If you’re like me, you probably plug in your iPhone and forget about it, expecting it to be fully charged within a couple of hours. Unfortunately, after the recent iOS 18.3.1 update, some iPhones have started taking much longer to charge. Let’s explore why this happens and what you can do about it.
How to Fix an iPhone Battery That’s Charging Slowly
1. Avoid Using Your iPhone While it’s Charging
Avoid using your iPhone while it’s charging, as it forces the battery to work harder, generating heat that slows down charging and can degrade battery health.
2. Check Your Charging Cable and Adapter
A damaged charging cable or an underpowered charger can often slow down charging. Therefore, you should check the cable for signs of damage and try a different cable to see if that resolves the issue.
Similarly, check the charger’s wattage to make sure it’s powerful enough. The iPhone 16 Pro, for instance, needs at least 20W of power when plugged in via USB-C or 25W when charging wirelessly via MagSafe.
3. Turn Off Optimized Battery Charging
Time needed: 1 minute
Optimized Battery Charging in iOS is designed to extend the lifespan of your iPhone’s battery by limiting its exposure to full charges. It studies your usage patterns and slows down charging above 80 percent until the time you need to use your iPhone. So, you might want to turn off Optimized Battery Charging.
- Open the Settings app and go to Battery.
- Tap Charging. (Battery Health & Charging on older models).
- Then, turn off the toggle next to Optimized Battery Charging.
4. Check If your iPhone Is Overheating
iPhones offer a built-in fail-safe that automatically turns off charging whenever the temperature reaches a certain level to slow down battery degradation. If your iPhone is overheating, it may pause charging until it cools down to prevent battery damage.
In most cases, your iPhone may overheat if it’s exposed to direct sunlight or placed on a soft surface like a pillow when charging. Cheaper or faulty charging cables and power bricks can also lead to overheating.
5. Clean Your iPhone Charging Port
Many times, the charging port on your iPhone can end up collecting dust, lint, and other debris, causing it to charge slowly. If you want to make sure this isn’t the case, you must clean the charging port. To do this, simply wrap a toothpick’s tip with a microfiber cloth, insert it into the iPhone’s charging port, and wiggle it.
6. Turn Off Background App Refresh
Some apps on iPhone may consume more battery by updating content in the background, slowing down charging. You should turn off Background App Refresh and see if that helps improve the charging speed.
- Locate and open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Go to General and tap Background App Refresh.
- Tap Background App Refresh again and select Off.
7. Turn Off Clean Energy Charging
Clean Energy Charging charges your iPhone when your local power grid produces cleaner, low-carbon electricity. Although Clean Energy Charging can help reduce your carbon footprint, it slows down charging during peak hours in the evening. Hence, you must turn this feature off.
- Launch the Settings app on your iPhone and navigate to Battery.
- Tap Charging. (Battery Health & Charging on iPhone 14 or older).
- Now, toggle off Clean Energy Charging and then select Turn Off.
8. Update iOS to the Latest Version
Your iPhone may charge slowly due to power management glitches in iOS 18.3.1. To solve such issues, check for a software update, as Apple may release bug fixes in a newer version. If no update is available, you may need to wait for Apple to address the issue in a future release.
- Open the Settings app. Then, navigate to General.
- Tap Software Update and wait for the iPhone to check for updates.
- If a new iOS update is available, tap Update Now (or Install Now).
9. Check iPhone’s Battery Health
If you’ve tried everything but your iPhone is still charging slowly, its battery might be at the end of its lifecycle. In such cases, you should navigate to Settings > Battery > Battery Health (Battery Health & Charging on older devices) to check the maximum capacity. If your iPhone’s maximum capacity is below 80% you’ll need to contact Apple Support or visit a nearby Apple Store to get the battery replaced.