Why Is My iPhone Battery Draining While Charging?

As an iPhone owner, I was frustrated when I started noticing my battery draining while it was plugged in and charging. After doing some research and testing, I’m here to share what I discovered and some potential solutions to this issue. In this blog post, I’ll explain why my iPhone battery was draining while it was charging and the steps I took to fix it. Hopefully, this information will help other iPhone owners who are facing the same issue.

Usually, battery issues on the iPhone arise when you don’t go the extra mile to care for it. Though iPhone’s lithium-ion batteries were engineered to outlast older battery technology, they will still need replacement as they wear out.

Reason	Explanation	Solution
Using phone while charging	Applications or tasks interfere with charging process.	Leave the phone alone while charging.
Insufficient power source	Power brick may have insufficient wattage or outlet may be faulty.	Use a 20W power adapter or fast charger; try a different outlet.
Uncertified accessories	Non-MFi-certified accessories may cause inefficient charging.	Use only MFi-certified charging accessories.
Rogue apps	Apps running in the background may interfere with charging.	Disable or delete unnecessary apps.
Misreading battery	iPhone may show wrong battery percentage due to battery degradation.	Calibrate the phone to improve performance.
Battery needs calibration	iPhone can’t read battery percentage, even with good battery capacity.	Calibrate the phone’s battery.
Optimized charging enabled	Feature may cause battery to drain while charging in some cases.	Disable optimized charging to see if the issue is resolved.
Update issues	Outdated iOS may cause inefficient battery performance.	Update your iOS and allow the system to adjust.
Battery replacement needed	Worn-out batteries may cause unpredictable iPhone behavior.	Check battery health and replace if necessary.

Table of Contents

Why Is My iPhone Battery Draining While Charging?

Here are possible reasons why the battery drains when charging, as well as tips on what to do if you encounter them:

Using the Phone While It’s Charging

When you charge an iPhone, it doesn’t mean you simply plug it in and continue using the applications.

Though the iPhone was designed to handle situations like this, playing, streaming, or browsing while plugged in can interfere with how the battery charges. Besides, this can cause your device to heat up and result in a decline in battery performance.

When you charge your iPhone, leave it alone so it can store power without redirecting it to other applications or tasks.

Insufficient Power Source

Another possible reason your iPhone drains while charging is that the power source is insufficient.

You may want to check the power brick you’re using if it has the correct wattage. Older models may have a lower power capacity so make sure that it’s a 20W power adapter or a fast charger.

And if the issue remains the same, the outlet you’re using might have faulty wiring or problems with the switchboard.

Try plugging the charger into a different wall outlet and see if it resolves the problem.

Uncertified Charging Accessories

Some iPhone users use any kind of power brick to charge their devices. You should avoid this so that the battery can charge itself efficiently.

Apple includes official cables and chargers or certifies products that can be used with their device to make sure you use MFi-certified accessories that work well with your iPhone.

Running Rogue Apps

Your iPhone’s battery won’t charge efficiently while applications continue to run in the background.

These rogue apps may function continuously because of overlooked settings or coding that does not work well with iOS.

The solution would be to identify the unnecessary apps and disable or delete them.

Your iPhone Misreads Its Battery

There will be instances when your iPhone shows the wrong battery percentage.

This happens when lithium-ion batteries degrade and lose their capacity over time. How frequently the batteries are charged and discharged will gradually deteriorate them.

It is also possible that your iPhone’s battery needs calibration.

A quick fix is to calibrate your phone to improve its performance.

The Battery Needs Calibration

There are instances when your iPhone can’t read the battery percentage or even prevent it from functioning correctly.

Contrary to the previous issue, this may happen even if your mobile device’s battery still has a good capacity.

As with the previous problem, your iPhone’s battery needs to be calibrated.

So, in the same way as the previous issue, you can resolve this by following the steps to calibrate your iPhone’s battery.

Optimized Charging Enabled

Optimized charging is an iPhone feature developed to avoid overcharging the battery. It works by regulating overnight charging. When the iPhone reaches 80%, it minimizes the rate it charges until the morning.

Optimized charging can help prolong battery life but may sometimes be unstable.

Switching off this feature may mean that your battery will deteriorate faster. However, you may find out if it’s the culprit causing your battery to drain while charging.

Update Issues

Updating your iOS is necessary and can affect your battery’s efficiency. When the iPhone’s operating system is not up to date, functions and apps will not be improved and cause your mobile phone to lose battery power.

Updates reorganize and rebuild your iPhone’s indexes to reduce the use of battery power.

Though it won’t show improvements initially, allow the system to adjust and give it a few days to get things going.

Battery Replacement Needed

Every mobile phone user knows that lithium-ion batteries will need replacement eventually.

When this happens, your iPhone may function unpredictably. From shutting down unexpectedly to suddenly losing a significant percentage of power.

So, check your battery’s health to determine if you need to replace it.

The Overall Issue

The iPhone’s battery can barely get you through the day if you rely on all its functionalities. It prompts you to charge as frequently as necessary.

In doing so, iPhone users go through their battery’s charge cycle faster, which wears it out.

Worn-out batteries begin to show charging issues resulting in a decrease in your iPhone’s performance.

Ultimately, we need to be mindful of how we use our favorite mobile device to ensure its battery lasts as long as possible.