What Is Adaptive Charging: Meaning, How To Use & Benefits

What Is Adaptive Charging
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An Android or iOS device with poor battery life is useless. The biggest batteries will still need to be charged overnight, though. Furthermore, battery quality declines with use. To address these issues, “Adaptive Charging” was implemented. In this article, we will discuss how to turn on and off adaptive charging on the iPhone, Samsung, and Pixel 7.

Why Battery Life Gets Worse Over Time

You may have found that frequent phone use reduces battery life. A battery’s “health” is to blame for this. A battery’s capacity decreases with use and age, reducing its charge retention time.

Furthermore, a battery that is brand new will have a health score of close to 100%. That’s the same as using all of the juice in your battery. The continual cycle of charging and draining is what eventually destroys a battery. You can’t avoid it.

The optimal state of charge for a phone’s battery is between 20 and 80 percent, although this isn’t always possible. If you charge your phone overnight, it will be fully charged when you get up in the morning. For several hours while you slept, the battery cycled between 99 and 100%.

Smartphone batteries are often built to keep up to 80% of their original capacity after being subjected to 500 full charge cycles. This ranges from nearly 0% to 100%. That should be sufficient for your needs, but keep in mind that repeated charging reduces battery life. In addition, that’s where the concept of adaptive charging comes in.

What Is Adaptive Charging?

Adaptive charging is a function found on all modern smartphones (both iOS and Android) that monitors battery life and keeps it as close to 100% as possible for as long as feasible.

This feature, which is activated by connecting the phone to a charger, modifies the current flow to the phone proportionally to its current power use. This prevents your phone from overcharging, which might shorten the life of its battery. If you’re not sure whether or not your Samsung or iPhone supports adaptive charging, you can consult this compiled set of user guides.

However, adaptive charging has a number of advantages, one of which is that it extends the life of your device’s battery. You can be confident that your phone is receiving the optimal amount of power and that you are not risking any harm to your battery by using this function. Additionally, it can aid in enhancing your device’s charging efficiency, allowing you to charge your phone more rapidly, but just when you really need it charged quickly.

Why Is Adaptive Charging Important?

Adaptive charging is a crucial feature of modern smartphones since it extends the battery’s time at full capacity, which in turn ensures a consistent amount of battery life over the course of months or even years of use. 

The battery within your phone will eventually wear down from being repeatedly discharged and recharged, regardless of whether you have an expensive model or a more modestly priced one. Some of its power will be diminished as a result. A smartphone’s battery is typically expected to keep up to 80% of its capacity after 500 full charge cycles, though some manufacturers, like OnePlus, have increased this to 800 cycles or more with proprietary charging technology. 

Although that may not seem like a big deal at first, the issue arises when the battery is fully charged while you’re asleep. If you charge your phone every day, it should last for at least a year and a half before you notice any troubles. 

As the phone charges while you rest, it will automatically return to battery power. After a while, the battery will drain to 99%, at which point the charger will restore full power. Small 1% increases each night can quickly mount up and eat away at the 500-cycle limit if this cycle is performed several times every night.

That’s why adaptive charging is so important; it cuts down on the last 1% of cycles to significantly lengthen the life of the battery. It’s a straightforward answer to a tricky problem.

How Can I Improve My Battery Health?

Battery life is directly proportional to the usefulness of a mobile phone; without one, the device is essentially useless. While most of us take extra care to safeguard our phones by placing them in protective cases, we don’t appear to be as diligent about extending the life of our phones’ batteries.

The lithium-ion battery has become the standard power source for smartphones, tablets, and computers. Although lithium-ion has several benefits (a smaller battery size, for example, results in a lighter and more streamlined phone design), it still degrades with time.

Anyone who has used a mobile phone for a while has surely noticed that the battery only lasts for a day or less after being fully charged, even though they charge it every night. The capacity of the lithium-ion battery in your phone decreases with each charge and discharge cycle. Here are some simple guidelines on how to improve your battery health:

#1. Prevent Your Battery From Ever Reaching either 0% Or 100%

Some of you may believe that charging and discharging your battery to 100% and then draining it completely is the best method to maintain its health. You may have heard that adjusting the battery’s voltage will improve its performance.

This is a relic of the past, as modern lithium-ion batteries do not function in this fashion. Calibration of the battery memory is unnecessary. The opposite is true; a full discharge of a lithium-ion battery, as opposed to a partial discharge of 60%, can reduce its useful life span by as much as 50%.

