need an upgrade sooner.

On iPhones, you can navigate to Settings > Battery > Battery Health to find a Maximum Capacity value that will show what percentage of your battery’s initial charge capacity is left. This isn’t how full your battery is right now but rather how much charge it can hold relative to how much it could hold when it was new. If this gets down to 80 percent (especially if it’s still under warranty), get a new battery.

As always, Android phones are a little more complicated; there are many different models and they don’t all work the same. Instead, you can use an app like AccuBattery to get detailed stats on the health of your battery. The app uses an estimate, not an official report, and it may take a few days to get a full picture of your battery’s health. But if it’s below 80 percent of its original capacity, it might be time to take a look at a replacement battery.

Take Your iPhone Into an Apple Store

If you have an iPhone and you want a battery replacement, you’re probably in the best position. If you’re still under warranty or AppleCare+, you can get a free battery replacement on most phones from the last several years. If you’re outside of coverage, the fees range from $49 to $69, depending on which phone you have.

If you can bring your phone into an Apple store, they can often repair your phone the same day and have it back to you in a few hours. If the repair job is more complicated, the store may need to send it off to an Apple Repair Center, which can take up to 3 to 5 days to complete the repair. However, this is how long it would take to get a repair job if you mailed the phone in yourself anyway, so it makes sense to try an in-store repair first.

Try Third-Party Repair Shops for Android Phones

For Android phones, there’s no single manufacturer that also handles all repairs, like there is with Apple, but you can still get same-day repairs done with third-party repair shops. The most prominent of these is uBreakiFix, which has locations in most US states. Some major manufacturers like Google and Samsung give uBreakiFix access to OEM parts, which means they can repair your phone with the same materials those companies would use if you send them in directly.

Prices on Android battery repairs can vary, but usually are around or below $100, but you might need to call in to get an estimate. In some places, the company can even send a rep out to you to repair your phone on-site, in addition to the usual options of either going into a store or mailing in your device.

When All Else Fails, Do It Yourself

In some cases, it might not be feasible (or even possible) to bring your phone into a store or mail it in somewhere. If you really want to keep your existing phone, and you don’t mind getting your hands dirty, you can try replacing the battery yourself. Repair site iFixit has guides for replacing batteries on most major phones that will explain in detail what tools you need and how to take apart your phone, with pictures for every step.

You might need a specialized toolkit that has the proprietary screwheads and other tools that might be required for opening up your phone. Also keep in mind, while you can replace a part without voiding your warranty (and in fact those warranty-voiding stickers are illegal!), the manufacturer still might try to fight you on the warranty if you break anything while doing so. And potentially even if you don’t. If you’re comfortable with that–or if you’re already out of coverage anyway–then order a replacement battery for your phone online and give it a whirl.

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Guide

Reasons why your Android battery drains quickly

If you’ve noticed that your Android phone or tablet’s battery is draining quickly, you’re not alone. Many factors can contribute to rapid battery depletion, but don’t worry; there are also several strategies you can employ to extend your device’s battery life.

Reasons for fast battery drain.

There are several potential causes if your Android device’s battery is draining quickly:

  • Screen brightness: A bright screen can drain your battery quickly. 
  • Background apps: Apps running in the background can drain your battery even when you’re not using your phone. 
  • Location services: Your phone constantly searches for satellites when location services are on, which can drain your battery. 
  • Battery saver mode: Most devices have a battery saver mode that can help extend your battery life. 
  • Apps consuming battery: Some apps might be consuming more battery than you realize. You can try uninstalling apps you don’t use, or turning off notifications and pop-ups for apps that are useful but draining your battery. 
  • Screen time: If your screen stays on for too long, it can drain your battery. 
  • Temperature: Extreme temperatures can affect your phone’s battery. 
  • Operating system: An outdated operating system can cause your battery to drain faster. 
  • Battery health: Your phone’s battery might be at the end of its life cycle.

Ways to reduce Android battery drain

Here are some ways to potentially reduce battery drain on your Android device:
*Note: Can vary based on Android version and device type.

  • Use Battery Saver or Extreme Battery Saver mode – Battery Saver and power saving modes help conserve battery life. Availability varies across devices – check your manufacturer’s website for details.

