Cell phones are built to last several years, but some components last longer than others. With the passage of time and use, certain elements of the devices degrade, as is the case of the batteries. If your device’s battery lasts less than normal, it is probably no longer in good health.
When we talk about this important component, we are not referring to its charge level at any given time. The term refers to its condition; if it is deteriorated it may, for example, run down faster than normal or get too hot. Knowing this information is key to determine whether you should replace the battery or start thinking about renewing your phone.
How do batteries lose capacity?
The reason for the loss of capacity of cell phone batteries is associated with the charging cycles. Every time you connect it to the power when the battery is below 70%, a cycle begins. This means that if you charge it every day, you will make 360 cycles per year.
This amount matters, and a lot, because from 300 to 500 cycles the battery performance starts to degrade, so the energy starts to reduce, according to analysts specialized in lithium-ion batteries.
Therefore, it is possible that after the first year of use the battery will begin to lose capacity. As a result, you will have to charge it more times, which contributes to an accelerated degradation of the battery. It is also important to consider that they wear out more when they are charged to 100%. Therefore, one of the main recommendations is to stop charging when you reach 80%.
There are some devices such as the Google Pixel that incorporate smart charging functions. These are responsible for limiting the speed when 80% of the total capacity is reached with the aim of avoiding battery degradation. If you have a device with this function, we recommend activating it.
How to check the health of your battery
In iOS, users can easily check the health of the iPhone’s battery, since it is included as a function. This is not the case with Android, so if you have a smartphone with this operating system, you will have to resort to third-party tools to find out this information. These are some of the options available to you:
With a code
Although Android devices do not have an option in their settings to quickly find out the battery health, it is possible to see this information through a hidden menu. On some phones it is possible to dial a code that allows you to make this data accessible.
All you have to do is open the “Phone” application on your device and dial the code ##4636##. After doing so, a test menu should appear on the screen. One of the sections is identified as “Battery Information”; there you will be able to see the health status of your device’s battery.
With apps
If the previous trick does not work with your device, you have other options. One of the most recommended apps to know this information is AccuBattery. Once downloaded, you must open it and among its functions you will find four categories: Charging, Downloading, Health and History. Select ‘Health’.
Technically, in this screen you will be able to see the status of your battery. However, you will notice that when you enter you won’t see any information. This happens because Android prevents applications from accessing the historical records of this component of the device. If you want to visualize this data, you will have to perform several charge cycles first. Once you do so, you can check the battery health in this section.
Another reliable app that can help you know this information is Ampere. When you install it, just open it and look for the ‘Health’ section. There you will be able to see what data it provides. It is important to note that a percentage above 85% indicates good battery health. When the figure is lower, there are signs of degradation.
Tips to protect your battery
The deterioration of your cell phone battery is almost inevitable, since they are designed for a certain number of charge cycles. However, you can follow some tips that will help you to extend its useful life, for example:
- Don’t let it run out completely. It is advisable not to let the battery go below 15 or 20% and avoid at all costs that it shuts down due to lack of energy. This percentage is the limit so that its operation is the desired one and when lowering it you will be forcing the battery.
- Use the original charger. Whenever you can follow this rule because you will get the best result. Not only will it give you the best possible charge, but it will also do so while taking care of the equipment.
- Keep it away from cold and heat. Extreme temperatures are the enemy of the battery. Lithium-ion technology does not cope well with temperatures above 27 degrees Celsius, nor below 10 degrees Celsius. Therefore, it is important that you do not expose the equipment to these extreme conditions because you will accelerate its degradation.
- Do not use the cell phone while it is charging. If you do, you will be forcing a power consumption while it receives a new one. In this way, fast charging will not fulfill its function.
Whether you discover that the health of your battery is in optimal condition, or that it is beginning to degrade, we recommend you apply these tips. This way you will have fewer problems with your device and the energy will last longer.
Remember that if you have problems with your phone, Movical can help you in many ways. We can unlock your phone, repair it and even root it, contact us!