Having Battery Problems? Heres how to fix it!!

[aalu91]

So ive been reading that a lot of people have been having problems with their battery taking too long to charge or that their battery drains when their new ipad is asleep...i had both problems

My battery took over 8 hours to charge from 20% to 100% and it drained around 3-5% overnight...i was about to return the ipad to get a new one but then i tried the method of comopletely draining the battery then charging...and it worked!

It now takes around 5 1/2 hours to charge my ipad from completely dead to 100% and when it is sleeping overnight, it stays at 100% the battery life is also much improved.

I highly suggest everyone try this...completely drain the battery and then charge it back to full and time it. It worked for me...maybe it can work for you!



NOTE: the only other variable was that i had been using another usb cable from an ipod touch instead of the new one that came in the ipad box...when i did this test i decided. To use the new ipad usb cable...idk if this makes anydifference at all but just wanted to throw that out htere as an option. Hope this helps!!!

 

[laurenr]

This worked for me too.

 

[dell who?]

To also help battery life while sleeping at night make sure to go into the multi-tasking section and quit all your apps. My iPhone would lose 3-5% overnight before I started doing this. Now it stays at 100% or wherever it left off for the 6-8 hours I'm sleeping.

 

[agaskew]

You didn't fix your battery. You recalibrated the battery meter in iOS.

 

[CNeufeld]

NOTE: the only other variable was that i had been using another usb cable from an ipod touch instead of the new one that came in the ipad box...when i did this test i decided. To use the new ipad usb cable...idk if this makes anydifference at all but just wanted to throw that out htere as an option. Hope this helps!!!

This is what I found worked for me, and I posted it in one of the other (numerous) threads. When using a generic 6' cable, my new IPad would only maintain its charge when I was web browsing while charging. Stayed at 84% for over an hour. Switched to the shorter factory provided cable, was doing the same kind of browsing, and it was charging at about 10% per hour. Others also confirmed this behavior, and someone else posted a thread about the current allowed with a short cable vs. long.

C

 

[aalu91]

You didn't fix your battery. You recalibrated the battery meter in iOS.

Well from what i heard the types of battery that they use now dont need rrecalibration or anything like that....but even if that is the case, the charging times have went down significantly so everyone having charging problems should do the same

----------

This is what I found worked for me, and I posted it in one of the other (numerous) threads. When using a generic 6' cable, my new IPad would only maintain its charge when I was web browsing while charging. Stayed at 84% for over an hour. Switched to the shorter factory provided cable, was doing the same kind of browsing, and it was charging at about 10% per hour. Others also confirmed this behavior, and someone else posted a thread about the current allowed with a short cable vs. long.

C

Thanks for this input that could be why the charging time decreased! But my battery perfomance is also doing much better so i think that may be because of the draining then charging full method

----------

This is what I found worked for me, and I posted it in one of the other (numerous) threads. When using a generic 6' cable, my new IPad would only maintain its charge when I was web browsing while charging. Stayed at 84% for over an hour. Switched to the shorter factory provided cable, was doing the same kind of browsing, and it was charging at about 10% per hour. Others also confirmed this behavior, and someone else posted a thread about the current allowed with a short cable vs. long.

C

Just checked both my usb cables...both were the same length so im not so sure the length was a factor...

 

[donnaw]

Well from what i heard the types of battery that they use now dont need rrecalibration or anything like that....but even if that is the case, the charging times have went down significantly so everyone having charging problems should do the same

----------



Thanks for this input that could be why the charging time decreased! But my battery perfomance is also doing much better so i think that may be because of the draining then charging full method

----------



Just checked both my usb cables...both were the same length so im not so sure the length was a factor...

The battery is not what you are 'recalibrating' but the meter. Even Apple suggests you do this once a month or so. I always do it when I first get any new device. After that I never have to intentionally do it. Just that at times I run it down to 10% or so and that recalibrates when I charge it.

 

[big samm]

I'm gonna kill this battery to 0% and charge it all the way up and see... At least I have my first gen iPad for backup

 

[ArztMac]

I highly suggest everyone try this...completely drain the battery and then charge it back to full and time it. It worked for me...maybe it can work for you!

Good advice.

Everyone should follow it for every iOS device as well as every Mac.

 

[Hammie]

This is what I found worked for me, and I posted it in one of the other (numerous) threads. When using a generic 6' cable, my new IPad would only maintain its charge when I was web browsing while charging. Stayed at 84% for over an hour. Switched to the shorter factory provided cable, was doing the same kind of browsing, and it was charging at about 10% per hour. Others also confirmed this behavior, and someone else posted a thread about the current allowed with a short cable vs. long.

