The fastest way to extend iPhone battery life
The single most effective step is to turn on Low Power Mode, which cuts background activity and processing speed. On any iPhone, swipe down from the top-right corner (or up from the bottom on older models) to open Control Center, then tap the battery icon. Your phone will when ready reduce power use by roughly 20 to 30 percent and warn you when it drops to 20 percent, 10 percent, and 5 percent.
If Low Power Mode alone is not enough, the next step depends on what is actually draining your battery. Most iPhones lose power fastest to screen brightness, location services running in the background, and apps that refresh data when you are not using them. Identifying which one is the culprit takes two minutes and saves you from guessing.
The changes you make stick around until you turn them off, so you can set them once and forget them. You do not need to restart your phone or install anything.
Key Takeaways
- Low Power Mode is the fastest single fix and cuts battery drain by roughly 20 to 30 percent with one tap in Control Center.
- Screen brightness, background app refresh, and location services are the three biggest battery drains on most iPhones.
- You can see which apps are using the most battery by opening Settings > Battery > Battery Usage, which shows the last 24 hours or last 10 days.
- Turning off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when you are not using them saves battery, but disabling location entirely will break maps, weather, and find my device features.
- Older iPhones lose battery faster than newer ones because the battery itself degrades over time, and you can check your battery health in Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging.
Check which apps are draining your battery
Open Settings, tap Battery, then tap Battery Usage. You will see a list of every app and what percentage of your battery it used in the last 24 hours. Tap the clock icon at the top to switch to the last 10 days if you want a longer view. The apps at the top are the ones costing you the most power.
If an app you rarely use is in the top three, that is a sign it is running in the background even when you have closed it. Social media apps, navigation apps, and fitness trackers are common culprits. You have two choices: uninstall the app, or turn off background app refresh for just that app.
To turn off background refresh for one app, go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh, find the app in the list, and toggle it off. The app will still work when you open it, but it will not check for new messages or updates when you are not looking at it.
Lower your screen brightness or turn on auto-brightness
Your screen is usually the biggest battery drain on an iPhone. The brighter it is, the faster the battery empties. Open Settings > Display & Brightness and drag the brightness slider all the way down, or toggle on Auto-Brightness to let your phone adjust brightness based on the light around you.
If you find the screen too dim to read, you can also turn on Dark Mode (Settings > Display & Brightness > Dark), which uses less power on iPhones with OLED screens (iPhone 12 and newer). Dark Mode makes almost no difference on older LCD screens, but it does not hurt either.
Turn off location services you do not need
Location services let apps know where you are, which is useful for maps and weather but drains battery constantly. Open Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services. You will see a list of every app that has asked for your location. Next to each one, you can choose Always, While Using, or Never.
Change any app you do not actively need location for to Never. Maps and weather should stay on While Using so they work when you open them. Apps like social media or email do not need your location at all. If you turn off Location Services entirely, your phone will not be able to find itself with Find My iPhone, so leave the feature on but restrict it to the apps that actually need it.
Disable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when you are not using them
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth both search for networks and devices in the background, which costs battery. If you are not actively using either one, turn them off in Control Center. Swipe down from the top-right corner, tap and hold the Wi-Fi icon to open the network menu, and toggle Wi-Fi off. Do the same for Bluetooth.
The tradeoff is that your phone will not automatically reconnect to your home network or your car when you get back, so you may have to reconnect manually. If you use Bluetooth frequently (for headphones, a car, or a smartwatch), leaving it on is usually worth the battery cost.
Check your battery health if your phone is older
iPhones lose battery capacity over time as the battery ages. After two or three years, a battery that once lasted all day may only last until afternoon. Open Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging to see the maximum capacity of your battery as a percentage. If it is below 80 percent, your battery is degraded.
If your battery health is very low (below 50 percent), Apple will slow down your phone to prevent it from shutting down unexpectedly. You can turn this off in the same menu by toggling off Manage Battery health, but your phone may shut down without warning if the battery drains too fast. The real fix is to have Apple replace the battery, which costs between $50 and $100 depending on your model.
You can also see which apps have used the most battery in the last 24 hours or 10 days by tapping Battery Usage in this same menu, which helps you spot apps that are draining power faster than they should.
Use Optimized Battery Charging to slow battery aging
Batteries degrade faster if they are charged to 100 percent every day. Turn on Optimized Battery Charging in Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging. Your phone will learn when you usually charge it and will slow down charging to 80 percent until you actually need to use it, then finish charging the last 20 percent right before you wake up.
This feature only works if you charge your phone at the same time most nights. If you charge at random times, it will not make much difference. You can also manually cap your charging at 80 percent by toggling on Limit Charging in the same menu, though this is less convenient than letting the phone do it automatically.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does closing apps in the background actually save battery?
No. Closing an app does not save battery because apps that are not in use do not consume power. The only exception is if an app has background app refresh turned on, in which case turning off refresh for that specific app will help. Constantly closing and reopening apps actually uses more battery than leaving them alone.
Will turning off notifications save battery?
Turning off notifications saves a tiny amount of battery because your phone does not have to light up the screen or play a sound. The savings are small unless you receive hundreds of notifications per day. If notifications are bothering you, turn them off for specific apps in Settings > Notifications rather than disabling them entirely.
Does airplane mode really save battery?
Yes, airplane mode turns off all wireless radios (cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth), which saves significant battery. Use it when you know you will not need to make calls or use data for a few hours, like during a flight or a long meeting. Your phone will not receive calls or messages while airplane mode is on.
Should I charge my iPhone overnight?
Modern iPhones are designed to charge overnight safely. Once your phone reaches 100 percent, it stops charging and maintains that level. If you are worried about battery health, turn on Optimized Battery Charging instead, which will slow down charging to 80 percent and finish the last 20 percent in the morning.
What temperature should I keep my iPhone at to save battery?
iPhones work best between 62 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Cold temperatures make the battery drain faster temporarily, but the battery recovers when it warms up. Heat damages the battery permanently, so avoid leaving your phone in direct sunlight or in a hot car. If your phone gets too hot, it will slow itself down to cool off.