AirPods Gain Optimized Charging to Preserve Battery Health in iOS 14

[MacRumors]

Apple in iOS 14 added an Optimized Battery Charging feature for the AirPods, which is designed to preserve the battery of the AirPods to maximize longevity.

Image via Twitter​

The new AirPods charging feature lets the AirPods learn a person's daily charging routine, and will wait to finish charging past 80 percent until they're needed.

So, for example, if the AirPods are charged at night while you sleep, the optimization feature might charge them up to 80 percent right away, but wait until an hour or so before you wake up to charge the remaining 20 percent.

Apple uses a similar battery health optimization system for iPhones and Macs to extend the total battery life of the devices. Avoiding topping up a lithium ion battery continually while it sits on the charger reduces the amount of time that a device spends at maximum capacity, and over a long period of time, this better preserves the health of your battery.

Optimized Battery Charging was added to the iPhone in iOS 13 and a similar Battery Health Management feature was added to macOS in macOS Catalina 10.15.5.

Article Link: AirPods Gain Optimized Charging to Preserve Battery Health in iOS 14

 

[Sasparilla]

This is good to hear. I'd like a user setting to just toggle off charging at 80% automatically with a user override alert for all my Apple chargeable devices (till we get batteries that last the life the device) - make the machine think version another option.

 

[GubbyMan]

I enabled this on my iPhone last year and I've never seen it stop charging at 80%, not even before sleep. I want an option that gives me a choice to stop at 80% when I plug them in instead.

 

[jprmercado]

Would be great to see this feature enabled for the Powerbeats Pro too.

 

[Lucas284]

This learn system makes absolutely no sense. We should be able to decide when it stops charging at 80%, not AI.

 

[gsmornot]

I need a reminder to start charging. I charge (normally) when I realize I've run out the power. Every once in a while I will get lucky and just top them off but I need a better habit for my AirPods.

 

[VictorTango777]

So iPhone, Macbook, now AirPods have this feature. How about iPad and Watch?

 

[iAdamator]

How do we enable this/know that it's working?

 

[mnsportsgeek]

Glad our headphones that we charge once a week got this before our watch that we charge every day.

 

[GubbyMan]

Glad our headphones that we charge once a week got this before our watch that we charge every day.

I think this is for both AirPods and the case. The case actually retains it battery well but the AirPods themselves always charge to 100% when you put them back in the case. Probably the reason they last less than 2 years.

 

[edwrap]

I realize these “smart” features are probably better for the average user, but I wish Apple would put in a toggle somewhere to let me always just stop charging at 80%

 

[cmaier]

How do we enable this/know that it's working?

I'm seeing no sign of it. Perhaps it only happens if the phone itself is set for optimized charging.

 

[JPack]

So iPhone, Macbook, now AirPods have this feature. How about iPad and Watch?

iPad was the first to get the feature in iOS 11.3.

 

[Devnul0]

How many people use and charge their AirPods (or even their iPhone) on a consistent enough schedule for the AI to figure out how to charge them usefully? For that matter, is it the case, or the pods themselves?

 

[ToxicBlue]

Does this same rules applies to MacBooks? since I use my MacBook Pro as a desktop replacement I keep it plugged to the wall charger and of course, 100% charged, is this bad?.

 

[now i see it]

Yes

 

[macos68]

This is going to be interesting. I'd expect Airpods charging habits to be a mess to figure out. The airpods themselves get constantly dropped in / out of the case through my workday. So basically here we're saying: Apple is supposed to understand that after 6-7pm, I likely won't be on phone calls till tomorrow so it's ok to wait till tomorrow morning to top off 80%? Unless I call a friend. Good luck, Apple.

I turned on the battery optimization feature on my iPhone a year ago and saw it activate ONCE. I have NEVER, EVER used my phone between 2am and 6am during a weekday, and ALWAYS have it plugged in to charge, yet Apple hasn't figured that part out... I really am disappointed with their machine learning for a device that should be much easier to learn as far as charging habits go.

I'd side with the manual toggle as well. Let me just create a schedule myself in some advanced settings, so that users that care can make it work while you fine tune your ML with everyone else.

 

[now i see it]

A simple 80% max SOC slider is all that everyone wants for all their  products, though not sure how that would work for air pods

 

[StaceyMJ86]

I need a reminder to start charging. I charge (normally) when I realize I've run out the power. Every once in a while I will get lucky and just top them off but I need a better habit for my AirPods.

On my jailbroken XS Max, I have a tweak that reminds me when my AirPod case reaches 30% (can pick any %) so I can charge it, since I don’t charge my case everyday. It’s more like every 3 days or more.

 

[BaltimoreMediaBlog]

I'm slightly confused here. Does this mean that keeping my iPhone or Airpods fully charged or plugged in 24/7 is a bad thing when I'm home all day long and not taking them mobile?

 

[ghostface147]

Well my battery life on my 1st gen AirPods are shot anyways, so this wouldn't help me.

 

[dannyyankou]

This learn system makes absolutely no sense. We should be able to decide when it stops charging at 80%, not AI.

And thankfully you can, thanks to settings

 

[fredrik9]

I'm slightly confused here. Does this mean that keeping my iPhone or Airpods fully charged or plugged in 24/7 is a bad thing when I'm home all day long and not taking them mobile?

Yes, lithium batteries should be between 80-20% all the time if possible. Airpods however, I mean, I charge them all the time and several times a day so I doubt this would be very useful.
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And thankfully you can, thanks to settings

What do you mean? There’s no such setting.

 

[dannyyankou]

What do you mean? There’s no such setting.

Not now, but I’m sure it’ll be added through the beta process. You can disable it for iPhone, we’ll probably have to wait for an AirPods firmware update to turn off the setting.

 

[JosephAW]

I didn't know my AirPods case was that smart. As long as I get the 4 hr use per bud I don't care how they charge it. If it lasts longer I'm okay with that.