iPhone battery: 6 mistakes that are killing your phone battery - what you shouldn’t do

• iPhone users might be used to battery life degrading over time - especially if you use it heavily. 
• It might seem like an ordinary part of your phone’s lifecycle. 
• But common mistakes you are making could be playing a role in killing your battery life

If you’ve owned an iPhone - or even any smartphone - we’ve all experienced the slow decline of its battery life. From going a full day without needing a charge to having to plug it in multiple times a day. 

It is extremely annoying when you can no longer count on your phone lasting during an outing - or while you are at work. And you may just think it is part of the natural life cycle of a modern handset. 

But as Mariia Bohdanovska, an Apple expert from Setapp, a platform that provides a collection of productive apps for macOS, points out, several of the things we do without thinking are slowly degrading the battery — sometimes irreversibly. So, how many of these habits are you guilty of?

Sleeping with your phone too close

Sure, using your phone as an alarm makes sense, but if you’ve developed the habit of slipping it under your pillow, think again. It also sounds like the perfect recipe for losing your handset down the back of your bed. 

Mariia warns: “Keeping your phone under your pillow while you sleep can cause it to overheat, and overheating every night really takes a toll on the battery.” 

Overheating doesn’t just lead to faster battery wear — it could also pose a safety risk. Let’s not forget that an overheated phone has the potential to cause a fire.

Turning off your phone regularly

It might seem counterintuitive, but powering down your iPhone frequently could be doing more harm than good.  The expert advises that phones are designed to stay on continuously. 

“Only turn it off when it’s absolutely necessary, like if the device is unresponsive,” she suggests. “Constantly shutting it down and rebooting puts extra strain on the internal components, including the battery.”

Sending photos via text

So you’ve been cooking in the kitchen and want to show off. Or you want to share those incredible snaps from last night with your friends so they can share them on their socials. 

You probably don’t think twice about sending the photos via text, but this habit comes with a hidden cost. 

Mariia explains: “When you send images through messages, and your friend saves them, they end up with two copies — one in the messaging app and another in their photo gallery. This eats up storage space unnecessarily, and an overloaded phone can lead to performance issues and battery drain. Use AirDrop instead.”

Bringing your phone into the shower

Who doesn’t love some background music or a podcast while showering? But taking your iPhone into the steamy bathroom could be a recipe for disaster. 

"Moisture finds its way into the phone, even in water-resistant models," warns Mariia. “And it's not just moisture; the heat from your shower can cause your phone to overheat rapidly, shortening the battery’s lifespan.”

Charging to 100%

It’s a habit we’ve all had — plug in the phone overnight and let it charge to 100%. But the expert says this isn’t doing your battery any favours. 

“The healthiest range for your battery is between 20% and 80%. Keeping it fully charged or letting it drain completely puts unnecessary stress on the battery,” she explains.

Using cheap, third-party chargers

We’ve all been guilty of grabbing a cheap charger when the official one’s out of reach, but the expert cautions against using third-party chargers. Mariia explains: "Low-quality chargers can deliver inconsistent power, causing battery wear over time and even damaging internal components.” 

Have you been making these mistakes - I know I have! I’m particularly guilty of using my phone for tunes when showering, so I’m going to have to fix that ASAP. Share your thoughts by emailing me: [email protected].