C

This is not always the case. I have a 10' sync cable from Monoprice that I use. It is connected to my UPS in my server cabinet and runs to my desk. My iPad charges regardless if I am using it or just letting it sit there. I am sure is charges a bit quicker when sitting in sleep mode, but it still charges.

I have yet to get mine below 25% in a given day before going to bed. I stick it in my Apple charging base when I go to bed and it is fully charged when I wake up about 6-7 hours later. Been doing this every day with the new iPad since 16 March 2012 and every day since April 2010 with my iPad 1. The funny thing is that my iPad 1 seemed to be closer to 5-10% by the end of the day while the new iPad lasts longer. I know that it has a bigger battery, but figured with the added GPU load, it would last about the same to slightly worse. My brightness is always ranging from 25-30% to maybe 50% depending on the lighting situation.

Maybe Friday night, I'll let it get down to 0% and do a full recharge of it. Whether or not it is a recalibration or not, I used to do this with my iPad 1 every month or so. I don't seem to be having the same issues as others, but why not, right?

 

[andrewfee]

Good advice.

Everyone should follow it for every iOS device as well as every Mac.

I can't recommend this.

Any time I have ever done this with a device, it has always resulted in reduced battery capacity.

I had a MacBook Pro which went through three batteries:

• The first was mostly used at a desk plugged in, and had sparse battery use, but was drained about 60–70% when it did.
  
  As you might expect, battery life on this went downhill fairly quickly, and I needed to replace it sooner than expected.
  
• With the second battery, I made a conscious effort to use the device on the battery more frequently, and do a full discharge & charge cycle monthly. Each month, battery life would drop noticeably, and within a year, I needed another battery.
  
  
• With the third battery, I took a look at what my parents were doing with the MacBook I got them, because theirs was almost at the same capacity as the day it was new, despite being years old. They certainly weren't doing anything to try and protect the battery, it's just how they ended up using the device.
  
  They never used it plugged in, the charger was kept too far away from where the MacBook was used for that. It was used probably between 30–90 minutes at a time, 120 mins at the very most, and after each time it was used, it was plugged back in to charge. It was very rare for them to use it long enough to run the battery down, but if it ever got to the point where it warned of low battery life, they would close it, and plug it back in to charge. It was never fully drained, and that MacBook still holds a good charge today, even though it's at least five years old.
  
  We have another MacBook purchased at the same time which hasn't been used in this manner, and it's had the battery replaced once, and could probably do with another one soon. (at which point I think it will probably get replaced with an iPad)
  
  I'd say that probably at least 90% of the time, any time it was plugged back in to charge, their MacBook would be left to charge up to 100%.
  
  So I made a conscious effort to do that with my MacBook Pro: never use it plugged into the wall when the battery was charged, never let it fully discharge the battery, always top it up to 100% where possible.
  
  And it worked, that battery far outlasted the two before it, and still had a high capacity & good battery life when I sold it.

So I would just recommend that you ignore what the battery percentage says, or how long it takes to charge. The only time you need to calibrate a battery is when the device is actually turning itself off before it gets to 0%. The other MacBook mentioned above used to start turning off at "15%" without warning, for example.

If you intentionally run down the battery frequently, you will reduce the overall battery life of the device.

While it's far less likely to happen with an iPad than a MacBook at a desk, just avoid using it when it's plugged in and finished charging.

What matters most is keeping the battery active, and avoiding draining the battery large amounts if you can help it, so plug it in every night rather than leaving it for two or three days and letting it get low.

If you're draining the battery in a normal day of use, well there's nothing you can do about that, though I would try to top it up to 100% throughout the day if that's an option. But don't just use the device for a few minutes and plug it straight back in to charge. It's not good for a battery to be going through lots of short cycles either. You probably want it at least 20% drained before you charge it.

 

[WalledMacGarden]

Yeah, seems some new owners are worried to let the iPad shut itself off, but it's the first thing I do. It's not dangerous to let your ipad run down to 0

Should be a sticker on the plastic cover when you get your new iPad.

Use iPad until it shuts itself off, then charge overnight, do this about once a month.

Right from apple found at the bottom of page http://www.apple.com/batteries/ipad.html
For proper reporting of the battery’s state of charge, be sure to go through at least one charge cycle per month (charging the battery to 100% and then completely running it down).

 

[Le Buzz]

A couple of days ago I let my battery drain all the way to zero (until the iPad died). It believe it is charging a little faster now, though I haven't tested it empirically. Nevertheless, I would recommend that everyone try letting their battery go to zero and then charge it back up to 100%. Apple recommends that you do this once a month, so why not?

Also, the reason why you should be using the supplied charger and not the charger for your iPod touch or iPhone is that the charger for said devices is 5W, and the iPad's is 10W. Big difference.