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How can I tell when my iPhone 5s is actually switched off? Any number of times I have had the thing actually not switch off when I thought it was off. That results in a flat battery. I come to it a week or so later, switch it on - but it is redlined. This happened to me quite a few times and it is not good for the battery.

So reluctantly I updated iOS to iOS 10 point something or other as recommended. Thinking foolishly that this might solve the problem. Now I can't download photos to my Mavericks computer.

So I labouriously erase/repartition/remake my Fusion Mavericks computer with another small plain partition for Sierra and now I can offload my iPhone using Image Capture. Yay! Why on earth can't I use my iPhone 5s with my Mavericks computer any more! It says it needs to be unlocked but it is already unlocked. It's lying.


Unfortunately it has still done the same thing again. Last time I switched it on it was flat again.

Then I switch it off - you hold the power button and swipe to switch off. Then the screen goes black. Is it off? It should be shouldn't it?

- And I check that it is actually off and not just pretending to be off by briefly pressing the power button again (and a very brief press - if you press it for longer than 500 milliseconds it switches on again and then you have to wait until it's fully booted switch it off again - or to find out what the state of the battery is) Duhhh.
It seems to be off. It may be off.

Then why is it ON and the battery is hovering on the edges of flatness next time I use it? Does it auto-on to update itself or something? Is it just being "helpful" to make sure I have the latest updates? I am not going to the latest iOS version, I am totally teed off with all things iOS now.

It takes up to 30 seconds (or longer) after swiping the "slide to power off' switch for the iPhone to completely turn off. If you want to see if the iPhone is completely off, just press the Home button instead of the power button. If the screen lights up, it's on, if it doesn't it's off.

In earlier versions of iOS you could see the spinning gear icon rotating whilst this shutdown process was in operation. Apple, in their wisdom, decided that you didn't need to actually see this and did away with it.

As for the 'unlock' - that means the iPhone needs to be unlocked by inputting your passcode of using TouchID so you can use it, not unlocked so it can be used on any network.

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I'm never wrong, I'm just less right on occasions.

iPhone will consume some battery life even if completely off. It needs to use battery to keep it's systems running.

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I'm never wrong, I'm just less right on occasions.

Really? But surely not at the rate to flatten the battery from 100% to 0 in two weeks.

Thanks, I will try the home button instead. That at least avoids accidentally switching it on. I know it takes 30 seconds or longer to switch off, previously I had a little dim spinning cog lit up for variable periods of time, usually less than a quarter of a second, but sometimes longer. And it was very dim. But at least if I saw it I thought it had switched off. But even then it might not have switched off. Or else why is the battery flat next time I try to use it? After the latest update it is no longer there. Sometimes it DOES switch off successfully, then when I switch it on I still have a full battery! Wow! But I never know if it will be flat or not.

Perhaps there is something wrong with my iPhone. Perhaps this doesn't happen to other people.

And I know about using the passcode. Even putting the passcode in and the phone being happy with it, the computer still thinks that it is locked. But then I'm running Mavericks of course - an OLD system, far too old for iOS.

You could check the battery. Plug it into your Mac and run up coconutBattery. Maybe 100% is getting less than design capacity. Long shot suggestion.

According the DJI (the manufacturer) the batteries in my Mavic Pro drone are designed to discharge when not used for a few days. This is to protect the battery capacity apparently. Maybe Apple do the same with the iPhone? That, coupled with the OS using some life to keep it's systems running could be the reason.

To be honest, the iPhone is designed to be left on. I rarely turn mine off, the same with my iPad. If I do, it's usually just for a reboot rather than a power down. You need to use it more, not just every week or so. And I actually mean that, I'm not taking the mickey or anything.

If you still think the iPhone battery is dodgy, make a Genius appointment at an Apple Store and they can run diagnostic tests on it.

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I'm never wrong, I'm just less right on occasions.

Ok. (but lunacy)

It's designed to be never switched off?

It's not something I carry usually around with me, I don't like it. It's too bulky for my pocket and I will lose it, leave it behind somewhere or drop it, or throw it at the wall.


Unfortunately doing this does not convince my Mavericks computer.

EDIT! - Hang on a minute, I've just opened Image Capture in Mavericks and imported the remaining picture! I have no idea why it didn't work previously. Perhaps it does actually work with Mav and that my efforts to add Sierra to my machine were a waste of time!

The battery is good.

I too leave my iDevices on except to reboot. Never had a sudden drain (except once on the iPhone but that's another matter).

Apple say if you are storing anything powered off for any length of time then you should have the battery at 50% for best protection. (I'm not getting a link - lazy - it is a real thing.)

Thanks loofah, yes the battery appears to be okay and I do know about the 50% thing for lithium-ion batteries. Somewhere short of full but more than flat is best for storage. But I want to get to the bottom of this auto-flattening effect I'm experiencing. Now that I know about the home button to check if the phone is on (which is obvious really) I will use that instead of pressing the power button briefly. I should make meticulous notes about what is happening, this flattening thing has happened I would've thought at least 10 times to me on this phone. If I leave it switched on I'll have to have it plugged in all the time at home while I'm not using it which is again less than ideal for batteries.

Having said that I do keep my MBP plugged-in 98% of the time, occasionally obeying the discharge cycle recommendations to keep it in fettle. As a matter of interest this is my MBP's battery state - it's always connected to power except once in awhile when I let it go down a bit to give it a bit of exercise. The way I'm keeping it doesn't seem to have damaged its Life Expectancy significantly.




Maybe I'll just do that. I've got a little Apple adapter that I can leave it plugged in to. But it is disappointing not to be able to switch it off and know that the battery will be there when you switch it on again.

I also keep my MBPr on mains except overnight when it is shut down. I reckon my next Mac will be an iMac for all the portability I have actually needed.

Speaking of mobile batteries, I'm just watching Click! (for those who don't know, a weekly BBC tech show) and they are doing a battery special. It has been stated that to cause the least battery degradation, you should keep it charged between 20 and 80%. Blasting to 100% caused damage. I could do that on my iPhone and iPad, but not so easy with a MB. (see, I should have got an iMac )

"I could do that on my iPhone and iPad, but not so easy with a MB"



I've mentioned this (free) app before (a long time ago).
I agree: it isn't easy. It isn't for everyone - nor is the concept of using the battery this way.

Perhaps you have the discipline to use it; I do. Many folks do not. Many just cannot use their computer in a way that is appropriate with this app. I can and do.

"It's designed to be never switched off?"
Well...
it's true that it does not need to be switched off; it performs perfectly well that way.

When I - not long ago - purchased an iPad, Jonah convinced me to always leave it on. I do that - and am grateful for that hint/advice. I use it far better that way. It's simply gets more use when it is always on.

But if you don't use your phone very much...shut it off if that's your preferred way to handle it.

... and of course, when an iPhone is selected to 'OFF', it's not really OFF. It's still reporting its presence to the network via occasional Pings. And all other sorts of things are taking place that we're not supposed to know about.

Now in the days of the old Nokia etc, you could take the battery out and then it really was 'OFF'.

Lorimer

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Mid '09 MacBook Pro 2.66ghz, 500gb SSD; OS 10.10.4; 11" MacBook Air 128gb;1 TB Time Capsule; iPhone 5s, 64gb; 13" 2012 MBA

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