Turn on Low Power Mode before your battery drops below 20 percent
Low Power Mode is the single fastest way to extend your iPhone's runtime. It reduces performance slightly, dims the screen a little, and cuts background activity — but most people do not notice the difference in daily use. The key is turning it on early, not waiting until your phone shuts itself down.
Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging and toggle on Low Power Mode. Your phone will ask if you want to turn it on when ready or wait until the battery reaches 20 percent. Choose "Turn On Now" if you are away from a charger for the rest of the day. Low Power Mode can add 2 to 4 hours to your battery life depending on how you use your phone.
You can also swipe down from the top-right corner (or up from the bottom on older iPhones), tap the battery icon, and toggle Low Power Mode from there. Once it is on, a yellow battery icon appears at the top of your screen so you know it is active.
Key Takeaways
- Low Power Mode extends battery life by 2 to 4 hours and should be turned on before you drop below 20 percent battery.
- Reduce screen brightness and turn on auto-brightness so your display uses less power in dim rooms.
- Turn off location services for apps that do not need it, and disable background app refresh for apps you do not use constantly.
- Close apps running in the background, disable push notifications for non-essential apps, and keep your iPhone updated to the latest iOS version.
- Avoid extreme temperatures and keep your battery health above 80 percent by charging slowly and not leaving your phone plugged in overnight.
Lower your screen brightness and use auto-brightness
Your screen is the biggest battery drain on an iPhone. Lowering brightness saves power when ready. Go to Settings > Display & Brightness and drag the brightness slider to the left. Most people can comfortably use their phone at 30 to 40 percent brightness indoors.
Turn on Auto-Brightness in the same menu. This feature uses your phone's light sensor to adjust brightness automatically based on the room you are in. In a dark room, your screen dims without you having to touch anything. In bright sunlight, it brightens just enough to see. Auto-brightness prevents you from running at full brightness all day without thinking about it.
If you use your phone for reading or long browsing sessions, lower brightness even more. Your eyes adjust quickly, and the battery savings compound over hours of use.
Turn off location services for apps that do not need it
Location services use your phone's GPS, which drains battery constantly. Many apps request location permission but do not actually need it to work. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services and scroll through the list. You will see which apps have permission and how often they use it.
For each app, tap it and choose "Never" unless the app genuinely needs your location to function — Maps needs it, but your weather app does not. Social media apps, games, and shopping apps often request location but work fine without it. Turning off location for five or six apps can add 30 minutes to an hour of battery life.
Keep location on for Maps, Find My, and any navigation app you actually use. Turn it off for everything else.
Disable background app refresh for apps you rarely use
Background App Refresh lets apps update their content even when you are not using them — so your email is fresh when you open it, or your news app has new stories ready. But apps you barely touch do not need to refresh in the background. Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and toggle off the apps you do not check regularly.
Keep it on for email, messaging, and any app you check multiple times a day. Turn it off for games, shopping apps, and anything you open once a week or less. This setting alone can save 1 to 2 hours of battery life depending on how many apps you have installed.
You can also turn off Background App Refresh entirely and toggle it back on only for the apps that matter to you. This takes a few minutes but gives you the most control.
Close apps running in the background and disable push notifications
Apps left open in the background continue to run and drain battery. Swipe up from the bottom of your screen (or down from the top-right on newer iPhones) to see your open apps, then swipe up on each one you are not using to close it. This is not the same as deleting the app — it just stops it from running.
Push notifications also drain battery because your phone has to wake up, read data, and display an alert every time one arrives. Go to Settings > Notifications and turn off push notifications for apps that are not urgent — games, shopping apps, and social media do not need to interrupt you. Keep notifications on for messages, email, and anything time-sensitive.
Disabling notifications for 10 to 15 apps can save 30 minutes to an hour of battery life, especially if you get dozens of notifications per day.
Keep your iPhone updated and avoid extreme temperatures
Apple releases iOS updates that often include battery optimizations. Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install any available update. Older iOS versions sometimes have battery drain bugs that newer versions fix. Updating takes 15 to 30 minutes but can noticeably improve battery life.
Temperature also affects battery performance. Avoid leaving your iPhone in direct sunlight, in a hot car, or in freezing conditions. Extreme heat or cold reduces how much power your battery can deliver and can damage it permanently. Keep your phone between 50 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit for best results.
Check your battery health by going to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging. If your maximum capacity is below 80 percent, your battery is aging and will not hold a charge as long. Charge slowly using a lower-wattage charger, and avoid leaving your phone plugged in overnight, as constant charging degrades battery health over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does closing apps actually save battery?
Yes, but only if the app was actively running in the background. Apps sitting in your recent apps list but not running do not drain battery. Close apps you were just using, especially games and social media, because they continue to run after you leave them. Closing apps you are not using saves 15 to 30 minutes of battery life per day.
Will Low Power Mode slow down my phone?
Low Power Mode reduces performance slightly — apps may take a fraction of a second longer to open, and video playback may be slightly less smooth. Most people do not notice the difference in everyday use like texting, email, and web browsing. The trade-off is worth it if you need your phone to last until evening.
Should I charge my iPhone overnight?
Modern iPhones have optimized battery charging that slows charging once you reach 80 percent, so overnight charging is safer than it used to be. However, keeping your battery at 100 percent all night still causes gradual wear. If possible, unplug your phone once it reaches 100 percent, or charge it to 80 percent and leave it unplugged. This extends the overall lifespan of your battery.
Does turning off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth save battery?
Turning them off saves a small amount of battery — maybe 15 to 30 minutes over a full day — but the difference is minor compared to screen brightness or background app refresh. Keep Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on if you use them regularly, because searching for a connection actually uses more power than staying connected. Turn them off only if you are in airplane mode or will not need them for hours.
What is the best way to charge my iPhone to keep the battery healthy?
Charge slowly using a lower-wattage charger (5W or 10W) rather than a fast charger whenever possible. Avoid letting your battery drop below 20 percent regularly, and try to keep it between 20 and 80 percent for daily use. If you use a fast charger, use it only when you need a quick top-up, not for everyday charging. These habits slow battery aging and keep your phone running longer.