How to check iPad battery health
Assess your iPad’s lifespan accurately
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Learning how to check iPad battery health will help you gauge where your device sits in its lifecycle.
The iPad’s rechargeable battery is vital for its usability. But over time, the battery will degrade as it undergoes charge and discharge cycles, and it won’t last as long as it did initially. By monitoring your iPad’s battery health, you can decide whether to replace the battery or adjust your usage patterns to extend its life.
Although iPadOS 17 doesn’t have a Battery Health indicator in its Settings like iOS, we’ll explore a workaround in this guide. And if you’re considering upgrading to a new iPad, we’ve rounded up thebest iPadsfor every use case.
Tools and requirements
Steps for how to check iPad battery health
Step by step guide to check iPad battery health
The steps below are demonstrated on an iPad Air (4th generation) running iPadOS 17.3.1.
1. Open Settings > Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements
Launch Settingson your iPad,scroll downtotap Privacy & Security, and thenselect Analytics & Improvements.
2. Share iPad Analytics and select Analytics Data
Toggle onShare iPad Analytics. If it was already enabled, thentap Analytics Databelow it.
If it wasn’t enabled and you just toggled it on, you may need to wait 24 to 48 hours for the data collection and thenreturntoAnalytics Data.
3. Select an Analytics file and copy the final text block
In theAnalytics Data,selecta file from the top that’s in the formatAnalytics-year-month-day-time.ips.ca.synced.
Scroll downto the bottom andselect and copythe final block of text.
4. Paste and find the MaximumCapacityPercent
Pastethe copied text in theNotes app. Then,taptheNote Actions button(three horizontal dots) at the top-right corner andselect Find in Note.
Type MaximumCapacityPercentin thesearch bar. The number you find against the result indicates the estimated max battery capacity at present. In our case, it’s 87%.
However, this is an estimate and may not be the exact figure. Follow the step below to get a more accurate value.
5. Find and divide the NominalChargeCapacity and MaximumFCC
Once again,taptheNote Actions button(three horizontal dots) andselect Find in Note.
Type NominalChargeCapacityin thesearch barandcopythe number beside the result. Next,typeMaximumFCCin thesearch barandcopythe value next to the result.DividetheNominalChargeCapacity valueby theMaximumFCC numberandmultiply by 100.
In our case, it’s 6632/7791 x 100, which is 85.12% (the exact max battery capacity at present).
Although this is more accurate information about your battery health, Apple calculates your battery health using therated capacityand not the MaximumFCC (your product’s original maximum capacity).
The rated capacity (available online) is a standard value Apple sets for a specific model’s batteries. However, slight differences during manufacturing mean that your product’s MaximumFCC could be higher or lower than the official rated capacity. To find the battery health using the rated capacity,dividetheNominalChargeCapacitynumberby therated capacity.
Final thoughts
Although finding your iPad’s battery health is somewhat roundabout, it’s essential for assessing the device’s performance and longevity.Applerecommends battery replacements if the battery health dips below 80%.
And remember that good charging habits, like not leaving your iPad plugged in all the time or letting it discharge completely, can extend your battery’s lifespan. For more iPad tips, readhow to use a mouse on your iPad,how to screenshot on iPad, andhow to set parental controls on iPad.
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Nikshep Myle is a freelance writer covering tech, health, and wellbeing. He has written for popular tech blogs like Tom’s Guide, GadgetReview, SlashGear, and Creative Bloq, and has extensively reviewed consumer gadgets. When he’s not writing, you’ll find him meditating, gaming, discovering new music, and indulging in adventurous and creative pursuits.
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