Apple’s upcoming iOS 14.5 update will recalibrate iPhone 11 series batteries

Apple has recently released iOS 14.5 beta 6 to developers, and among its features is battery recalibration. This covers the battery health reporting system that will recalibrate maximum battery capacity and peak performance capability on iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max.

With the iOS 14.5 update, iPhone 11 series users may recalibrate the device’s battery if it seems to have issues.

According to an Apple support document, this is to address inaccurate estimates of battery health reporting for some users. Bug symptoms include unexpected battery drain behavior or reduced peak performance capability. The company mentioned that this inaccurate battery health reporting does not reflect an issue with actual battery health.

Furthermore, the user will see a message under the Battery Health on settings while the battery health reporting system is recalibrating. The process might take a few weeks, and the recalibration of maximum capacity and peak performance capability occurs during regular charge cycles.

Apple noted that the displayed maximum capacity percentage would not change during the recalibration. However, the peak performance capability might be updated, but this might not be noticeable by users. If a previous degraded battery message was displayed, this message would then be removed after updating to iOS 14.5, as per Apple. After the complete recalibration, the maximum capacity percentage and peak performance capability will be updated. The recalibration message will also be removed, which indicates the process is complete.

Meanwhile, Apple also stated that the recalibration might not be successful, and a new battery service message will appear. If this happens, an Apple Authorized Service Provider can replace the battery for free to restore full performance and capacity. “This message does not indicate a safety issue. Your battery can still be used. However, you might be experiencing more noticeable battery and performance issues,” mentioned in the document.

Since current battery health reporting might be inaccurate, Apple advises waiting until the recalibration process completes to contact an Apple Authorized Service Provider. If the device is covered by warranty, AppleCare+, or consumer law, service coverage for a battery with this issue will be temporarily extended to cover the recalibration period.

Source: Apple