It’s a common frustration – that feeling of watching your battery percentage tick down faster than you’d like. But the good news is, there are practical steps you can take to make a real difference to both how long your battery lasts each day and its overall lifespan. Here’s how to improve battery life on iPhone by tweaking a few settings and habits.
Keep Your Software Up to Date
This might sound simple, but keeping your iPhone’s software updated is one of the easiest ways to help your battery. Apple often includes advanced energy-saving technologies in their software updates. For iOS devices, you can check for updates by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
If an update is available, you can install it wirelessly while plugged into a power source or by connecting to your computer and using iTunes. Similarly, for MacBooks, macOS checks for updates weekly, but you can manually check by going to the Apple menu and choosing Software Update. Apple Watch users should check for watchOS updates via the Apple Watch app on their iPhone.
Optimise Your Settings
Several iPhone settings can significantly impact how quickly your battery drains. Adjusting these can be a game-changer.
Screen Brightness
The screen is a major power user. Dimming your screen to the lowest comfortable level is a simple way to extend battery life. You can do this manually via Control Centre. Alternatively, turn on Auto-Brightness, which automatically adjusts your screen to the ambient lighting conditions, saving power. Find this setting under Settings > General > Accessibility > Display Accommodations.
Wi-Fi vs. Mobile Data
When accessing data, using a Wi-Fi connection consumes less power than using a mobile network. Keeping Wi-Fi on whenever possible is recommended. You can enable it in Settings > Wi-Fi. For MacBooks, even if you’re not connected to a network, Wi-Fi still uses power, so you can turn it off in the Wi-Fi status menu or Network preferences if you don’t need it.
Low Power Mode
Introduced with iOS 9, Low Power Mode is an easy way to extend battery life when your battery level gets low. Your iPhone will prompt you to turn it on when the battery hits 20% and 10%. You can also manually enable it in Settings > Battery. Low Power Mode reduces display brightness, optimises device performance, and minimises system animations.
Crucially for saving power, it affects features like automatic downloads, email fetch, and background app refresh. Features like AirDrop, iCloud sync, and Continuity are disabled. Key functions like calls, email, messages, and internet access still work. Low Power Mode automatically switches off when your phone charges to 80% or higher.
Background App Refresh
Apps can use battery even when you’re not actively using them, indicated by “Background Activity” in your battery usage information. This happens when apps refresh content in the background. To save battery, you can turn off Background App Refresh entirely or selectively for specific apps. Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and choose Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi & Mobile Data, or Off. Some Reddit users feel it’s unnecessary and keep it off, opening apps as needed.
Others leave it on for specific apps. It’s worth noting that some apps might require background activity to keep you logged in by refreshing login tokens. Disabling Background App Refresh is one of the key ways Low Power Mode saves battery.
Location Services
Apps that constantly use your location in the background can be a significant battery drain. Review your Location Services settings (Settings > Privacy > Location Services) and set permissions for apps to ‘While Using the App’ or ‘Never’ if they don’t need your location constantly.
Visual Effects and Motion
Features like parallax and other visual effects consume battery. Turning on ‘Reduce Motion’ (Settings > Accessibility > Motion) can conserve power by reducing these effects. Low Power Mode also turns off some visual effects.
Keyboard Haptic Feedback
According to Apple, the haptic feedback (vibrations) when typing on the keyboard, added in iOS 16, might affect battery life. It’s not enabled by default, but if you’ve turned it on, disabling it (Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Keyboard Feedback and toggle off Haptic) could help conserve battery, although the source doesn’t specify by how much.
Widgets
Widgets on your Home Screen and Lock Screen force apps to run in the background to update the information displayed, which constantly drains power. Removing widgets you don’t use frequently can help preserve battery.
Avoid Extreme Temperatures
This is a big one for battery health and temporary performance. Lithium-ion batteries perform best in an ideal comfort zone of 16° to 22° C (62° to 72° F).
Heat
Exposing your device to ambient temperatures higher than 35° C (95° F) can permanently damage battery capacity. Charging the device in high ambient temperatures can cause further damage. If the recommended battery temperatures are exceeded, software may limit charging above 80%. Even storing a battery in a hot environment irreversibly damages it.