Partial charging is preferable to complete charging or draining because that’s when lithium-ion batteries experience the most stress. It is recommended that you charge your battery to around 80% and never let it drop below 30%. If that’s not possible, shoot for as close to 90% as you can get, and start topping off your battery well before it reaches 20%. Also, read 7 WAYS TO CHARGE IPHONE WITHOUT CHARGER.

#2. Don’t Overcharge Your Battery

While it may be convenient to charge your phone while you sleep, doing so actually decreases the battery’s useful life. The stress on your battery from the increased voltage and the resulting heat add up over time when you consistently keep it at a full charge.

While it’s unlikely that a mobile phone battery would ever get hot enough to be harmful to the user, long-term exposure to high temperatures is one of the quickest ways to reduce its useful life.

If you must leave your phone charging overnight, do it in a cool or well-ventilated location to allow the built-up heat to escape. Like, definitely not under your bed.

#3. Charge Slowly if You Can

Fast charging solutions are widely acknowledged as a significant time saver. In order to extend the life of your battery, you should generally only use them in dire situations. This is especially true if you have an older model of phone.

However, a slower charging rate is better for your battery. Therefore, it may be beneficial to charge your phone using your PC or laptop.

#4. Turn Off WiFi and Bluetooth While Not in Use

You should also think about ways to extend the time between charges for your battery. A phone’s battery life extends and degradation is slowed by limiting the number of times it is charged.

Leaving your phone’s Wi-Fi or Bluetooth on when you’re not using them can significantly reduce the battery life of your smartphone because they constantly utilize power while scanning for available networks and devices.

#5. Don’t Just Close Apps — Manage Them

You might be thinking at this point that you need to minimize the number of apps you have open on your phone in order to prolong its battery life. Stop right there!

Forcing the termination of background apps on your phone, often known as closing apps, has no effect on battery life. In reality, it often makes matters far worse.

Algorithms are built into both iOS and Android to regulate the amount of resources that background programs consume. You can break this clever technique if you force programs to close. Furthermore, returning to an app that is currently operating in the background uses less power than opening a closed program.

What Kills iPhone Battery Health?

If you’re an iPhone user, you probably look around the moment you enter a room for an available outlet in the desperate hope that you can charge your device before it dies… again.

However, you should think about adopting preventative measures to extend battery life before you find yourself stranded without a wire, an open outlet, or a portable charger.

The battery life of your iPhone could be rapidly decreasing due to the following causes:

#1. Connecting Your iPhone to an Inactive PC

If you can’t find your charging block, it might seem like a good idea to use a computer’s USB port instead. However, complications may arise if your device is linked to a computer that is not actively being used. 

Keep your computer on while charging to prevent the battery from draining when it is not in use.

#2. Exposing Your Phone to Extremely High Temperatures

Burning up: Don’t let your iPhone become hotter than 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Apple advises that prolonged exposure to extreme heat might permanently reduce the lifespan of a smartphone’s battery, resulting in shorter run times between charges.

Too cold: Your battery’s capacity to hold a charge may decrease if it is exposed to cold temperatures. However, once your phone warms up, the temperature will return to normal.

#3. Choosing Not to Activate “Low Power Mode”

You’ll be glad you activated “Low Power Mode” when your phone’s battery life drops to the “red zone” of 20 percent or less. By temporarily lowering the screen’s brightness and turning off power-hungry functions like iCloud sync and AirDrop, this setting can help you conserve battery life as your device nears zero.

#4. You Have Notifications Turned On for Everything

When you get a notice on your phone, the screen lights up, and you can’t help but want to swipe right to see what it is. Turn on alerts just for apps you actually use. You’ll be able to resist temptation in that way.

What Is Adaptive Charging for Pixel 7?

The Adaptive Charging function found on Pixel 7 devices regulates charging times to extend the life of the battery. The lithium-ion batteries within the Pixel 7 are 4,355 mAh, while the 7 Pro’s are 5,000 mAh. However, the capacity to store a charge declines with frequent use due to chemical aging, as is the case with any battery. It’s only natural for a smartphone battery to lose some of its initial juice after heavy use. Charging the Pixel 7 or any Android phone overnight is one of those things that can speed up the chemical aging process.

Google says that “Adaptive Charging helps preserve battery health over time by dynamically controlling how quickly a Pixel device charges.” If a user leaves their phone plugged in overnight, the charging process will cease once the battery is fully charged. 

The Pixel 7 will then begin to use its battery power, but will immediately switch to charging when it reaches 1% battery life remaining. This repeated trickle charging over a seven- or eight-hour period can reduce the battery’s ability to hold a charge and shorten its lifespan.