When enabled, Battery Saver and Extreme Battery Saver modes may pause most apps, turn off features and slow processes, which may include:

  • Only update app content (email, news, etc) when opened.
  • Stop location services when screen is off.
  • Prevent apps running in background unless Battery Optimization is turned off.
  • Not respond to “OK Google” hands-free commands.
  • Turn on Dark theme.
  • Delay notifications.
  • Turn off always-on display.
  • Switch 5G phones to 4G.
  • Limit internet connectivity and location access – Minimising mobile data, WiFi, Bluetooth, location services when not needed can help conserve battery. Turn on Airplane mode when mobile data isn’t required. Also avoid battery draining apps like cameras and games. Don’t keep lots of apps running in the background.
  • Use dark colour themes – Using dark mode/theme on your device and apps can reduce battery drain, if available. Helpful for avoiding bright light stimulus at night and sleep concerns. To enable:
  • Open Settings app.
  • Tap Display.
  • Turn Dark theme on or off.

Fixing Android battery issues.

If the battery seems to drain very fast even after following the tips above, there could be an issue with your Android device. Try:
*Varies by Android version and device.

  • Restart your phone – Restarting can sometimes fix battery related problems. Long press the power button and tap Restart in the prompt. Restart method varies across devices – check user manual or manufacturer support pages.
  • Update Android – Updating to the latest Android version can potentially fix battery issues.

What to do if Android battery issues persist?

If these steps don’t help, consider replacing the battery. Hardware issues like degradation may require a new resolution. Factory resetting can also fix persistent trouble – backup data first.
If battery problems continue despite these fixes, check with your device manufacturer or purchase retailer for further support.
Review your usage patterns, settings and config when the Android battery seems to drain fast. Fixing issues one by one could help resolve problems. If not, you may consider upgrading your device to a newer model with higher battery capacity.

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Guide

What to do if your phone battery is swollen

There are multiple reasons why a lithium-ion battery may swell. There is usually one underlying cause for this to happen, though. Batteries usually swell because gas builds up, creates pressure, and expands them.
With that in mind, we must consider the more common causes for a battery to store gas. Manufacturer defects can happen. If the battery maker doesn’t make the battery correctly, gas can slowly build up during the charging process. This essentially means simply charging your phone enough times could be an issue, especially considering juicing up your phone also creates heat.

Swollen lithium-ion battery, modern smartphone, broken smartphone, battery-powered explosive electronics

Heat commonly speeds the process, too. You should probably make sure not to leave a phone in the sun too much, or next to very hot items.
Additionally, physical damage to the battery can be a very common cause of battery swelling. Have you ever dropped your phone? Maybe you accidentally punctured the battery? This could be why your battery is swelling. Not to mention, batteries get old, too. Chemical reactions can change, and parts weaken.
By the way, this shouldn’t be a common occurrence. Unless there’s a severe manufacturer defect, most batteries should last the couple or few years most users keep a device.

How to know if your phone battery is swollen

It’s much harder to tell if your battery is swelling these days, as handsets with removable batteries are becoming very scarce. We never really see our batteries anymore. This makes it harder to identify a swollen or damaged battery.

The easiest way to tell if a battery is swollen is by inspecting the device (or battery, if you can). Are there any bumps? You may notice an unusual wobble when you lay it on a flat surface. Also, look for warped shapes or signs of the phone disassembling itself. Smartphone backplates start to come off as the battery’s swollen shape puts pressure against them.

While not as safe, the smell can also signify a swollen battery. We wouldn’t advise that you actively try to inhale chemicals, but this is something you may have accidentally noticed already. Does your phone smell odd? People describe a bad battery smell as metallic, and sometimes even sweet.

Even simple things like battery performance can be a dead giveaway. If your battery is charging too slowly, or the charge isn’t lasting as long as it should, this may be a cause of concern.

What to do if your phone battery is swollen

So you’ve found something odd with your smartphone’s battery. Is it safe to use a swollen phone battery? Definitely not! A swollen lithium-ion battery can be very dangerous. The pressure can make gases escape, and the battery can even catch fire or explode, especially if pierced.
Your first step should be to turn off the device immediately, and keep it off. Don’t plug it in or mess with it, either. Leave it in a safe place and keep it there, preferably away from anything that can burn.
A swollen lithium-ion battery can be very dangerous!
If it’s possible, and safe to do so, you should probably remove the battery. Just be careful not to mess with it too much in the process, and try to avoid smelling any fumes it may give off. We actually recommend taking the phone to a professional instead. Technicians will have the necessary knowledge and tools to do this easily. They can also find a suitable replacement for you. This will likely incur some charges and require replacement purchases, though.
If your phone is still under warranty or has insurance, your best bet is to go with the carrier, retailer, or company handling the coverage.

