The hidden number in your iphone that reveals exactly when you should upgrade

If you’ve noticed your iPhone performance is starting to falter, there is a quick way to tell how your phone is faring.

A little-known feature in the iPhone settings reveals a hidden number measuring its Health.

The battery life of your iPhone usually lasts about two years, or 500 charges, according to Apple.

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After that, a chemical ageing within battery means you will need to charge your phone more often and, eventually you’ll be lucky to get through the day without charging it multiple times.

To check how quickly your battery capacity is diminishing, go to Settings > Battery > Battery Heath.

That magic number is in the “Maximum Capacity” tab - here you’ll see the percentage your iPhone battery currently sits at, this is “a measure of battery capacity relative to when it was new”.

It is important to keep an eye on this number during Apple’s one-year-warranty period because if a battery is only retaining 80 per cent of its original capacity within that time, your battery is likely defective and a replacement will be covered under Apple warranty.

Otherwise, the battery service comes at a cost - about $160 for iPhone 14 users, and $109 for older models.

There is also a way to track your battery usage, and see which applications are draining the most life from your battery if you wish to conserve it. For this, go to Settings > Battery.

Tips to conserving battery

• Dim phone brightness
• Turn off Location Services for apps unnecessarily using your location in the background, in Settings > Privacy > Location Services.
• Turn off push notifications for apps that regularly wake your phone display in Settings > Notifications. Tap the app and set Allow Notifications to Off.
• Disable the setting which refreshes apps in the background in Settings > General > Background App Refresh. Here, select “Wi‑Fi”, “Wi‑Fi & Mobile Data” or “Off” to turn off Background App Refresh entirely.
• Enable Low Power Mode in Settings > Battery.
• Switch your phone to Aeroplane mode when not in use. Note that you cannot make or receive calls while in Aeroplane mode.

Debunking the battery charge myth

It is actually a myth that it’s best to fully deplete your phone charge before charging it back to a full 100 per cent, to preserve handset battery Health.

Because iPhones have lithium-ion batteries, extreme depths of discharge and extremely high levels of charge both stress out the batteries, according to phone accessory company Charby.

“Topping up frequently extends battery life for lithium batteries.”

Apple agrees with this advice and gives a Low Battery prompt at the 20 per cent mark.

“Charge your Apple lithium-ion battery whenever you want. There’s no need to let it discharge 100 per cent before recharging,” Apple said.