This iOS 13 feature uses a clever trick to extend your battery life over time

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We all know that charging our batteries past 80 percent constantly is degrading them. That means they’ll fail sooner, and stop carrying as much charge. Apple knows this all too well, with its #BatteryGate issues, so they snuck a handy feature into iOS 13’s battery settings.

Apple’s new battery feature uses AI to learn your routine, then stops charging your phone past 80 percent until it thinks you might be needing it.

This little feature might save your iPhone’s battery from dying earlier

Screenshot: KnowTechie

Remember when laptops used to come with a “charge to 80 percent” switch in the bios to avoid battery degradation? Well, battery tech has gotten better since then but it’s still not perfect.

See, your Lithium batteries (like in your iPhone) are under the most stress below 20 percent and above 80 percent. That means fewer charge cycles overall if you’re constantly in those zones.

Here’s how to set it up:

• First, you’ll need iOS 13 on your device. If you haven’t already updated, check out our handy guide to do just that
• Once updated, you’ll want to go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health
• Flick the switch next to Optimize Battery Charging and you’re all set
• Now your phone will learn your daily routine, and only charge up to 80% battery until close to the time it thinks you’ll need to use it

Apple is likely banking on this feature stopping another battery situation. The total cost to replace all those iPhone batteries must have done some damage to the company’s bottom line. It’s just as beneficial to iPhone owners though, as it should extend the lifespan of your handset.

It doesn’t appear to be incorporated into iPadOS, as my iPad Air 2 running iOS 13.1 doesn’t have the feature. Maybe the iPad won’t get it, as it’s more of a useful tool for iPhones.

What do you think? Plan on turning this feature on? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.