The fastest ways to cut battery drain right now
Turn on Low Power Mode. On any iPhone, swipe down from the top right corner (or up from the bottom on older models), find the battery icon, and tap it. Your phone will when ready reduce background activity, lower screen brightness, and disable some features — this alone can add hours to your day. Low Power Mode cuts performance slightly, but most people do not notice the difference in everyday use.
Dim your screen or turn on Auto-Brightness. The display is the single largest battery drain on an iPhone. Go to Settings > Display & Brightness and either lower the brightness slider or toggle on Auto-Brightness so the phone adjusts to the light around you. If you use your phone outdoors in bright sun, this change saves the most battery.
Close apps running in the background. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or swipe down from the top right on newer models) to see open apps, then swipe up on each one you are not using. Apps like Maps, music players, and social media refresh constantly in the background and drain power even when you are not looking at them.
Key Takeaways
- Low Power Mode is the single fastest fix and can add several hours to your battery life with almost no noticeable change to how your phone works.
- Your screen brightness is the second-biggest drain, so dimming it or using Auto-Brightness saves battery without turning off features you need.
- Background app refresh, location services, and push notifications drain battery constantly — turning these off for apps you do not use frequently saves power throughout the day.
- Older batteries lose capacity over time, and you can check your battery health in Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging to see if replacement is worth considering.
Turn off background app refresh for apps you rarely use
Background app refresh lets apps update their content even when you are not using them — this is useful for email and messaging but wasteful for games or news apps you check once a week. Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh, and toggle off the apps that do not need to stay current. Leave it on for Mail, Messages, and anything time-sensitive.
You do not have to turn it off completely. Tap the toggle next to individual apps instead of switching off the whole feature. This way, your banking app or weather app stays fresh, but your photo editing app does not waste power in the background.
Disable location services for apps that do not need it
GPS and location tracking drain battery quickly because they use your phone's radio constantly. Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services and scroll through the list. You will see which apps have permission to track your location. Change apps like social media, shopping, and games from "Always" or "While Using" to "Never" — they do not need to know where you are.
Keep location on for Maps, weather, and any app that genuinely needs it to work. The difference between "Always" and "While Using" matters: "While Using" only drains battery when you have the app open, so switch apps to that setting if you want to keep location but save power.
Turn off push notifications and fetch mail less often
Every time your phone gets a notification, the screen wakes up and the radio activates. Go to Settings > Notifications and turn off notifications for apps that do not matter — you do not need alerts from shopping apps or games. Keep notifications on for Messages, Mail, and calls so you do not miss important contact.
For email, go to Settings > Mail > Accounts & Passwords > Fetch New Data. Change the setting from "Push" to "Every 30 Minutes" or "Hourly." Push means your phone checks for mail constantly; fetching on a schedule means it checks only at set times. This change alone can save 10 to 15 percent of your daily battery.
Check your battery health and consider replacement if it is worn
iPhone batteries lose capacity as they age. After about 500 full charge cycles (roughly two years of normal use), a battery typically holds 80 percent of its original charge. Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging to see your maximum capacity. If it is below 80 percent and you use your phone heavily, a replacement battery will noticeably improve how long your phone lasts between charges.
Apple and authorized repair shops can replace your battery. The cost varies by model, but it is usually between $50 and $100. If your phone is under warranty or you have AppleCare+, the cost may be lower or covered. A worn battery is the most common reason an iPhone does not last a full day, even with all these settings turned off.
Disable visual effects and animations
Your iPhone uses processing power to animate transitions between screens and apps. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size and toggle on "Reduce Motion." This removes the sliding animations when you open apps and switch between screens. The change is subtle but saves battery because your processor does less work.
You can also turn off dynamic wallpapers — they animate constantly and drain power. Go to Settings > Wallpaper, choose a static image instead of a live or dynamic one, and set it as your lock screen and home screen background. This is a small change, but every bit adds up.
Keep your phone cool and avoid extreme temperatures
Lithium batteries drain faster when they are hot. If your iPhone gets warm while charging or in direct sunlight, move it to a cooler place. Remove any thick case while charging if your phone feels hot. Avoid leaving your phone in a hot car or in direct sun for long periods.
Cold temperatures also drain battery faster, but the effect is temporary — your battery will recover once the phone warms up. Extreme heat, on the other hand, can permanently damage the battery. If your phone is hot to the touch, let it cool down before you use it heavily.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does turning off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth save battery?
Yes, but not as much as dimming your screen or using Low Power Mode. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth use less power than cellular radio, so turning them off saves some battery — but most people find the convenience of staying connected is worth the small drain. Turn them off only if you are not using them and need every last hour of battery.
Should I close all my apps to save battery?
No. Closing apps does almost nothing to save battery because apps do not use power when they are not running. The only exception is apps that refresh in the background — those drain power whether they are open or closed. Focus on turning off background app refresh instead of closing apps.
Is it bad to use Low Power Mode all the time?
No, Low Power Mode is safe to use constantly. It reduces performance slightly and disables some features like automatic downloads, but it does not damage your phone or battery. Many people leave it on permanently and do not notice any difference in how their phone works.
Why does my battery drain so fast even with these changes?
If your battery still drains quickly after trying these steps, your battery may be worn out. Check your battery health in Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging. If the maximum capacity is below 80 percent, replacement is usually the best fix. If the health is good, a specific app may be draining power — go to Settings > Battery to see which apps use the most power.
Does charging my phone overnight hurt the battery?
Modern iPhones are designed to handle overnight charging safely. Once your phone reaches 100 percent, it stops charging and just maintains that level. However, if you charge overnight regularly, your battery may age slightly faster because it spends a long time at full charge. If you want to extend battery lifespan, charge to 80 percent and unplug, but overnight charging will not cause when ready damage.