Battery and charging
Thermally limited charging
Most people call this why charging slows down when the phone is warm.
When your iPhone gets warm it deliberately slows or pauses charging to protect the battery, and it may tell you charging is on hold.
This setting is present on your iPhone.
- We have this path on file but have not yet confirmed it against an official source.
Where to find it - iOS 13 and later
- Settings
- Battery
There is no switch for this. The Battery screen is where charging status is reported.
What it does
Heat is the fastest way to age a lithium battery, so the phone watches its own temperature and reduces the charging rate as it rises. Above a threshold it can stop charging above 80 percent until it cools.
This is protective behaviour, not a fault.
What changes
When it is on
Charging slows or pauses while the phone is hot, then resumes.
When it is off
Not applicable.
Should you turn it on?
Battery
Helps
Privacy
No real change
Performance
No real change
Cellular data
No real change
Storage
No real change
Out of the box: Always active. There is no setting.
Questions people actually ask
- Why does my iPhone say charging on hold?
- It is too warm. Move it somewhere cooler and remove the case, and charging resumes on its own.
- Why is my iPhone charging so slowly?
- Heat is the usual answer, followed by a low power charger or a worn cable.
If it is not working
- Take the case off while fast charging or while using navigation on a car mount.
- Do not charge under a pillow, in direct sun, or in a hot car.
- Restoring a backup or reindexing photos after setup generates heat, so a brand new phone often charges slowly for a day.