How do I stop this from happening in the first place?

Well, you won’t always be able to stop this. That’s just something you’ll have to get used to. That said, there are a few things you can do to minimize the risk of stumbling across a bulging battery in the future.

Don’t let your gadgets get too hot

High temperatures can speed up the rate at which the electrolyte goop decomposes, which could contribute to gases building up inside a battery. And even if that heat doesn’t make a battery bulge, Mitlin says, it will definitely take a toll on how well the battery will work down the road.

Thankfully, many of your gadgets include features to prevent them from running at high temperatures for long periods. Your phones, for instance, will warn you when they get too warm — once that happens, they’ll start to shut off certain features and dial down the brightness of their screens. Worst-case scenario, they’ll shut themselves off entirely until they cool down.

Laptops are generally better at dealing with heat because they have built-in cooling systems, but with summer right around the corner, you should make sure not to leave any of your tech in a hot car or under the sun for very long.

Keep an eye on batteries’ charge levels

Keeping a battery at a high state of charge is a great way to put extra wear on it, so do your tech a favor: Don’t keep it connected to a wall outlet all the time. The opposite is also true: For slightly different chemical reasons, that all-important electrolyte goop also degrades when a battery is fully dead, according to Viswanathan.

That’s right. Keeping your gadgets fully charged and fully dead could contribute to battery swelling over time.

Advice: Once your gadget’s battery hits 100 percent, unplug it and use it as you normally would. Then, once you get down to the 10 to 20 percent range, charge it again.

Try not to drop anything

We know it’s easier said than done.

Usually, if your laptop tumbles out of your hands, the first thing you would worry about is whether its screen is still in one piece. But Viswanathan says these kinds of tumbles could lead to situations where one part of the battery is getting more charged than others. That could lead to battery swelling, as well as some other less-than-pleasant outcomes.

Some devices, like certain laptops, are more vulnerable to this than others because of where their batteries are stored. If your laptop has a battery you can remove yourself, it might be worth keeping it in a protective sleeve when you run around with it. Ditto for phones and tablets: A good case should help keep everything, including the battery, from getting banged up too badly.

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Guide

Why does my phone get hot and how to fix it

All phones can — and will — get hot on occasion. It becomes a problem when your phone heats up so much that it hurts to hold it, or it begins to exhibit odd behavior. Thankfully, there are easy tips you can use to help stop your phone from overheating.

Why does my phone get hot?

Usually, a phone heats up due to overuse, a strained battery, too much direct heat, or an overworked CPU. You may also need to update your software, because outdated apps can cause performance issues. In extreme cases, your hot phone might be infected with malware.

Here are the 11 most common reasons your phone gets hot:

Direct sunlight

A common cause of phone overheating is leaving it in direct sunlight. Even if you leave your phone in the sun for a short period of time it can drain your battery and cause other performance issues. If you leave your phone in direct sunlight ⁠for a prolonged period, the internal components could be permanently damaged.

Overloaded CPU

If your phone’s CPU is overloaded, it heats your phone up from the inside. The CPU is essentially the brain of your phone, and it’s used to run processes and apps. If your CPU is trying to perform too many tasks (even in the background), your phone can overheat quickly.

icon-03-1Too many open apps

Having lots of apps open at once can contribute to increased phone temperatures. That’s because apps run background processes that consume CPU power and memory resources, even if you’re not actively using them. To help prevent your phone from overheating, review your open apps and close the ones you don’t need right now.

Power-intensive apps

Sometimes, even just one high-intensity app can be enough to overheat your phone if you leave it running for long enough. Apps containing augmented reality (AR) elements like the Metaverse, or other very heavy graphics-loads, are particularly big CPU drains and can swamp your phone’s system through continuous use.

Faulty battery or charger cable

Have you ever wondered, “Why does my phone get hot when charging?” It’s normal for a phone to warm up a bit while charging. However, if your phone gets excessively hot, it could be due to a faulty battery or charger cable. 

Wireless charging

Have you ever wondered, “Why does my phone get hot when charging?” It’s normal for a phone to warm up a bit while charging. However, if your phone gets excessively hot, it could be due to a faulty battery or charger cable. To help prevent battery issues, ensure device compatibility by using only manufacturer-approved charging adapters and cables.

