Where to find your iPhone's battery health information

Your iPhone stores a battery health report that you can read yourself without any tools or apps. Open Settings, then tap Battery, then Battery Health & Charging. You will see two numbers: your battery's maximum capacity (shown as a percentage) and its condition (shown as a status like "Normal" or "Degraded").

This screen shows you the actual wear on your battery right now. Apple added this feature in iOS 11.3 partly because people were frustrated not knowing why their phones slowed down. The battery health section is the same information Apple's own technicians use when you bring your phone to a repair shop.

If you cannot find Battery Health & Charging, your iPhone model may not support it. iPhones from iPhone 6 and later can show this information. If you have an older model, you will not see this option in Settings.

Key Takeaways

  • Maximum capacity tells you what percentage of the battery's original charge your phone can now hold — a phone at 80% capacity holds 80% of what it did when new.
  • A "Normal" condition means your battery is working as expected for its age; "Degraded" or "Service Recommended" means it is wearing faster than normal.
  • iPhones slow down automatically when battery health drops below 80% to prevent unexpected shutdowns, but you can turn this off in Settings if you prefer speed over stability.
  • Battery health naturally declines over time and use — there is no way to stop it, but you can slow it by avoiding extreme temperatures and not leaving your phone plugged in overnight constantly.

What maximum capacity percentage actually means

Maximum capacity is a direct measurement of how much charge your battery can hold compared to when it was brand new. If your battery shows 85% maximum capacity, it means your battery can now hold 85% of the charge it held on the day you got your phone. The other 15% is gone permanently.

This number changes slowly over time. A typical iPhone battery loses about 1% of capacity every few months under normal use. After two years, you might see 80% to 85%. After three years, 75% to 80%. These are rough ranges — actual wear depends on how often you charge, what temperatures you use the phone in, and how much you drain the battery all the way to zero.

When maximum capacity drops to 80%, Apple considers the battery officially degraded. At this point, your phone may start to feel slower because iOS activates performance management — a feature that reduces processor speed to prevent the phone from shutting down unexpectedly when the battery cannot deliver enough power.

Understanding the condition status

The condition line shows one of three statuses: Normal, Degraded, or Service Recommended. Normal means your battery is aging at the expected rate for its age and use. Degraded means it is wearing faster than normal, which can happen if you regularly expose your phone to heat, drain it completely, or charge it in cold weather. Service Recommended means the battery is failing and Apple suggests you have it replaced.

A battery can show Degraded or Service Recommended even if maximum capacity is still above 80%. This happens when the battery is failing in ways that maximum capacity alone does not capture — for example, if it cannot deliver power smoothly or if it is swelling inside the phone. If you see Service Recommended, you should contact Apple or an authorized repair shop within a few weeks, because a failing battery can eventually prevent your phone from turning on.

Degraded status does not mean you need to replace the battery when ready. It means the battery is wearing faster than normal, and you may want to plan a replacement in the next few months rather than waiting until it reaches Service Recommended.

Why your iPhone slows down when battery health drops

When maximum capacity falls below 80%, iOS turns on performance management automatically. This reduces your processor speed and screen brightness slightly to prevent your phone from shutting down suddenly. A phone with a worn battery cannot always deliver the power the processor needs, especially when you are using demanding apps or taking photos with the flash. Performance management prevents the battery from dropping to zero when ready in those moments.

You can turn off performance management if you want your phone to run at full speed. Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging and toggle off Optimized Battery Charging. Your phone will run faster, but it may shut down unexpectedly when the battery is low, even if the percentage shows 20% or 30% remaining. Most people leave it on because a slow phone is less disruptive than random shutdowns.

Performance management only affects phones with maximum capacity below 80%. If your battery is at 85% or higher, your phone runs at full speed regardless of this setting.

How to slow down battery wear over time

Battery wear is inevitable, but you can reduce how fast it happens. The biggest factors are temperature, charge cycles, and how deeply you drain the battery. Keep your phone out of direct sunlight and away from hot cars or radiators — lithium batteries degrade faster when warm. Avoid charging your phone in very cold weather if possible, because cold batteries charge less efficiently and can be damaged by fast charging.

Charge your phone whenever it is convenient rather than waiting until it is nearly dead. Contrary to old information about phones, modern iPhones do not benefit from being fully drained. Charging from 20% to 80% is gentler on the battery than charging from 5% to 100%. If you leave your phone plugged in overnight every night, consider turning on Optimized Battery Charging in the same Battery Health menu — this slows charging to 80% and holds it there until you usually wake up, which reduces wear from sitting at 100% for hours.

None of these steps will stop battery wear entirely. They will only slow it down by a few months over the life of your phone. If you use your phone normally and keep it at reasonable temperatures, you can expect to see maximum capacity around 80% to 85% after two years.

When to replace your battery

You do not have to replace your battery the moment it reaches 80% capacity. Many people use phones at 75% or 70% capacity without problems. Replace it when the phone's behavior bothers you — when it shuts down unexpectedly, when performance management makes it too slow, or when the condition status says Service Recommended.

Apple charges $69 to $99 for an out-of-warranty battery replacement, depending on your iPhone model. Some carriers and retailers offer lower prices. If your phone is still under warranty or covered by AppleCare+, the replacement may be free or cost less. Independent repair shops sometimes charge $30 to $50, but they may not use Apple's original batteries.

If your phone is more than three years old and the battery is wearing out, you might consider whether replacing the battery or buying a new phone makes more sense for your situation. A new battery can extend your phone's life by two more years, but if other parts are also aging, a new phone might be the better choice.

Battery health on older iPhones and other devices

iPhones from iPhone 6 onward can show battery health in Settings. If you have an iPhone 5s or earlier, this information is not available in the phone itself. You can still take the phone to an Apple Store and ask them to check the battery, but you cannot see the number yourself.

iPads and Apple Watches also have batteries that degrade over time, but they do not show health information in Settings the way iPhones do. If you want to know the battery health of an iPad or Watch, you will need to visit an Apple Store or use third-party diagnostic tools, which are less reliable than Apple's own reports.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 80% battery health bad?

80% is the point where Apple considers a battery officially degraded, but it is not bad. Many people use phones at 80% capacity without noticing any problems. Your phone will start to slow down automatically at this point to prevent shutdowns, but you can turn that off if you prefer speed. Replace the battery when the phone's behavior bothers you, not because you hit 80%.

Can I improve my battery health percentage?

No. Maximum capacity only goes down, never up. Once your battery loses capacity, that loss is permanent. You cannot restore it by restarting your phone, updating iOS, or changing settings. The only way to get back to 100% is to replace the battery.

Why did my battery health drop suddenly?

Battery capacity usually drops slowly over months. A sudden drop of 5% or more in a few days can mean the battery is failing and you should contact Apple. It can also happen if you exposed your phone to extreme heat or cold, or if you drained it completely multiple times in a short period. If the drop continues, have the battery checked.

Does closing apps or restarting my phone help battery health?

No. Closing apps and restarting your phone do not affect the physical wear on your battery. They might help your phone run faster or use less power in the moment, but they do not change the maximum capacity percentage or slow down long-term degradation.

What is the difference between maximum capacity and battery health?

Maximum capacity is the percentage — how much charge your battery can hold now compared to when new. Battery health is the status — whether that capacity is degrading at a normal rate or faster than normal. You can have 85% maximum capacity with Normal health, or 82% maximum capacity with Degraded health.