Cold
Very cold environments can temporarily decrease battery life. At -18 degrees Celsius, a Li-ion battery might only deliver 50% of its capacity. Charging in freezing temperatures can lead to lithium metal plating, potentially causing permanent damage. However, the decrease in battery life in the cold is usually temporary, and performance should return to normal once the battery warms up. Orchard suggests a phone case might help retain heat in the cold, like a coat. Apple specifies their batteries work best at 0 to 35 degrees Celsius.
It’s advisable to keep your smartphone in regulated temperatures and avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight or very cold places. If your phone gets unusually warm while charging, consider removing the case.
Adopt Smart Charging Habits
How you charge your iPhone also affects its battery health and lifespan.
Avoid Full Cycles (Prefer 20%-80%)
Regularly depleting your battery from 100% to 0% causes more wear and tear than partial charges. One of the most recommended practices is charging your phone only between 20% and 80%. Lithium-ion batteries are sensitive to high charge levels and can degrade faster if kept at 100% for extended periods. Apple’s Optimised Battery Charging feature, available on modern iPhones, helps with this by learning your routine and preventing the battery from charging past 80% until you need it.
Storing Long Term
If you plan to store your device for an extended period, charge it to around 50% before powering it down. Storing a fully discharged device can lead to a deep discharge state where it can’t hold a charge. Conversely, storing it fully charged for a long time may result in some capacity loss. Store it in a cool, moisture-free environment less than 32° C (90° F). If storing for over six months, charge it to 50% every six months.
Avoid Constant Overnight Charging
While modern iPhones have safeguards to prevent overcharging, leaving it plugged in overnight constantly isn’t ideal for long-term health. Optimised Battery Charging helps mitigate this.
Use the Right Charger
Using a USB-C power adapter that supports USB Power Delivery (USB-PD) with at least 20W output is needed for fast charging. Apple sells compatible chargers, but certified third-party options like UGREEN work too. Using a MacBook charger with a USB-C port and a USB-C to Lightning cable is also compatible and may charge faster.
Fast charging itself is safe for modern iPhone batteries when used properly, thanks to built-in safeguards like temperature monitoring, voltage regulation, and intelligent power management. The charging process has phases: rapid charging up to 50%, slowing down to 80%, and then trickling to 100% to reduce battery wear.
Monitor Battery Health and Usage
iOS provides tools to help you understand your battery’s performance and identify potential issues.
- Check Battery Health: Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging to see your battery’s maximum capacity and peak performance capability. Maximum Capacity measures the battery’s current capacity relative to when it was new. Apple suggests replacing a battery once its health drops below 80% of its original capacity.
- View Battery Usage: In Settings > Battery, you can see which apps have used the most battery in the last 24 hours or up to the last 10 days. This is helpful for identifying “battery-hungry apps”. You might also see insights and suggestions for lowering energy consumption. If an app shows high “Background Activity,” you can adjust its settings or disable Background App Refresh for it.
- Understanding Performance Management: As batteries chemically age, their ability to hold charge and deliver peak power decreases. iOS may dynamically manage performance to prevent unexpected shutdowns, especially if the battery’s impedance (resistance) increases. This feature is enabled only after an unexpected shutdown occurs. While you might not notice performance differences, significant degradation can lead to noticeable issues. If performance management is applied and impacts your experience, replacing the battery can help.
- Signs Your Battery Needs Replacing: Beyond dropping below 80% capacity, signs include the battery draining quickly even when not in use, unexpected shutdowns even with charge remaining, or a swollen/misshapen battery. A swollen battery can even push against the screen.
- Replacement: iPhone batteries are replaceable. Apple offers replacement services. If your iPhone is under warranty or you have AppleCare+, and the battery is below 80% health or defective, the replacement may be free. Otherwise, a fee applies. Third-party repair shops are also an option. While DIY is possible, it’s difficult and can void your warranty.
By paying attention to software updates, optimising power-hungry settings, being mindful of environmental temperatures, adopting good charging habits, and monitoring battery health, you can significantly extend the battery life on your iPhone and keep it running smoothly for longer. Knowing how to improve battery life on iPhone is key to getting the most out of your device.
