Are you an iPhone user that has recently been facing peculiar battery issues?
Namely, has the exact thought of “When I restart my iPhone the battery goes up. Why?” crossed your mind more than a few times?
The Problem: The battery goes up when you restart your iPhone! Let’s say your phone was at 70% prior to rebooting, and you notice that the battery power has increased by 4 or 5% after you restart your phone.
The Solution? To begin with, it’s not a problem or something that you should be very concerned about!
Nevertheless, let’s try and understand why this phenomenon occurs.
Why Does My Battery Go Up Without Charging?
Some fluctuations in the battery reading are bound to occur after an iPhone reboot as the operating system and internal software attempts to recalculate the correct power levels.
When you are using your iPhone, the battery is constantly working to keep your apps, programs, and processes running in the background.
This is primarily why the battery eventually gets drained.
However, when you carry out a fresh restart, the battery load is flipped to the lower side for a very short period of time.
This is reflected in the new battery level readings, giving the impression that power has increased by a few percent.
Have You Ever Thought About How Your iPhone Measures Battery Power?
How an iPhone measures battery power is based on how much voltage the device receives.
After you switch off your iPhone (which has been positively buzzing with endless processes for quite some time), the chemical processes in the battery stabilize and reach equilibrium.
This causes a small increase in the voltage, and as a voltage is the main driver of your battery it causes the display percentage to shoot up slightly.
What this means overall is that your iPhone does not self-charge after a reboot!
The short interval of inactivity in your device helps the energy to get distributed more evenly, causing a temporary increase in the voltage levels.
The operating system works with the battery sensor to detect this uptick in voltage and reflects it through increased battery level readings.
Though that’s usually the main cause, a flaw in the calibration of your battery can also be another potential reason for this false increase.
Regardless, you don’t need to be overly worried if your phone battery increases on its own by a few percent here and there.
However, if it fluctuates too much (e.g. by 20% or 30%), that’s probably an indication that there is a more significant battery health issue at hand.
Despite what you may have thought, the battery percentage status in your iPhone- or any phone for that matter– is never an accurate calculation.
It is not solely based on voltage (though it does use voltage in its estimation), and it’s actually nigh impossible to precisely determine the exact charge status of any lithium-ion battery.
The methods used nowadays are purely based on:
- Estimation taken from prior usage,
- Rate of discharge,
- Voltage, and
- Several other parameters that should always be used only for general reference.
In a nutshell, a stressed iPhone running multiple applications naturally causes the battery levels to drop.
However, when the same phone is restarted, the battery is relaxed for a little while- just enough for it to bounce back from the load of the lost power.
The electrons that break loose on their way out return back, resulting in an instant and slight increase in the battery power.
Now we’ve said it 3 different times, you should know the reason why your iPhone battery goes up temporarily after restarting. Excellent!
Next, let’s take a look at how we can calibrate the phone for better battery level estimation and accuracy.
How To Easily Calibrate Your iPhone
If it’s a regular occurrence for your iPhone battery to go up after you restart it, the first thing that you might want to consider is a battery checkup along with recalibration.
Keep in mind that calibrating your iPhone battery does not drastically improve your battery life- it only makes the indicated battery levels more accurate!
When it comes to performance, lithium-ion batteries usually degrade with time, repeated use, and frequent charging cycles.
Recalibration is therefore recommended so that you can get a proper measure of your battery percentage, as incorrect battery power readings can lead to sudden and unexpected shutdowns.
For instance, you may have experienced instances in the past of your phone dying at 10% or 20% battery power.
(Note- Avoid calibrating your iPhone frequently in order to avoid permanent phone damage. It should ideally be done only once every two to three months.)
Here’s how you can calibrate your iPhone the right way:
Step 1 – Allow the iPhone battery to become completely discharged.
Step 2 – Allow the device to stay in the discharged state for a few hours, which will help it to drain even more. The draining of the last 5-6% of ‘invisible’ battery power is important to ensure that your iPhone battery is fully drained.
Step 3 – After a couple of hours, plug your iPhone in for charging using an authentic iPhone charger and charging cable.
Step 4 – The phone will now be able to be switched on. Press the volume up or volume down button along with the side button to switch off your iPhone again, and let it sit for 3 to 4 hours undisturbed until it is completely charged.
Step 5 – After 3 to 4 hours (enough time for your iPhone to charge to 100%), hold the side button to switch on the phone without unplugging the charger. Now, it’s time for a forced reboot!
Step 6 – To perform the force reboot, press the volume up and volume down button along with the side button together and hold them until you see the Apple logo appear.
This indicates a forced restart has been successfully initiated. Once your iPhone restarts for the last time, unplug the charger to complete the calibration process.
These 6 simple steps will ensure that your iOS correctly measures the battery percentage and displays accurate numbers on your phone screen, so that you can gain a better understanding of your battery strength and usage.
This will ensure that the operating system of your iPhone is perfectly in sync with the battery and accurately reads the correct battery power levels.
Finally, an inherently flawed iOS battery meter can also cause your battery power readings to go up. In that case, the best thing to do would be to connect with Apple support and seek their assistance.
Be aware that a battery replacement may be suggested if you have been using your iPhone for a long period of time, as batteries can and will naturally display inconsistent behaviour as they age.
Do I Need To Be Concerned If The iPhone Battery Goes Up By Itself?
This question is one that I’m sure is on your mind- and it’s a valid one too, given how expensive an iPhone is!
You’ll be glad to learn, then, that the answer is: No, you don’t have to be overly worried at all!
In most cases, it’s a minor issue that can be resolved quite easily. Therefore it’s not too serious of a concern, and it won’t cause any kind of damage to your iPhone.
However, if you do recalibrate your battery, it is important to ensure that you only charge your battery to no more than 80-90% afterwards.
That’s because those levels are a safety threshold that ideally shouldn’t be crossed.
Additionally, when it comes to the ideal lower limit, try your best not to let the battery power drop down to zero in order to maintain optimal battery health.
Finally, be sure to follow some basic battery-saving best practices for optimized usage!
Just like us, smartphones consist of a pretty complex anatomy. Take a close look HERE at all the vital components that make up a modern-day smartphone!