Better to charge more often or to let your battery get really low before you charge?

[GoPackGo]

If there was a thread about this, I apologize. I'm on this site daily and check the active topics and didn't find it.

But I was wondering, since the battery life is based on charge cycles, if it is better to charge your iPad daily or to wait until the battery is pretty drained (>20%) before you plug it in? I told my mom, who has an iPhone, that it's probably better to drain it bc the battery is based on charge cycles, but my brother who is probably more tech savvy than me told her she should charge it at the end of the day regardless of her battery level.

I obviously want my iPad to last me as long as possible so I'm wondering if it makes a difference which approach you take to charging, and which is the better option.

 

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

Here's the official word...

Apple - Batteries - iPad

Tim

 

[snowboarder8985]

I feel like I get longer battery life if I let it drain completely before charging it.

Sent from my iPad 2 using iPF

 

[RandyM]

I let mine run down to below 10% before charging. I bought a battery maintenance app called battery magic that supposed to recycle the battery and charge it. I've only charged my iPad twice since buying it so I'm not to sure if I'm seeing any benefit from it yet

 

[Wookiee2cu]

I usually let mine get down to the low teens or 10% then put it on the charger. I try to avoid leaving it on the charger over night, instead do it during the day and check on it about once an hour or so.

 

[Gunny008]

I usually let mine get down to the low teens or 10% then put it on the charger. I try to avoid leaving it on the charger over night, instead do it during the day and check on it about once an hour or so.

This is good advice

Once a month or so it's good practice to let it drain to 0% and then charge to 100%.

 

[jduncan]

Drain to zero? Not an easy thing to plan. I hate having a low battery when I want to use the iPad. Is there a way to run the battery down while not using it and then charge it again? There aught to be an app for that!

 

[GoPackGo]

I didn't mean drain to zero, lol. Just drain low enough. Thanks for the responses, everyone, you affirmed what I thought. Though I have charged mine overnight before - I won't do that anymore.

 

[Gabriel1]

I didn't mean drain to zero, lol. Just drain low enough. Thanks for the responses, everyone, you affirmed what I thought. Though I have charged mine overnight before - I won't do that anymore.

I charge mine overnight, every night with no noticeable drop in performance.

I started using it at 6:30am this morning and now, some seven hours later it is at exactly 33% which is spot on what a new one is supposed to do (I bought mine back in February).

The Archangel

 

[thewitt]

It does not hurt to leave your iPad charging overnight. The charging circuitry is smart enough to stop drawing power once it's no longer needed.

The full drain simply allows the battery meter to be more accurate when it displays info about the battery.

Your battery will last the same number of full discharges and recharges regardless.

-t

 

[GoPackGo]

Interesting, @thewitt, thank you.

 

[jduncan]

It does not hurt to leave your iPad charging overnight. The charging circuitry is smart enough to stop drawing power once it's no longer needed.

The full drain simply allows the battery meter to be more accurate when it displays info about the battery.

Your battery will last the same number of full discharges and recharges regardless.

-t

That's the way I read the Apple statement too.

 

[82west]

Battery doctor

I bought this app before reading the reviews, so I thought oh well, small money mistake. Any way after using it, not tech or scientific, but it always seem that the battery will last longer. It does seem to take longer to charge when using the battery app. I always try to get the iPad down below 20% or lower before charging.

 

[Jrs22]

It does not hurt to leave your iPad charging overnight. The charging circuitry is smart enough to stop drawing power once it's no longer needed.

The full drain simply allows the battery meter to be more accurate when it displays info about the battery.

Your battery will last the same number of full discharges and recharges regardless.

-t

That's a relief. After reading this post earlier today I decided to drain it before recharging. I was actually reading this thread when the battery was fully drained and the iPad shut down. Good thing too. Otherwise I might have thought that my beloved iPad had died.

 

[jduncan]

I hate when I'm right in the middle of posting and my ba