Technologies

I Never Charge My iPhone to 100%. Here’s Why and How I Do It

Setting a Charge Limit will help me maximize my iPhone’s battery lifespan for years to come.

You don’t need the latest and greatest smartphone to get all-day battery life. These days, most midrange or budget options can get you through a full day on a single charge. Instead of prioritizing day-to-day battery life on my iPhone, I’m focusing on its battery lifespan, how long the battery remains in good condition over the course of my phone’s life.

One way to improve your phone’s battery lifespan is by minimizing the time it spends charging when the battery is 100%. A fully charged battery can experience stress, which reduces its health in the long term and causes it to degrade faster.

If you have an iPhone, it may already be learning your charging routine thanks to Optimized Battery Charging. With this feature enabled, you can keep your device plugged in overnight, and it won’t charge to 100% until the next morning.

How to set a charge limit

If you want even more control over your iPhone battery, you can use a feature called Charge Limit. By setting a Charge Limit, you can prevent your device from reaching its maximum capacity, which can help reduce strain on the battery.

You can enable Charge Limit on iPhone 15 or newer models by going to Settings > Battery > Charging. There, you can choose a percentage at 5% increments between 80% and 100%. (Note that Optimized Battery Charging can only be toggled on at 100%.)

Should you ever charge your phone to 100%?

According to Apple, a Charge Limit can improve your phone’s battery lifespan and iOS might recommend it based on your use patterns. Even if you only limit your charge to 95%, the feature can have long-term benefits for your iPhone.

However, you shouldn’t lose sleep if your phone is still plugged in when the battery is full. «There are so many different variables that affect battery age and longevity besides just filling it to 100%,» says Patrick Holland, CNET editor and phone reviewer. «Apple and other phone-makers use software to minimize those factors, and even give customers ways to take control of that if they like. But there’s a balance and people shouldn’t be afraid of topping off their phone completely.»

You might occasionally still see your iPhone charge to 100% when you’ve enabled Charge Limit. «If you have Charge Limit set to less than 100 percent, your iPhone will occasionally charge to 100 percent to maintain accurate battery state-of-charge estimates,» according to Apple.

For more iPhone battery tips, check out the iOS settings that can drain your iPhone battery, and learn whether permanent Low Power Mode can make your old iPhone battery last longer.

Technologies

Fable Reboot Set for Fall 2026 as RPG Franchise Debuts on PS5

It’s a big world where you can do almost anything you want.

Microsoft held a Developer Direct on Thursday to focus on just a few games coming to the Xbox platform this year. One of the titles shown was the return of a once-dormant series.

Fable is a longtime Xbox exclusive that started back in 2004, and it’s been more than a decade since the last entry. Developed by Playground Games, best known for the Forza Horizon series, this new Fable game will expand on the roleplaying mechanics of the original to create an experience where players’ choices affect the world.

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When does Fable come out?

Fable is set to be released in autumn 2026.

What platforms will Fable be released on?

Fable is currently planned for PC, Xbox Series X and S consoles and PS5. This marks the first time the franchise will be available on a PlayStation. A Switch 2 version is reportedly under consideration.

Will Fable be available on Xbox Game Pass?

Yes. Fable will be a Day 1 release for Xbox Game Pass, meaning subscribers will be able to play for no extra cost on the day of release.

What is Fable?

Fable is an RPG franchise that started back in 2004 on the original Xbox. The concept behind the game, originally developed by famed developer Peter Molyneux and Lionhead Studios, was a world that would react to the player’s actions, whether it’s people shocked by the character’s evil deeds or individuals holding grudges for years over something the player did.

The last mainline entry of the Fable franchise came in 2010 with Fable 3 for the Xbox 360. There were multiple spinoffs since then, such as Fable Heroes, Fable Fortune, Fable Coin Golf and Fable: The Journey.

What’s the story of the new Fable?

Like with other Fable games, this new entry starts with the hero as a child. At some point early on, their hero powers emerge and, after a time jump, they become an adult. Where the hero goes will be up to the player, as there is no set path to take once they leave their village, where, one day, the inhabitants turn to stone.

The developer says there are more than 1,000 NPCs with their own personalities and routines, and that every town is functional, down to the exact number of beds for all the townfolk. Characters have jobs and their own schedules, which adds an extra dimension to these typically mundane, background characters.

Players can progress right through the story, or they can just live in a random town and stay there for as long as they want.

What kind of choices will players be able to make in Fable?

There will be plenty of decisions to make in Fable, from buying a home, getting a job or romancing a villager. Players can start a business, hire villagers to work for them, or buy property to rent out.

Every decision made earns the hero a reputation, such as being a rich tycoon, and villagers will have their own unique reaction to that reputation. This means not every character will view your character the same way. There will also be choices made that can affect the world.

One example the developer noted was a character who developed a magic potion that could change a person’s size. This character will eventually grow into a giant, and depending on the player’s decision, can die outside of the village. Leaving the giant’s body there can provoke reactions from the townfolk, including a drop in home prices.

Technologies

Google Photos Adds AI-Powered Meme Creation With ‘Me Meme’

Meme it up with photos of your cat, or your friend, or whatever funny photos your camera roll holds.

Do you have a great cat photo you just know could go viral? Google’s new AI feature, Me Meme, lets Google Photos turn photographs into memes, those sassy captioned photos that sometimes express the exact right sentiment. Choose a Google template, then upload your own funny photo, and AI will transform it into a meme.

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To use Me Meme:

On your device, open the Google Photos app.
At the bottom, tap Create and then Me Meme.
Select a template.
Tap Add photo.
Select the photo you want to upload.
Tap Generate.
After the meme is generated:

To save the meme: Tap Save.
To generate again: Tap Regenerate.
To share on other platforms: Tap Share.

I have a Google Pixel 9, and while my Photos app is up to date, the option didn’t appear for me as of Friday.

At CES 2026, Google executive Sameer Samat told CNET that the company wanted to make its AI tools, including Nano Banana and Gemini, more useful. While meme-making might not be the most practical AI use, it is something anyone can try.

A representative for Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Jan. 24, #958

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Jan. 24 #958.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is a bit challenging, especially the purple category, as always. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Think Muhammad Ali.

Green group hint: We won!

Blue group hint: Fashion element.

Purple group hint: Winter weather.