Wireless charging

Wireless charging is much less efficient than wired charging, which means more energy leaks out in the form of heat, making your phone warmer to the touch than usual. Unless there’s a problem with your phone or wireless charger, this alone shouldn’t be the cause of overheating. But it could be problematic when combined with other factors, such as direct sunlight, or background software updates.

Gaming for too long

Much like PCs, gaming on a cell phone strains the CPU and GPU to their limits, causing your phone to generate a lot of heat. While the occasional gaming session won’t kill your phone, several hours of continuous gaming will heat up your device. This is especially true when playing newer, graphically demanding games.

Streaming video content

Streaming videos on Netflix or YouTube or watching TV online for hours is just as detrimental to your cell phone’s health as a marathon gaming session. Anything that keeps your screen lit for long periods of time and uses your phone’s GPU excessively will cause the device to heat up.

Software updates

Mobile phones are prone to heating up while running a software update, or just after. If there’s a bug that needs fixing while the update takes place, it will use even more power temporarily. Once the update is finished and your device restarts, your phone should start to cool down.

Malware or virus

Any of the issues above can damage your phone, but none of them are as potent as malware. If you pick up a malware infection by using a fake app or clicking on an infected link, your phone’s CPU and memory could be hijacked, throttling performance and generating a lot of heat.

My Phone is Overheating—How Do I Cool Down My Phone?

If you find your smartphone starting to overheat, you can try to cool it down by removing the protective case, switching to low-power mode, or putting the phone in a shady area.

Smartphones are built with the dissipating heat in mind, but many protective cases will trap that heat and raise the overall temperature of the phone.

In the same way that you’ll throw off the covers in the middle of the night when your temperature is rising and you’re overheating in bed—ditching the phone case can help your smartphone cool down more easily.

Charge Your Phone on a Cool (Not Cold) Surface

Never charge your phone overnight on a bed, blanket, or pillow! Heat must be able to escape the phone during the charging process and charging on a bed, blanket or pillow ends up trapping more heat. A nightstand is the best area for charging your phone bedside.

Leave Your Screen Brightness on Low

Dimming your screen’s brightness and immediately turning off GPS, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi—even going into airplane mode—helps reduce the energy demands of your iPhone or Android device.

The more energy you use, the hotter your phone gets – it’s as simple as that. Not only do you get the added conserved energy, but you’re doing your eyes a favor by reducing the strain caused by staring at a bright light.

Do Not Put an Overheated Phone in the Refrigerator

If your phone is overheating, NEVER put an overtaxed phone in the refrigerator or freezer. Although both iPhones and Androids are designed to be used at temperatures as low as 32 degrees Fahrenheit, huge swings in temperature and exposure to moisture can damage your phone beyond repair.

How Do I Prevent My Phone from Overheating?

Prevention is the best medicine when it comes to keeping your phone from overheating. These simple tips go a long way toward prolonging the life of your phone and battery and prevent your phone overheating.

Use The Right Charger

Like the phones themselves, chargers are not created equally. You should never buy a used charger or one that’s not manufacturer-approved. Chargers and charging cables have different wattages, and many phone chargers are optimized for a specific brand.

Regularly Give Your Smart Phone a Good “House Cleaning”

Close out apps you’re not using. Delete those you no longer use and, if needed, update those you want to keep. Adjust the settings on your phone to dim the screen.

Invest in Apps that Remove Junk or Malware

Cleaner apps, remove junk files from your phone and identify apps that are hurting your phone and/or its battery’s performance. Consider downloading antivirus software to prevent unwanted malware from infecting your device and draining its power behind your back, which can result in extra power consumption and overheating if not diagnosed and addressed.

Keep Your Phone Out of the Sun/Heat

Keep your phone in the shade and don’t leave it in a hot car or place it on a hot surface, like a radiator or stove top.

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Is Your iPhone Running Slow?

Do you ever notice your iPhone becoming slow or sluggish while launching an app, browsing the internet, or switching between apps? This is annoying to say the least, because it messes with your workflow, making it take far longer than usual to finish everyday tasks.

Why is my iPhone running so slow?

Ever wonder why your iPhone isn’t running as fast as it used to? Here are a few speed bumps that might be slowing you down.

Storage is full

Photos, apps, downloads—all of these files take up space. When your storage is at max capacity, your phone can start running slowly.  Need help freeing up your slow phone’s storage? Check out our guide.

