One of the main problems that we face when our smartphone has already been used for a while is that its battery begins to fail. But today we are not talking about not charging or that its autonomy is considerably reduced, but that the charge is unable to complete 100%.
First of all, it is appropriate to point out that the percentage indicators of current phones are not 100% true, never better. When you charge a phone 100 percent, you actually have less battery life than you think.
Hardware or software failure
However, as we like to see the round number, both Google and Apple explain very clearly in their instructions for use why this internal component does not reach a full charge level. When the battery does not reach 100% charge, it is usually due to it getting too hot, so we would be facing a hardware failure and not a software failure.
Therefore, to extend the life of the battery, if it gets too hot, the software can limit the charge above 80 percent . In these cases, the normal thing is that, when the temperature drops, the load returns to a normal level.
And not only this, but the culprit could not only be the terminal, but it could also be the fault of the cable or charger that we have for our smartphone. In order to discard the different possibilities between hardware and software, it will be time to see if it can be solved with any of the tips that we will explain in detail in the next section.
Fix the problem
Today’s lithium-ion batteries are prone to overheating, which can potentially set off a dangerous chain reaction. These components slowly wear out with each full charge after approximately 300-500 power cycles. For this reason, this component does not usually last the same when the mobile is new than with two years of use.
When the mobile has a real ‘full charge ‘, the power indicator could show between 90 and 95 percent approximately and not exceeding this figure will extend the useful life of the battery.
If still Asia, you want to see 100% shining again in the corner of your screen, follow the following tips.
Clean the port
The first aspect that we must take into account is caused by a cable that does not want to fit well. Even if you are absolutely sure that the charging cable is in the correct position, take it out and reattach it making sure there are no gaps between your device and the cable.
Generally, dirt is one of the main problems that the connection is not made correctly and fixing it is by cleaning the connectors of the mobile or blowing or with a small pin that removes the dust that may be in the charging port. But, you must be careful not to completely spoil the charging port of your smartphone.
Check the cable
Sometimes the solution to your phone not fully charging problem is as easy as replacing the cables or, as we’ll see later, the charger. If you have already followed the steps before this one, it is very likely that the cable is the reason why the mobile does not work well.
An easy way to rule out cables is to try charging another device besides your Android with it while using another cable compatible with your phone to charge this component. If on the other device you encounter the same problem and with a different cable your smartphone charges well, it is clear that the cable is the culprit of your headaches.
Blame the charger?
When we suffer a problem with this component, we think that it is the fault of the component that we have housed inside the phone, but experience tells us that, in most cases, the fault is in the charger itself. Therefore, try to exchange them with others that work well on other devices and check if your mobile now reaches 100% power. In addition, it will be better to use an original charger, since we could fall into the trap of not being 100% compatible in terms of the voltage that our phone needs.
Calibrate the battery
Nowadays, calibrating the battery is not much use in current ones, but at least it is a way of trying to get the cell to reach its highest percentage.
If you want to do it, these are the steps to follow:
- Connect the mobile to the charger until it is fully charged and wait a few more minutes
- When it completes, unplug it and use it until the battery is completely discharged and the smartphone turns off.
- Leave the mobile without charge for 5-6 hours (you can take advantage of one night) so that any type of residual charge is eliminated.
- After waiting, fully charge the battery again and see if it reaches the maximum level.
Optimize it
Ultimately we can resort to tools such as the Battery Life Extender app , software that optimizes the battery charge level depending on the environment of use. Of course, this application does not extend the autonomy of the phone without simply boosting the charging process to an optimal level.
However, depending on the customization layer of your phone, you may find yourself with a native tool with which you can optimize this component of the mobile without having to download any type of third-party application from the app store. As, for example, is the case with Xiaomi with its Battery Optimization function.
Take a test
We already know that by default Android does not show the health of this component in the system configuration, as is the case with iPhones that do show the maximum capacity, in addition to notifying us if we should change it or not.
The problem is that not all smartphones with this system have the ability to access the hidden menu by typing the code * # * # 4636 # * # * in the Phone app to view information about this component.
Therefore, it will be necessary to resort to a third-party application, which we can download for free from the Google store which is called Accu Battery . In addition, it will give us each of the data we were looking for:
Restart the mobile
Believe it or not, restarting the mobile should be one of our first options. Basically, because it could be the fastest solution to put an end to this specific failure. On certain occasions, the phone itself, after spending so much time on, is ‘bugea’ in such a way that it will even be unable to recognize the charger.
So if it’s a software or compatibility issue with a program that has stopped loading for any reason, a simple reboot can easily fix this problem. Once this is done, we can turn on the phone again and see if the failure has been solved.
Check for an update
In other situations, it has been discovered that this failure came from the mobile device’s own operating system. So, once updated to a recent version, this bug has been corrected. Therefore, if it has been a long time since you have updated your smartphone, it is time to download and install the new version of your smartphone’s software. Well, it could be probable that, after the update, the terminal is loaded to 100%.
Reset it
The time has come when we will leave the Android and iPhone terminal as new, that is, we will make it return to its factory version to check whether or not it is a software failure. For this, we will have to access its settings and enter Settings> System> About phone / About phone. Then, we must access your Reset options> Factory data reset / Reset options (These steps could vary from the customization layer of your Android device). And, surely, it will ask us for the smartphone password to proceed with the reset.
In the case of Apple mobiles, we must go to Settings> General> Transfer or reset the iPhone> Reset> Reset settings> Enter your code. In this way, we can now restore the smartphone to its initial version.
It’s time to replace the battery
On our site, the truth is that we have already seen on some occasions how to change the battery in some models. Although, the procedure could vary depending on the brand. In addition, we will need some skill and a suitable tool kit to be able to disconnect the different internal components that are connected inside.
Also, keep in mind that we will need a pick and heat to lift the back cover and soften the adhered glue. In some cases, we must disconnect sensitive elements such as the screen or the fingerprint sensor, before reaching the battery. These reasons will surely make many do not dare to try it for fear of spoiling it, especially when the mobile is under warranty.
The good side is that this replacement component for our mobile is not difficult to find. We can buy one and try it ourselves.
Send the mobile to repair
If we have discarded the previous option, we can always buy the replacement ourselves and go to technical support to change it for us. However, the problem will be greater if the technician inspects it and the fault is with your motherboard. In these cases, the most appropriate thing is that you process the warranty of the phone. Although if not, you will have to repair it in a specialized service.