LOS ANGELES: Letting your phone drain to 0% is never good for your battery's health, but sometimes you don't have a choice. The problem is that some iPhone models have been reported to be completely unresponsive after the battery runs flat, even when plugged into a USB-C charging cable.
When this happens, the phone will not start up, and there is no battery or charging indicator – the screen simply stays black.
All iPhone 17 models as well as the iPhone Air can be affected, according to user reports online and Apple news website 9to5Mac.com.
The good news is that there is a simple workaround. Put the phone on a MagSafe charger and leave it there for around 15 minutes to charge wirelessly.
This should be enough to refill the battery sufficiently for the device to restart, 9to5Mac reports. After that, charging via USB-C works normally again.
Users in various online forums have also reported successfully reviving affected phones by using a power adapter where the USB cable connects to the adapter side via a larger USB-A connector.
Smartphone experts say it's best to avoid letting the battery run this low in the first place, as the strain can impact the battery's longevity. Battery specialists suggest charging a smartphone before it drops below 20%. – dpa