Poor battery health

Your iPhone’s battery can start to wear out. A tired battery might not just mean more frequent charging; it can also lead to sluggishness, overheating, and crashes. 

Want to learn more? Read our guide to learn how to check your iPhone’s battery health.

Frozen applications

Apps are great—until they’re not. They can freeze, move between pages slowly, and everything in between. 

Poor network conditions

Poor network connections can make even simple tasks like browsing or sending messages feel like a marathon. 

How to speed up an iPhone that’s running slowly

Although iPhones are known for their reliable performance, data accumulation and resource-intensive apps eventually cause them to become sluggish and make them lag. Maintaining your iPhone’s performance is crucial for both speed and longevity. Thus, to help you get things back on track, here are some simple steps to quickly boost your iPhone’s performance and help it run smoothly and efficiently once more.

Simple tips to give your iPhone a quick performance boost
Here are some of the common ways you can get your iPhone’s performance back to the way it was:

Increase storage

It might be time for a digital declutter. Offload unused apps and give your photos a new home in the cloud or on a computer. You’ll notice a little breathing room can go a long way.

Close frozen applications

When an app freezes, double-tap your home button or swipe up from the bottom. Swipe the apps away then try opening them again to see if your iPhone continues moving slowly. 

Improve network signal

Sometimes your phone’s network signal—or lack of one—can be the problem. If that’s the case, sometimes a simple reset can help. 

  1. Open Settings. 
  2. Turn Airplane Mode on and off or disconnect the Wi-Fi. 
  3. Make sure Airplane Mode is off and test your phone speed. If you have internet access, try reconnecting again.   

Still stuck? You might just be in a low-coverage zone.

Replace the battery

The battery inside your iPhone could be to blame—or at least putting a strain on your phone. When your battery starts to fail, your phone starts to feel it in other places, like processing speed. Check your battery health and determine if a battery replacement is just the thing your iPhone needs. 

Poor network connections can make even simple tasks like browsing or sending messages feel like a marathon. 

With these simple tips and tricks, you can ensure you keep your iPhone running smoothly and efficiently as ever, allowing for fast, uninterrupted workflows at all times.

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How to fix an iPhone that won’t charge

One of the scariest — and most troubling — iPhone problems is when your phone will not charge. But don’t panic. There are some fairly mundane reasons why this might happen, and they’re generally easy to solve.

On the other hand, keep in mind that to do something even as simple as charge your phone, there are a lot of parts that need to work together — so to figure out what is to blame and to get things working properly, you should methodically test everything to eliminate potential problems one at a time.

Quick tip: Should you notice that your iPhone stops charging at 80%, you shouldn’t stress. This is a feature in iOS 13 or later called Optimized Battery Charging.

If your iPhone charges with one cable, but not another, you know it’s the cable. If your cable charges other phones but not your own, you know it’s your phone. When your phone starts to charge again, whatever the last thing you changed was the problem — so you know what fixed your phone.

Turn it off and back on again

Anytime you are troubleshooting a problem, it helps to restart the system and see if that fixes the issue. If your phone still has enough battery life, restart the phone and then try to charge it again. 


Note: If your phone battery is very, very low — under 5% — or already completely dead, this step will not work for you.

Verify that your phone is not charging

Start by making sure your phone is not charging. Connect your phone however you usually do to charge it — wirelessly, plugged into an AC adapter, plugged into a computer’s USB port — and check the phone’s display. If the battery is already dead, leave it to charge for about two hours and then check on it.


You should see a lightning bolt in or beside the battery icon at the top right of the iPhone’s lock screen. If there is no lightning bolt in sight, it’s not charging.

 Don’t charge it wirelessly

If you have an iPhone X or later that supports wireless charging — or you have a wireless charging case for an older model iPhone — let’s simplify our troubleshooting by eliminating that as a possibility right away.


Remove the phone from its wireless charging case, if you’re using one, and plug the phone into a power source with a Lightning cable. Again, check to see if it’s charging. If it is, congratulations — you solved the problem. There’s some sort of problem with the phone’s wireless charging solution.


You might need to take your phone to an Apple store for service (or replace your wireless charging case) but in the meantime, you can keep the phone charged the old-fashioned way, with wires.

 Check your iPhone’s Lightning port

If your phone isn’t charging the way it usually does, your next stop should be to inspect the Lightning port. This is a lot more common than you might think. After all, we spend a lot of time jamming the phone — port-end first — into pockets, bags, and other places filled with dust, debris, and lint.


