If there is one thing iPhone owners can all agree on, it’s that the iPhone battery should last longer. While that may require some breakthroughs in battery technology, all hope is not lost. With a few smart tips or tweaks in iOS settings, your battery life can last most of the day, if not the entire day, even with heavy use.
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Content
- 1. Close Battery-Hogging Apps
- 2. Disable Background App Refresh
- 3. Use Wi-Fi Connectivity Over Cellular
- 4. Use Low Power Mode
- 5. Disable Hey Siri Detection
- 6. Use Dark Mode
- 7. Turn Off Push Notifications
- 8. Adjust Screen Brightness
- 9. Limit Location Services
- 10. Reduce Auto Lock Time
- 11. View Battery Usage Info
- 12. Disable Haptic Feedback
- 13. Reduce Refresh Rate
- Bonus: Invest in a Power Bank
1. Close Battery-Hogging Apps
To save battery life on an iPhone, you have to know which apps are eating up most of your battery life. Head to Settings -> Battery, and look at the list of the top apps using the most battery.
There is a strong likelihood this list may be full of apps that you use frequently, such as Facebook – a well-known battery hog – or a VPN app. To make sure apps you’re not using aren’t consuming your battery, close them properly. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen, and pause to see the opened apps. Swipe up to close an app. I once left my VPN app running, causing my iPhone’s battery to drain almost entirely overnight.
If you’re traveling and want to maximize your battery life, delete those apps altogether, and access the Web version instead. When it comes to the Maps apps that travelers rely on heavily, download the maps beforehand, and use the app offline when at the location.
2. Disable Background App Refresh
One of the best and worst features of the iPhone is Background App Refresh. Basically, this feature enables apps to update in the background so that when you next open the app, everything is already loaded. It comes in handy for critical apps like Email or Maps but is not necessary for some others.
You do not have to disable the option for every app, but the more you disable, the more battery life you can gain back. To check which apps have this feature enabled, open Settings -> General -> Background App Refresh. Scroll through the app list, and disable the feature for any apps you do not need or use often.
3. Use Wi-Fi Connectivity Over Cellular
Wi-Fi is the better option for saving battery life. Mobile networks require more power than Wi-Fi, which leads to quicker battery drains. I always make it a point at restaurants to ask the waiter for the password when he comes to take our order.
To make sure your data isn’t on, head to Settings -> Cellular. Ensure that the Cellular Data toggle top is off.
Make sure battery hogs like YouTube, Netflix, and Facebook won’t access cellular data no matter what, by disabling them.
Also consider turning on Airplane mode so that nothing goes through. Access Settings -> Airplane mode to turn on the feature.
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4. Use Low Power Mode
Low Power Mode places the phone into a state that preserves power by disabling or limiting a variety of functions.
To enable this feature, navigate to Settings -> Battery, and enable the Low Power Mode switch at the top. Once active, the iPhone will:
- Disable email fetch, at least with the default app
- Stop “Hey Siri” from functioning
- Completely stop Background App refreshes
- Pause automatic downloads
- Reduce some visual effects
- Auto-lock the screen at 30 seconds
- Disable iCloud Photos from syncing in the background
When this feature is on, the battery in the status bar turns yellow. Once your iPhone is charged to 80% or higher, Low Power Mode is automatically disabled.
5. Disable Hey Siri Detection
I am one of those people who uses Siri very rarely. Disabling “Hey Siri” detection frees up the power resources allocated to picking up voice commands.
Go to Settings -> Siri & Search.
Toggle off the Listen for “Hey Siri” option.
6. Use Dark Mode
Research has shown that dark mode has a lesser impact on battery life and is better for the eyes. Science aside, I just prefer how dark mode looks on my iPhone, so I tend to use it more often and welcome the added benefits.
To activate it, go to Settings -> Display & Brightness, and switch from Light to Dark.
