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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To expect my iPhone battery to last longer than 3 hours

49 replies

Schulte · 16/10/2021 12:31

Sorry if this has been done many times before. I’ve had my phone for 1.5 years now. I used to charge it overnight, then the battery would be close to empty by the evening. In the past couple of weeks, it has suddenly gone to needing charging every three hours. The battery is full in the morning, by lunchtime it’s on 15%. I haven’t changed how I use my phone. WTF is going on???

OP posts:
NatMoz · 16/10/2021 12:33

Old age?

Buy yourself a pocophone. My battery lasts 3 days!

Oldraver · 16/10/2021 12:34

I have the same issue with a nearly two year old phone

'Ive been told by seasoned I-Phone users I should of changed my battery ages ago

Original poster
Schulte · 16/10/2021 13:04

DH suspects it's something Apple does deliberately to force people to buy new phones. Do we think that's true?

OP posts:
lilcolibri · 16/10/2021 13:06

@Schulte

DH suspects it's something Apple does deliberately to force people to buy new phones. Do we think that's true?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-51413724 yes
LemonSwan · 16/10/2021 13:07

Let me guess - SE 2020?

Dilbertian · 16/10/2021 13:08

IME a lot of inexplicable iPhone problems can be solved by powering off. Older iPhones seem to have hissy fits now and again. No doubt it is something to do with updates nudging them towards obsolescence.

Chemenger · 16/10/2021 13:08

Go onto settings and choose battery. It will give you information on the health of your battery and show you what is using up power.

MrsRobbieHart · 16/10/2021 13:08

Ha! I’ve literally just posted a thread asking about this

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4376417-How-long-do-you-get-out-of-a-phone-charge

Yes its an SE2020!

Dilbertian · 16/10/2021 13:10

I also tend to charge my iPhone overnight, but I've been told that that's bad for the battery. It overcharges, apparently, which reduces its ability to hold on to charge. A serious design flaw IMO.

MrsRobbieHart · 16/10/2021 13:12

Is there a way of “resetting” the battery? I have heard before people talking of batteries having a memory so that if you charge them before they are completely dead the batter remembers and then starts needing charged sooner and sooner.

takenforgrantednana · 16/10/2021 13:19

@Schulte

Sorry if this has been done many times before. I’ve had my phone for 1.5 years now. I used to charge it overnight, then the battery would be close to empty by the evening. In the past couple of weeks, it has suddenly gone to needing charging every three hours. The battery is full in the morning, by lunchtime it’s on 15%. I haven’t changed how I use my phone. WTF is going on???
@Schulte i have an iphone4! it still works perfectly and the battery lasts about 5 days, but what i dont have is loads of apps and the bluetooth on as i have been told that is what drains it. it also depends on your actuall usage too, i bet its more than you think, even if you just check the phone then your powering it up with the lights coming on, whereas i dont touch my phone at all unless the thing actually makes a noise such as a text or someone phoning me
Peridot1 · 16/10/2021 13:20

DH noticed his battery was draining quickly and discovered it was an NHS app using most of it. If you go into settings and battery you can see which apps are using most battery.

CrystalMaisie · 16/10/2021 13:31

When you go to the store for a new one, they look and tell you how many times you’ve charged it. I think they’re only good for about 500 charges from memory? Not great.

DontBiteTheBoobThatFeedsYou · 16/10/2021 13:34

In my experience it could be a few things.

The one that cropped up a few times for us was a shitty broken charger.

The charger would basically 'fake charge' it to 100% that wouldn't last any time at all.

Kept taking the phones to get fixed, never anything wrong and finally realised it was a crap charger we owned. Didn't make sense but getting a new one worked.

That has happened a couple of times over the years.

Another reason is our current reason with DS.

He dropped the phone one too many times and the battery has physically blown and can only charge for about an hour.

A basic issue is having loads of background apps but I've always had that and it's never effected the battery to that extent.

idontlikealdi · 16/10/2021 13:34

What phone is it?

Janek · 16/10/2021 13:42

My dp replaced the battery in his iPhone - he bought a kit online which came with tools and instructions and replaced it. It was worth the risk as he had nothing to lose - without a decent battery it was useless anyway.

DontBiteTheBoobThatFeedsYou · 16/10/2021 13:44

@Janek

My dp replaced the battery in his iPhone - he bought a kit online which came with tools and instructions and replaced it. It was worth the risk as he had nothing to lose - without a decent battery it was useless anyway.
We need to do this. How much did it cost to do?
Horst · 16/10/2021 13:48

You can do it for under £50 if your doing it yourself but word of warning a lot of those batteries don’t last long. Every iPhone I’ve changed batteries in for those purchased off Amazon/eBay the battery has always ended up becoming swollen and pushing the front screen off so.

Even swapped a battery on an old iPhone 5 before. Accidentally smashed the screen while doing it, it was only a spare so I just put it on a shelf and left it. 6 months later even though never used the battery had swollen and pushed the screen out ready to burst.

MsChatterbox · 16/10/2021 13:49

@Dilbertian

I also tend to charge my iPhone overnight, but I've been told that that's bad for the battery. It overcharges, apparently, which reduces its ability to hold on to charge. A serious design flaw IMO.
On mine there is a setting where you stop it charging just before it's full
SoniaFouler · 16/10/2021 13:52

@LemonSwan

Let me guess - SE 2020?
Joining the fucking SE2020 club, in addition to @MrsRobbieHart Worst battery life on a phone, even my I6 that was SEVEN years old lasted longer than this. The only good thing id say is that mine came with a super fast charger and it charges ridiculously fast compared to normal chargers. It can go from 10% to 80% after about a twenty minute charge
Original poster
Schulte · 16/10/2021 14:03

It’s an iPhone XS. The same thing happened with previous iPhone models, I get a new phone every two years and for the last few months I only just scrape by on low battery performance. It’s so frustrating.

I’ve had new batteries put in as well but they didn’t make a big difference, it’s almost like there’s something going on in the background draining the battery!

Thanks for all suggestions so far. 75% of my usage is Safari so presumably reading the news and being on Mumsnet too much Blush

OP posts:
Original poster
Schulte · 16/10/2021 14:04

Not sure it’s the charger as I’m using different chargers around the house depending on time of day.

OP posts:
Concestor · 16/10/2021 14:09

It's inbuilt obsolescence. Happens with Android too (or at least it does with mine). I've never had a phone that lasts beyond a couple of years, they all end up slow and losing charge by then.

CounsellorTroi · 16/10/2021 14:12

I have a two year old Google pixel 3. Get about a day and a half if not taking lots of photos or playing games, less if I am.

LeSquigh · 16/10/2021 14:15

Have a look at the battery health in the settings but I agree, charging it overnight is what has caused this, it’s far too much charging.