Your phone’s Lightning port is a veritable magnet for dirt, dust, lint, and other grime that can interfere with charging. 
Look carefully, and if you see anything, carefully remove it — gently — with a toothpick or any other non-metallic, pointed object that will fit in the port. If you have a can of compressed air, briefly blast the port with that as well.
Try to charge the phone again. If it still doesn’t work, move on to the next troubleshooting step.

Inspect your cable

If you’ve had an iPhone long enough, you’ve probably seen a broken or frayed cable — the rubberized outer sheath breaks from repeated bending, and the wires become exposed. If your cable looks like that and it isn’t properly charging your device, throw it away and get a new cable.

But Lightning cables get a lot of abuse, and problems aren’t always apparent to the naked eye. Sometimes wires can break while they’re still inside the sheath. And inexpensive third-party Lightning cables have been known to spontaneously stop working, often because the power regulator chip inside the cable has failed.

There’s no good way to see any of this visually, so the best way to test your Lightning cable is to simply try a different one.

Your Lightning cable should look like this — no fraying, sharp bends, or kinks that can damage the underlying wires. 

 Check where your phone is plugged in

On the long list of potential problems, you should also check your power source. If you’re charging your iPhone from a computer’s USB port, make sure the computer is fully awake (not in sleep or hibernation mode). Also try a different USB port, in case the USB port you were using has failed. Don’t try charging from a USB port built into a keyboard or USB hub — connect it directly to a USB port on the computer itself.

If it still doesn’t work, plug it directly into a wall outlet with an AC adapter like the one that came with your iPhone. If you have been using an AC adapter this entire time, then try a different one — borrow one from a friend who has an iPhone or use the one that comes with an iPad.

Check for software updates

If you’re not running the latest version of iOS, it could be the reason why your phone is not charging. Software updates might not seem important when your phone is functioning properly, but they help prevent a host of problems and even improve performance.

Here’s how to check for an update on your iPhone and install it:

  • Tap Settings and then General.
  • Tap on Software Update. Your iPhone will now start searching for the latest iOS update.
  • If an update is available, tap Install Now.

Try resetting and restoring your iPhone

When experiencing a problem with your iPhone, it sometimes helps to perform a factory reset. 

A reset will return it to its factory default settings and, hopefully, get rid of any problem you might be facing. This is a last-ditch attempt to fix the issue by yourself, and it’s worth a try.

Take your iPhone in for service

If none of these troubleshooting steps gets your phone back up and running, it’s pretty likely that there’s something wrong with the iPhone itself. You should contact Apple or go to an Apple store for service.

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Batteries Guide

5 Signs It’s Time to Replace Your iPhone Battery

Have you acclimated to the sub-par performance of your iPhone and accepted it as part of the drudgery of life? Has restarting your crashed iPhone become routine and ritual? Do you long for the days when your apps loaded swiftly, and you could watch Youtube videos ‘til your battery was at 5 percent?

Everyone knows that there’s nothing worse than a bad iPhone battery. 

There are some signs you can use to tell when your battery has reached the point of no return. Some of these signs are baked into iOS, whereas others could be more physical symptoms you’ll notice when you use the iPhone. Regardless, we’ve listed major pointers for when it’s time to get a new battery.

1. Your battery outgrew your iPhone

Why are you even reading this? If your battery has outgrown its case, it obviously needs to be replaced! Even if it’s not swelling this badly, immediate action should be taken to dispose of the battery safely. But, beware: You do not want to puncture the pack and release its toxic contents. Early signs of a swollen battery include: a hazy white screen, separation between screen and phone body, or “squishiness” of the screen (no visible separation, but your screen moves a bit when you pinch the edges of your phone). 

2. Your iPhone shuts down unexpectedly

If your iPhone suddenly shuts itself down when the battery is half-drained or so, the calibration may be off. To re-calibrate your iPhone, follow these steps:

Use your iPhone until it shuts itself down due to low battery.

Plug your iPhone into a reliable charger using a reliable cable and let it charge uninterrupted until it reaches 100 percent.


Once it’s fully charged, perform a soft reset by holding your sleep/wake button and your home button until the Apple logo shows up. If you have an iPhone with Face ID, quick-press the volume up button followed by the volume down button. Then, press and hold the sleep/wake button until the Apple logo shows up.

