How To Know If Iphone Battery Is Dead

You can tell if your iPhone is charging whether it's powered on or off.
When your iPhone is on, you can tell if it's charging by looking at the battery icon in the upper right corner. It should appear green with a lightning bolt in the middle.
When your iPhone has just died, you can tell if you're properly charging it by the icons on the black screen.
If you only see an empty battery icon, your iPhone is charging and will power on shortly. But if you see that icon with a cord next to it, your iPhone is not charging properly.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories .

Even when you try to do everything to avoid a dead iPhone, sometimes you just aren't able to get your iPhone connected to a charger in time.

And anyone who has experienced a dead iPhone knows it won't come back on right away.

Sometimes, compounding the problem even further, you'll be patiently waiting for an iPhone to reanimate again — only to realize it isn't being delivered any juice.

Fortunately, Apple allows you to tell if your iPhone is charging, even before it's been charged enough to turn back on.

Here's what to look out for to ensure an iPhone is charging, whether dead or alive.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

iPhone 11 (From $699.99 at Best Buy)

How to tell if your iPhone is charging when it's on

You can check that an iPhone is being charged via the ever-present battery icon in the top right corner.

The top right battery icon will give you a quick picture of your battery life.

There will be a lightning bolt in the middle of the battery icon to indicate that the phone is charging, and the icon should appear green.

You can also check your battery life in the Control Center, where you'll be able to see a number reading of your battery percentage (it's possible to always show this number on your screen).

The battery percentage number will appear in the Control Center.

How to tell if your iPhone is charging when it's off

There are lots of reasons a seemingly plugged-in and charging iPhone wouldn't actually be charging, including that the cord might be broken, the outlet could be busted, or you could have forgotten to flip on the switch for your surge protector.

If that's the case and the iPhone isn't charging, you'll see a familiar icon on the screen — an almost empty battery and a charger.

The cord and battery are indications of what your phone needs to come back on (a working charger).

However, if the iPhone is charging, you should only see the empty battery icon. Keep charging it and be patient, your iPhone should power back on shortly.

It's perhaps counter-intuitive, but a charging phone will not have a charger icon present on the screen.

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

'Why won't my iPhone charge?': How to diagnose and fix common iPhone charging problems
How to properly clean your iPhone's charging port when it won't charge
Tips for fixing an iPhone or iPad charger that appears to be broken
8 ways to charge your iPhone faster, including using the right charger and taking it out of direct sunlight

Emma Witman is an Asheville, NC-based freelance journalist with a keen interest in writing about hardware, PC gaming, politics, and personal finance. She is a former crime reporter for a daily newspaper, and has also written extensively about bartending for Insider. She may or may not judge your drink order when behind the bar. Follow her on Twitter at @emwity.