7. Turn Off Push Notifications
Cutting down on the number of push notifications is a quick way to save a little battery life. Every time a notification arrives, the phone has to make a connection to Wi-Fi or cellular towers. In some cases, the phone will light up.
To reduce the number of notifications, go to Settings -> Notifications.
Go through each app individually, and decide whether you want to receive notifications. I prefer to disable the Allow Notifications toggle at the top, and turn off alerts for all apps in one go. You may also want to disable Time Sensitive Notifications.
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8. Adjust Screen Brightness
Turning up the brightness on your iPhone hurts your battery life. The higher the brightness, the more battery it uses.
Screen brightness can be controlled either through Control Center or through Settings -> Display & Brightness. I prefer to have lower brightness on my device, as I am sensitive to light in general.
9. Limit Location Services
Location and GPS tracking can be incredibly useful with apps, especially map applications, but using it frequently can impact battery life. You may want to turn off your location for apps you’re not actively using.
Go to Settings -> Privacy & Security -> Location Services.
Go through the list app by app to see which apps are using your location information. Tap on the app, and switch to Never or Ask Next Time Or When I Share.
Weather, email, and retail store apps are likely to want to know your info to serve you better. Others that don’t need that information can be disabled to preserve battery life. While you can disable Location Services entirely, that prevents critical apps like Maps from working.
10. Reduce Auto Lock Time
I admit that I prefer having a longer lock time on my phone. The screen doesn’t immediately go to sleep once I put the phone down, and I can continue reading or watching after grabbing a glass of water. But keeping your screen on longer will drain your battery life.
It’s better to set a shorter auto-lock time in various scenarios. Sometimes I set my auto-lock time as minimal. Your display will go dark immediately once you’re not using it.
Go to Settings -> Display & Brightness -> Auto-Lock.
Switch to 30 seconds.
On iPhone Pro models, you may also have Always On Display, allowing a dimmed version of your lockscreen. Disable this option as well from the same Display & Brightness section.
11. View Battery Usage Info
Whenever my iPhone’s battery life seems shorter than usual, I check the charts under Settings -> Battery to investigate.
This gives me a better understanding of the battery’s status. I can see, for example, if and when the battery levels dropped severely. I can also review my activity to pinpoint when the battery started acting up.
For more info, check the Battery Health & Charging section. Make sure the toggle is on next to Optimize Battery Charging.
12. Disable Haptic Feedback
As a person who loves to text and prefers this sort of communication over making phone calls, I have noticed that disabling haptic feedback helps me improve my iPhone’s battery power. If you’re not big into texting, this won’t affect you as much, but if you’re constantly sending messages back and forth, this is a must.
Go to Settings -> Sounds & Haptics -> Keyboard Feedback.
Turn the toggle off for Haptic.
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13. Reduce Refresh Rate
This is another suggestion for owners of newer iPhone Pro models. These phones use a 120GHz refresh rate, which makes the whole experience more responsive, but it also drains life from your battery.
To reduce it, try switching to the more modest 60GHz refresh rate. Go to Settings -> Accessibility -> Motion, and turn on the Limit Frame Rate option.
Bonus: Invest in a Power Bank
You should do this especially if you’re going on a trip where you’ll be taking photos left and right. Make sure you invest in a powerful yet light power bank for your iPhone to make sure your device won’t run out of juice when you need it the most. Check out our suggestions for high-capacity power banks.
Now that you know how to take care of your iPhone’s battery, use your phone for things like taking pictures. It may come in handy to learn how to snap the best photos with photographic styles. To avoid spoiling your experience, read about the iPhone 16’s Camera Control issues.
Image credit: Unsplash. All screenshots by Alexandra Arici.
Alexandra Arici –
Staff Writer
Alexandra is passionate about mobile tech and can be often found fiddling with a smartphone from some obscure company. She kick-started her career in tech journalism in 2013, after working a few years as a middle-school teacher. Constantly driven by curiosity, Alexandra likes to know how things work and to share that knowledge with everyone.
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