If that doesn’t solve your battery woes, then the battery may be the culprit and will require replacement.

3. Your iPhone Frequently Overheats

Although there could be other reasons why your iPhone overheats, once you rule out everything processor or software-related, it only leaves the battery as the culprit.

When batteries age, the chemical components become less fluid, and that causes what we call a high internal resistance. It makes it more difficult for your iPhone to draw energy from the battery, and this high resistance (similar to friction) causes more heat than normal.

It’s not just aged batteries that can cause abnormal heat but damaged batteries, too. If you have a faulty battery damaged by water or a puncture wound, the chemical balance can get disrupted, which can lead to overheating or even health risks.

So, if you notice your iPhone getting extremely hot while doing the most mundane things, it might be time to get its battery checked.

4. Reduced Battery Life

It’s common to hear people say that their phone used to last the whole day, but now it barely makes it to lunchtime at work. And a lot of people might blame it on software rather than hardware. You may have even tried all the iPhone battery-saving tips, only to still experience a woefully subpar battery life.

Typically, this means that your battery has degraded to the point where it can no longer keep an optimum charge. iPhone batteries are lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, and they generate energy through chemical reactions. With time and use, these chemical reactions lose their potency, and your phone will no longer be able to support peak performance.

While all iPhone batteries degrade with age, there are steps you can take to maintain your iPhone’s battery health so it lasts as long as possible.

5. Battery Health Is Less Than 80%

One of the many advantages of iOS over other mobile operating systems is the synergy between hardware and software. Because Apple makes its own hardware and software, it can tie the two together in a way Android or other operating systems can’t. This synergy extends to managing your iPhone’s battery health.

You can monitor your iPhone’s battery health through the Settings app to judge when it’s time for a new battery. Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging and note its Maximum Capacity. If the number there reads below 80%, it might be time to change your battery.

In fact, you will see a notification at the top of the page warning you to take your phone to an Apple Authorized Service Provider. Also, if you have an AppleCare+ warranty, Apple will replace your iPhone battery only if its health is below 80%.

However, sometimes, you should take the figure there with a grain of salt. If the number is suspiciously low (or even high), it might be time to calibrate your iPhone’s battery. Calibrating the battery is essentially resetting it so the percentages are more accurate.

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Batteries Guide

How to Calibrate Your Android Smartphone Battery

Android smartphones and bad battery life is a never-ending love affair. Despite the efforts of smartphone companies to improve battery performance through software optimization, adding features such as optimized charging,users just can’t help but grumble about their Android phone’s battery life.

Users often complain that their Android device discharges very quickly or their phone unexpectedly shutdowns in the middle of the day. The reason behind, quite often, this is the fact that the battery of their Android smartphone isn’t calibrated properly. In such cases, the displayed battery percentage fails to align with the actual charge level.

The batteries of new smartphones, and often those of old ones as well, need to be calibrated. This procedure is usually done in the factory, but it should be repeated many times, and it certainly doesn’t hurt.

This is because in some cases, the operating system indicates a charge level that is DIFFERENT from the actual charge of the battery, and in many cases, this ‘reading’ problem translates into a shorter duration of full charges.

Therefore, in this article, we will learn more about battery calibration on Android—three easy ways to calibrate the battery of your Android device.

Manual Calibration

The best way to calibrate the battery of your Android smartphone is to manually reset the stats. Here’s how you can do it:

  • Use your phone until it powers off on its own.
  • Switch it back on and wait for it to turn off again.
  • Connect your phone to a charger and do not switch it on. Let it charge in the power-off state until 100%.
  • Once the phone reaches 100%, turn it on. It’s likely that the battery indicator will show a percentage below 100%. In this case, reconnect the charger while keeping your phone on, and continue charging until it shows 100%.
  • Once it reaches 100%, disconnect it from the charger and reboot your phone. If the battery indicator still shows a percentage below 100%, repeat the steps above until it shows 100%.
  • Again, use your phone until it reaches 0% and powers off on its own.
  • Finally, charge your phone once again without disconnecting it in between, and now your phone will show the actual battery readings.

Use a Third-Party App

If you don’t want to follow the manual process, you can consider using a third-party app to reset the battery statistics of your smartphone. There are several apps available on the Google Play Store that can help with calibration. However, many users have reported that these apps are less effective than manual calibration.