How to Turn Off Adaptive Charging on the Pixel 7

If customers regularly wake up ahead of their alarm and their phone isn’t fully charged, Adaptive Charging may not be the best option. With Google, turning off the feature is a breeze. To do this, access the Settings menu on your Pixel 7 and select ‘Battery.’ Select “Adaptive preferences” and disable “Adaptive charging” there.

In addition, Google is improving the usability of Adaptive Charging by alerting users when the feature is activated and providing an estimated time of completion. If a user wants to temporarily turn off Adaptive Charging, they can do so by selecting the “Turn off once” option. This guarantees that the function will always be active on the Pixel 7, while offering users more control over when they want it to be disabled. Also, read PIXEL VS IPHONE: Which Is Better?

How to Turn On Adaptive Charging

There is a finite life expectancy for the battery based on the existing battery technology in our cell phones. For those unfamiliar, one charging cycle is when a phone goes from 0% to 100%, and as we’ve already mentioned, the batteries in our smartphones, tablets, laptops, and wearables only last for a certain number of charges.

At some point, when these cycles have accumulated, your phone’s battery may no longer be able to maintain a charge as well as it did when it was first purchased; this means that even though the battery percentage on your phone displays 100%, it may only be at 80% in reality.

Companies like Google have released smarter battery charging software to address this issue and prevent your device from staying charged for too long. This feature, known as Adaptive Charging, may be turned on and off on Pixel, Samsung, and iPhone devices.

  • Open your gadget’s configuration menu.
  • Toggle Battery
  • Use the Adaptive Settings Menu
  • To turn on or off Adaptive Charging, simply tap the switch.

Although Adaptive Charging was designed to help save your phone’s battery life, we realize that some of you may wish to turn it off.

For those unfamiliar with Adaptive Charging, the feature prevents the phone’s battery from fully charging while you sleep, keeping it at 80% until it detects that you are about to wake up (based on the alarms you have set).

The idea is that by doing this, your phone’s battery won’t keep jumping between 99% and 100% until you disconnect it. However, if you’re the type of person who works or keeps strange hours, you may find that disabling Adaptive Charging is to your advantage.

Advantages of Adaptive Charging

Adaptive charging, also known as smart charging or dynamic charging, offers several advantages, including:

#1. Energy Efficiency

Adaptive charging technology’s primary benefit is its superior energy efficiency. It does this by intelligently controlling the charging process, which results in less wasted energy overall and hence less of an impact on the environment. Adaptive charging regulates the voltage and current to the most efficient levels for your device, protecting it from damage and prolonging the life of the charger. In addition to lowering your electricity price, this also lessens the amount of carbon dioxide released during the power-producing process.

Further preserving resources and decreasing technological waste, adaptive charging extends battery life, thereby decreasing the frequency with which devices must be replaced. Adaptive charging is essential for reducing our carbon footprint and energy consumption in today’s environmentally conscious world.

#2. It Improves the Charging Experience

Adaptive charging on your device like Samsung or iPhone also delivers a far better charging experience, which is a major advantage. This technology improves upon previous methods of charging, making for a more streamlined and trustworthy experience overall. It automatically adjusts the charging current and voltage to ensure that your device is being charged quickly and safely. Switching between quick charging for emergencies and slower, gentler charging when the gadget can take it prevents overheating and overcharging.

The end result is a reliable device that won’t drain the battery or put you at risk. Adaptive charging solves the problem of sluggish charging and battery problems, making life easier for users in today’s high-tech society.

#3. It Improves Battery Health

Adaptive charging’s primary benefit is that it prolongs battery life. This technology adjusts charging parameters in response to environmental conditions like temperature, consumption, and previous charging sessions. By controlling these factors, it reduces the load on the battery and prolongs its life. As a result, the battery lasts longer before it needs to be replaced, saving money. 

Overcharging and overheating, both of which hasten battery deterioration, are prevented with adaptive charging. It keeps your battery in top shape for the long haul, which helps the environment by decreasing electronic waste. Adaptive charging helps protect your Samsung, iPhone devices and the environment at the same time.

#4. Safety 

One of the most significant benefits of adaptive charging technology is that it is safer. This smart charging device keeps a close eye on and controls the charging procedure to eliminate any risks. It protects the battery from overcharging and the gadget from overheating, which can cause fires and other accidents. With adaptive charging, your smartphone( Samsung, iPhones, and Pixel 7) will always charge at the optimum voltage and current levels, protecting its battery and other internal components from overheating and damage. 

Overloading and voltage spikes are avoided thanks to this technology, which is useful whether you’re charging via cable or wirelessly. Adaptive charging ensures that your devices are charged in a way that minimizes risks and protects your data.

