iPhone users have long desired a built-in feature to estimate charging time, but Apple has yet to deliver. Impatient with the wait, Reddit user u/AlxR25 took matters into their own hands, developing a clever Shortcut to address this need and sharing it on the r/iPhone subreddit.
This innovative Shortcut utilizes a series of commands triggered upon connecting the iPhone to a charger, displaying a pop-up message with an estimated time to full charge. However, the process isn’t as simple as it appears, due to the iPhone’s variable charging rates.
The initial Shortcut was designed using a 20W charger as the benchmark. This setup charges at a rate of approximately 1% every 1.2 minutes up to 50% battery capacity. Beyond 50%, the charging rate slows to roughly 1% every 1.8 minutes until reaching 100%. Furthermore, iPhones with Optimized Battery Charging enabled will experience significantly slower charging speeds after reaching 80% capacity.
An image of the back of an iPhone 16.
Building upon u/AlxR25’s original creation, another Redditor, u/Alarming_Cod8848, developed a refined version of the Shortcut. This iteration takes into account the iPhone’s dynamic charging speeds and sparked a discussion on further improving the Shortcut’s accuracy. Users can try the Shortcut themselves by downloading it via this iCloud link.
Further enhancing the Shortcut’s functionality, u/HeartbreakWon added a timer that displays the estimated charging time in the Dynamic Island, although they haven’t shared a link to this modified version. It’s important to note that the accuracy of these Shortcuts depends on several factors. Using a charger with a different wattage than the 20W baseline will likely result in inaccurate estimates. Additionally, users with older batteries have reported inconsistencies. Nevertheless, it’s inspiring to witness the community’s collaborative efforts to create a feature long requested by iPhone users.
While iOS 18 introduced useful charging features, such as notifications for fast charging, the anticipated charging time estimate remains absent. Although Apple has previously indicated plans to incorporate this functionality, no official updates have been provided.
This user-generated solution demonstrates the ingenuity of the iPhone community and provides a valuable tool for those seeking a charging time estimate. While not a perfect replacement for an official Apple feature, it offers a practical workaround for the time being.
