Will Apple Replace An iPad Battery?

Every iPad owner knows the feeling of watching their device’s battery life diminish over time.

In some cases, our iPad battery might even flat-out die—speaking from experience here.

If your iPad battery dies, do you need to get a whole new iPad or will Apple replace your busted iPad battery?

Will Apple Replace An iPad Battery?

Apple can replace iPad batteries with and without warranties. If you have an active warranty, the replacement will probably be free of charge. Otherwise, we’ll need to pay $99 for a new iPad battery, plus taxes and shipping, if applicable.

I’ll teach you how to replace an iPad battery with and without a warranty. If you’re unsure when an iPad battery needs replacing, my advice will set your doubts straight at the end of this article.

Replacing an iPad Battery With a Warranty

All iPads come with an initial warranty period.

But because it’s for a relatively short period, if a battery dies during this time, it’s a sign that we have a faulty battery.

We can also opt to sign up for AppleCare, which is an extended warranty. 

Such a warranty is ideal for replacing iPad batteries since it’ll need replacing, like any electronic.

Provided that our iPad is under warranty, Apple will replace the battery for free.

In fact, they’ll even replace the whole iPad if that’s what it takes to get us back on our device.

To request a battery placement via our warranty, follow the steps below.

Step 1: Start a Service Request

Head to the Apple iPad Repair page and click, “Start a Service Request.” We’ll find the link under the section of the webpage labeled “iPad battery and power.”

Alternatively, we can call and make an appointment to bring the iPad to a local Apple store.

Step 2: Backup the Data

Most of us undoubtedly store precious photos and documents on our iPads. 

So, set down that Apple Pencil and double-check to ensure everything on the iPad is backing up to the iCloud.

To do so, head to settings. Click on your name, followed by “iCloud,” “Manage Storage,” and “Backups” There, we can verify if the toggle switch is on for “iCloud Backup.”

Step 3: Play the Waiting Game

We can expect it to take three to five business days for Apple to repair our iPad. 

Alternatively, if the iPad has a personal engraving, it could take closer to two weeks since Apple may also need to replace this.

During this time, Apple may put the iPad through some testing to ensure that the dead or dying battery is truly a circumstance that falls under their warranty.

Situations that Don’t Qualify for Full Warranty Coverage

If Apple discovers that the iPad battery isn’t working for something that doesn’t fall within their warranty, well need to foot a portion of the bill.

The good news is that even if our iPad battery undergoes accidental damage, we’ll only need to pay a fraction of the replacement cost, provided that the iPad is still under warranty.

Battery issues as a result of unauthorized modifications are another situation when we’ll need to partially pay for a battery change. 

Apple doesn’t make it easy for laypeople to remove iPad covers. 

So, doing this almost always results in damage.

Replacing an iPad Battery Without a Warranty

If we don’t have an iPad with a warranty, we’ll need to pay Apple a flat $99 fee for the repair. 

On top of that, we’ll need to pay tax and $6.95 for shipping.

Given the price of iPads, paying $99 for a new battery can be a great deal.

However, we should also consider the age of the iPad. 

Is it giving us problems aside from a short battery life? Or, is the screen cracked, making it difficult for us to navigate?

If so, it might be wiser to put that $99 towards a new iPad instead of replacing the battery.

Regardless, our iPad needs to maintain less than 80% of its original battery capacity in order to qualify for this $99 battery repair.

Should we decide to move forward with paying to replace our iPad battery, we can head to Apple’s website to do a mail-in or set up an appointment with our local Apple store.

Going at It on Our Own

Although I don’t recommend it, for the sake of full disclosure, it’s technically possible to replace our iPad battery on our own.

We should only attempt to do so if we’re skilled in computer repairs and already have the tools to open an iPad. 

Otherwise, we could spend upwards of $90 to get all the materials, hardly making it worth the risk.

What’s the risk, you may ask?

We could destroy our iPad to a point beyond repair.

Furthermore, if the iPad is still under warranty, tampering with it could void our right to free replacements.

Needless to say, this is a risky endeavor that we’re better off leaving to the Apple experts.

How Long Is an iPad Battery Good For?

A new iPad battery should last for around 10 hours without being plugged in when fully charged.

The lightweight lithium-ion polymer battery is responsible for this excellent charge length. 

We can leave our iPad plugged in overnight without worrying about it running down the battery, unlike the older Nickel-Cadmium batteries.

However, we’’ll notice our iPad’s battery life begin to degrade over time. 

As a general rule, an iPad with consistent use usually needs a battery replacement after four or five years.

How to Extend an iPad’s Battery Life

It’s impossible for our iPad’s battery to last forever. 

However, we can help extend its life by disabling WiFi and Bluetooth when it’s not in use.

Turning off cellular data can also help increase its lifespan.

Furthermore, exiting out of any apps we’re not currently using will help us salvage some extra iPad time before we have to find an outlet.

The Bottom Line

Replacing our iPad battery when it’s under warranty is ideal because we usually won’t have to pay anything. If we don’t have a warranty, we’ll need to pay $99 plus taxes and shipping (if we mail in the iPad).

Assuming that our iPad’s battery isn’t completely dead, we’ll usually need to wait until the battery has less than 80% capacity to replace it.