#5. User Convenience

Adaptive charging offers many benefits, one of which is user convenience. This technology improves the standard of charging by adjusting to your own requirements and preferences. You may charge your smartphone on a trip or in the middle of a busy morning because it adjusts to your schedule.

As an added bonus, adaptive charging ensures the health and safety of your battery without requiring you to continually check its status. This hands-free method streamlines your daily routine and frees you from distractions like checking the battery life of your gadget. In the end, adaptive charging improves the user experience by streamlining and enhancing it.

Should I Keep Adaptive Charging On?

Yes. Although one may feel eager to deactivate adaptive charging on their smartphone with the intention of maximizing charging speed, it may not be the most advisable course of action. This is particularly relevant if one intends to utilize their smartphone for an extended period of time.

Is an Adaptive Battery Good for a Battery?

Some Android devices include an advantageous feature for battery life called adaptive battery. It analyzes how you use your apps with machine learning and limits background processes for the ones you don’t use often. It can greatly lengthen the time between charges by giving priority to the most important apps. 

However, its effectiveness may be subject to individual taste and the gadget’s configuration. Other elements like the screen’s brightness, the device’s network connection, and the app’s settings can also have an impact on battery life. Thus, you can enhance your device’s battery life by employing an adaptive battery and tweaking various parameters.

What Are the Disadvantages of Adaptive Charging?

Adaptive charging has the potential to enhance the lithium-ion battery charging process, but it also comes with a few drawbacks.

#1. Battery Degradation

The degrading of batteries is a major drawback of adaptive charging. This technology seeks to extend the life of batteries by reducing charging rates under specific circumstances, but it cannot eliminate the inevitable degeneration that occurs to all lithium-ion batteries over time. Environment, charging cycles, and general usage behaviors can still reduce battery life, even with adaptive charging. 

Therefore, the battery will lose its charge and performance over time and will need to be replaced. While adaptive charging can assist in prolonging battery life, it is not a permanent answer to lithium-ion batteries’ natural decline in performance over time.

#2. Compatibility Issues

One major drawback of adaptive charging is the potential for incompatibility. In order to maximize charging efficiency, this technology makes use of specialized algorithms and two-way communication between the device and the charger. There could be fewer charging speeds or even charging problems if your charger or cable isn’t fully compatible with the adaptive charging method.

Users may need to purchase additional appropriate accessories, and if they use a charger not manufactured by the manufacturer, they may not reap the full benefits of adaptive charging. Some users may find it annoying that the technology isn’t compatible with everything, which reduces its usefulness.

#3. Slower Charging

Although adaptive charging’s slower charging rate is meant to protect the battery, it is nevertheless noticeable. As the battery’s temperature and usage patterns change, so will the charging rate, thanks to this technology. This can extend the life of a battery, but it can also make charging go more slowly, especially during low-demand times or while the battery is sleeping. 

This slower charging pace can be inconvenient for customers who rely on frequent top-offs to keep their gadgets operational throughout the day. Some people might find it acceptable to sacrifice convenience in favor of longer battery life, while those who value speedy charging might find this unacceptable.

Can I Use My Phone While Charging?

Yes, in most cases, using your phone while it’s charging is safe. However, to avoid overheating or damaging your device, it is critical to utilize a high-quality charger and cord. Don’t risk your safety by using a broken or low-quality charging accessory. Using your phone heavily while it’s charging can also affect how quickly it recharges. Keep your phone’s battery from getting too low before charging it to prolong its life.

Bottom Line

While we’ve focused on adaptive charging here, you may know this technology by a different name depending on the smartphone brand you use. 

Although Adaptive Charging is the name Google has given to this feature on its Pixel smartphones, OnePlus phones call it Optimized Charging, and Samsung phones call it Adaptive Battery. Apple’s iPhones also use a similar technology, called Optimized Charging. 

While the name may change, the underlying technology remains the same across all brands that implement it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does adaptive charging work with wireless charging?

Yes, it works on a wireless charger.

Does adaptive charging charge faster?

By turning on the function, you can avoid overnight trickle charging when the battery is at 100%. Instead, it charges normally up to 80% and then slows down. The Adaptive Charging function essentially divides the charging procedure into an initial phase and an ongoing phase.

Does adaptive charging drain battery?

No, it is not necessary to cycle the battery from full to empty and back to full in order to educate the phone on its capacity. Adaptive Charging can be used to charge your phone to 100% in the last hour before you unplug it when you leave it plugged in for an extended period of time (such as overnight). Your battery will last longer thanks to Adaptive Charging.

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