Reset Your Device

If nothing works, it’s best to factory reset your smartphone. Remember, this should be used as a last resort when all the other methods fail. also, just make sure you back up your device before performing a factory reset.

Lastly, it’s important to note that this process should not be performed frequently, as excessive calibration (full charging and discharging cycles) can be detrimental to the battery of your smartphone. Only rely on the methods mentioned above if the battery is behaving strangely. If calibration is required more often, it likely indicates a more serious issue (you might need to get that battery replaced).

General Tips:

  • Use the original charger and cable that came with your smartphone.
  • Do not fully charge or fully discharge the battery on a regular basis.
  • Avoid using your smartphone in extreme temperatures, as this can damage the battery.
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Batteries Guide

LITHIUM ION BATTERY – THE PROS AND CONS

LITHIUM ION BATTERIES – THE WAVE OF NEW INDUSTRY TECH

Lithium-ion batteries offer some distinct advantages and improvements over other forms of battery technology. Used in many devices today, they provide good performance, charges faster, and lasts longer compared to other types of batteries. 

Lithium-ion is a popular choice for portable devices because they offer distinct advantages and improvements over other battery technologies. Like all technology though, there is a difference in how well each one works with certain applications — it’s important to understand not only what makes them good but also their downside.

THE PROS AND CONS OF LITHIUM ION BATTERIES

But the shininess and newness of a technology doesn’t mean it’s without its downfalls. Before hopping on the Lithium Ion Battery bandwagon, take a look at the pros and cons of the product. While the benefits are hard to dispute, there are still some potential drawbacks to consider. Whether you ultimately utilize Lithium Ion Batteries or not, it’s important to be in the know on the latest industry tech and innovation.

Pros:

  • Lithium-ion batteries are the best type of battery to use in your device since they don’t require any extra maintenance. Unlike other types of batteries that may need periodic discharge or topping off with fluid and priming before you can use them (and who has time for that?), these bad boys will just work every single time without fail!
  • A lithium-ion battery can be really great when it comes to loading characteristics. They provide a fairly constant 3 volts per cell before they start losing their charge as you use up all of your last charges, which is perfect!
  • Lithium-ion batteries come in many different types and sizes, which makes them convenient for use in various applications. The rechargeable battery you find inside your smartphone has very specific power requirements versus something like an electric vehicle – so it’s important that before buying or borrowing certain devices we know what type of lithium-Ion they have.
  • A rechargeable cell may require priming when it first receives a charge. Lithium-ion, on the other hand, has no such requirement, as they are ready to go from the start!
  • Lithium-ion batteries offer twice the energy density of nickel-cadmium, making their charging capabilities much more robust. This means that a single lithium-ion battery can power an electronic device for up to three times as long before needing recharging compared with two identical counterparts using NiCd or lead-acid technology – this is important in devices such as smartphones and laptops where you don’t want your battery dying out just when it becomes essential.

Cons:

  • Lithium-ion batteries can be tricky to handle if you don’t know of their flaws. One problem with these types is that they lose power faster than other battery types, such as nickel-cad or NiMh ones which typically have self-discharge rates of less than 5%.
  • The major disadvantage to lithium-ion batteries is their ageing. The battery can only withstand so many charge-discharge cycles before capacity falls and this could be due in part to the number of times it’s been charged or discharged; typically a li-ion setup will need at least 500 more charges than what you put into them just for safety reasons!
  • The lithium-Ion polymer(LiPoly) cells were created so you don’t need any external circuits but still maintain long life cycle times due t° the high energy density delivered by each cell!
  • The other problem with these types of cells, especially those found within consumer electronics such as cell phones, smartwatches etc., has got to do with time-related factors — namely how quickly they age if left unused over several months without use.
  • Lithium-ion batteries are a type of rechargeable battery that can be used for mobile devices and other portable electronics. The biggest downside to this kind of power source? It needs protection from being overcharged or discharged too much, which usually means including built-in circuitry in both the device itself as well as inside its voltage regulation system (also sometimes called “protection”).

How to Store Lithium-Ion Batteries Safely

Batteries should always be stored in a cool, dry place away from heat and sunlight. If your home does not have adequate ventilation or you’re storing batteries for an extended period of time (more than six months), it’s best to store them at 59℉ with relative humidity below 60%.

Boosting your home security is not just about installing alarms or motion sensors. You need to make sure the batteries in these devices are running at full strength and stored safely and away from children.

Get in touch with us today for all your battery needs.