We use our smartphones for everything – to stay in touch with family and friends, complete our work, order products, and entertain ourselves.
With all that we use our phones for, it never seems as if there’s enough battery life.
Fortunately, technology continues to improve, and in 2015, Apple launched the Smart Battery Case.
To stop a Smart Case from charging, remove it from your phone or deplete the case’s battery life. There’s no function to shut down the Apple Smart Battery Case; the phone will stop charging when it’s at capacity. Leaving the case on when the device is fully charged won’t harm the phone nor the battery.
The Apple Smart Battery Case provides protection and extends the battery life by up to 50%.
However, some people are afraid to use them for fear of damaging their phone or battery, but knowing the ins and outs of a Smart Case is the key to enjoying your iPhone accessory safely.
In this article, you’ll learn:
- How to stop a Smart Case from charging your phone
- The advantages and disadvantages of Smart Cases
- Whether a Smart Case can harm your phone
- Tips for keeping your phone safe
- How to charge your Smart Case
Know What the Lightning Indicator Means
When you plug an iPhone into a traditional charger, the lightning indicator shows up.
Many iPhone users believe that this lightning bolt symbol indicates that the phone is charging.
While the phone most likely is charging when it’s plugged in, the indicator really only means that the phone is connected to a power source.
Once the phone reaches capacity, the lightning bolt indicator remains.
Not to worry!
That doesn’t mean that your phone is still charging.
iPhones regulate their own charging cycles. Once the battery’s charge has reached 100%, the internal battery stops charging, even if the lightning bolt indicator is still on.
If you want the lightning bolt indicator to disappear and completely prevent the Smart Case from charging the phone, there are two things you can do.
We’ll discuss these options in the next two sections.
Remove the Smart Case From the Phone
Apple Smart Battery Cases don’t have an on-off switch that allows you to stop the case from charging the phone while it’s on the device.
To prevent the device from charging your phone, you’ll have to take it off your iPhone completely.
Fortunately, Apple used a soft elastomer hinge design to make it easy to take the case off.
Allow the Smart Case Battery Run Down
Don’t want to take the case off but still want it to stop charging your iPhone?
Well, you don’t have to!
Once the battery of the Smart Case drains, it’ll stop charging the phone, and the phone will switch back to the internal battery power.
At this point, the Smart Case is no longer acting as a charger but only a protective phone case.
When the Smart Case is at 0 percent, the lightning bolt indicator will disappear, as the phone is no longer connected to a power source.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Smart Cases
Smart Cases have advantages and disadvantages, which we’ll discuss in more detail below:
Advantages of Smart Cases
- Extends battery life – The most obvious advantage of a Smart Case is that it extends battery life. This is ideal for those traveling long distances or for people who use their phones constantly throughout the day.
- Provides protection – Most of the Smart Battery Packs are lined with microfiber to protect the phone’s surface. The silicone exterior protects it from drops and bumps.
- Easier to handle – Some people believe that the extra hump on the back of the Smart Battery Case makes the phone easier to handle securely.
- Prioritizes charging the iPhone – When the iPhone and Smart Battery Case are on the same charging mat, it prioritizes charging the iPhone first.
Disadvantages of Smart Cases
- Incessant capacity notification – Once the phone reaches capacity, the phone will tell you that the phone has reached 100% charging power. This is more of a nuisance than anything.
- Rather bulky – iPhone is known for its minimalist design, but that’s lost on the Smart Battery Case. Both the size and the rubbery feel of the silicone make it difficult to slide into a back pocket.
- Faulty integration – The iOS sometimes behaves as if the phone is connected to a wall charger. It may run battery-draining background apps.
- Creates more heat – Because the Smart Case is both a case and a charger in one, it can hold in more heat than a standard case.
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Will a Smart Case “Overcharge” My Phone?
With a battery charger essentially attached to your device all day, you might be concerned about overcharging.
No worries.
Newer batteries, such as the lithium-ions used today, have better-charging circuits and will generally protect the device from overcharging, even if you can’t “turn off” the case.
However, science says that charging your battery causes its performance to suffer over time.
When lithium-ion batteries charge, the ions move in opposite directions. Any time the ions move, it puts stress on the electrodes. Over time, this stress leads to the degradation of the battery.
Any rechargeable battery, from an AA battery to a phone battery, experiences this. It’s not exclusive to phone batteries.
With that said, overheating causes much more damage to a battery than frequent charging.
Fast charging adapters and charging pads can cause a smartphone to heat up more than it would on a normal charging cable and adapter.
Tips for Keeping Your Phone’s Battery Safe
If you’re still concerned about your Smart Battery Case, here are a few tips to keep your iPhone’s internal battery safe:
- Don’t use your phone in direct sunlight or extreme temperatures. If the temperature is extreme (90+ degrees Fahrenheit or 32+ degrees Celsius), remove the case and move the phone to a cooler area.
- Remove the Smart Case when playing intensive games or other draining apps. This will prevent the iPhone from getting too hot.
- Only use chargers and charging accessories from reputable companies that you trust. We recommend the YEFOOT iPhone Charger from Amazon.
- Charge the two devices separately. Use a cable and adapter setup plugged into a wall outlet.
- Keep the phone updated. Firmware updates may include technologies that conserve battery power.
- When storing your phone away, store it at only half-charge. If it’s stored when fully charged, it can lose some charging capacity. Alternatively, if you store it with a depleted battery, it may make it difficult to hold a charge later.
Check out: Why Are All My Smart Devices Offline? 3 Causes & Fixes
How To Charge Your Smart Case
Most Smart Cases are Qi-enabled, meaning that you can use inductive charging to charge them.
Inductive charging is wireless charging – it utilizes a charging pad and a compatible device.
To charge the Apple Smart Battery Case, place the Smart Case onto the charging pad.
Plug in the charging pad.
That’s it!
Your Smart Case should now be charging.
If you’re using a standard iPhone cable and adapter, just plug the connector into the case and then plug the adapter into the wall.
Once the case starts charging, there will be a yellow indicator light. When the light is green, the Smart Case finishes charging.
Remove the fully charged case from the charger and attach it to your phone to extend your battery life.
Conclusion
A phone case with a built-in backup battery is an invention that we never knew we needed until it was here.
With the amount of time we spend on our phones, any battery life extension is a major advantage.
Because these Smart Cases are fairly new, however, some people have some reservations about using them.
Fortunately, once you know how a Smart Case works and how to use it, you can safely and securely get the most out of your device.
Learn more: What is the difference between a smartphone and an Android?