The fastest ways to extend your iPhone battery between charges
Your iPhone battery drains fastest when the screen is on at full brightness, when apps run in the background, and when your phone searches for cellular or Wi-Fi signals. You can add hours to your battery life by adjusting these three things: lowering screen brightness, closing background apps, and turning off location services when you don't need them. Most of these changes take under a minute to make.
The single biggest drain is your display. Reducing brightness to 40 percent or lower, or turning on Auto-Brightness so the phone adjusts itself, can extend battery life by two to four hours depending on how much you use your phone. If you spend most of your day indoors or in dim light, Auto-Brightness will keep your screen dimmer than you'd set it manually.
Background app refresh is the second major drain. Apps like social media, weather, and email check for updates even when you're not using them. Turning this off for apps you don't need constant updates from—and keeping it on only for maps, messages, and weather—can add another hour or two of battery life.
Key Takeaways
- Lowering screen brightness to 40 percent or enabling Auto-Brightness is the single fastest way to extend battery life by several hours.
- Turning off background app refresh for social media, news, and email apps prevents them from draining power when you're not using them.
- Disabling location services for apps that don't need it—keeping it on only for maps and weather—saves significant battery over a full day.
- Low Power Mode cuts background activity across the board and extends battery life by one to three hours, but slows some features.
- Keeping your iPhone software up to date and avoiding extreme heat or cold preserves the battery's long-term health and daily performance.
Turn on Low Power Mode to cut power use across the board
Low Power Mode is a built-in setting that reduces processor speed, limits background activity, and dims the screen slightly. It extends battery life by one to three hours depending on your usage, but some features run slower—email syncs less often, iCloud photos upload more slowly, and some visual effects are reduced.
To turn it on, open Settings, tap Battery, and toggle on Low Power Mode. You can also add it to Control Center (swipe down from the top right, tap the edit button, and add Battery), so you can turn it on with one tap. Your phone will ask you to turn it on automatically when the battery reaches 20 percent, which is useful if you forget.
Low Power Mode stays on until your battery reaches 80 percent after charging, then turns off automatically. You can turn it off manually anytime if you need full performance—for example, if you're using your phone for navigation or video calls.
Disable location services for apps that don't need them
Location services use GPS, Bluetooth, and cellular data to pinpoint your location, which drains the battery constantly. Most apps request location permission but don't actually need it all the time. Social media apps, shopping apps, and games rarely need to know where you are.
Go to Settings, tap Privacy & Security, then Location Services. You'll see a list of every app that has requested location access. For each app, tap it and choose "Never" unless the app genuinely needs your location—maps needs it, weather benefits from it, but Instagram does not. You can also choose "While Using" so the app only accesses your location when it's open, rather than in the background.
Turning off location services entirely (toggle off Location Services at the top of that menu) will save the most battery, but your maps and weather won't work. A middle ground is to keep Location Services on but set most apps to "Never."
Stop apps from refreshing in the background
Background App Refresh lets apps update their content even when you're not using them. This is useful for messages, mail, and weather—you want those to be current. It's wasteful for social media, news apps, and games, which don't need to refresh unless you open them.
Go to Settings, tap General, then Background App Refresh. You'll see a toggle at the top to turn it off entirely, and a list of apps below. Turn off the toggle for apps you don't need constant updates from. Keep it on for Mail, Messages, Maps, and Weather if you use them regularly.
If you turn off Background App Refresh entirely, your email won't arrive until you open the Mail app, and your weather won't update unless you check it. Most people find it worth turning off for social media and news apps but keeping it on for communication and navigation.
Reduce screen brightness and enable Auto-Brightness
Your display uses more power than any other component in your iPhone. Lowering brightness from 100 percent to 40 percent can add three to four hours of battery life on a typical day. The easiest way is to swipe down from the top right to open Control Center and drag the brightness slider down.
Auto-Brightness adjusts your screen brightness based on the light around you, so you don't have to do it manually. Go to Settings, tap Display & Brightness, and toggle on Auto-Brightness. In bright sunlight it will turn up, and in dim rooms it will turn down. This prevents you from running your screen at full brightness indoors, where you don't need it.
If you find Auto-Brightness too dim or too bright, you can adjust it by going back to Settings and using the brightness slider to set a baseline, then turning Auto-Brightness back on. The phone will adjust from that point.
Keep your iPhone software and apps up to date
Apple releases iOS updates that often include battery improvements. Older versions of iOS sometimes have bugs that cause unnecessary power drain. Check for updates by going to Settings, tapping General, then Software Update. If an update is available, plug in your phone and install it—updates can take 15 to 30 minutes.
App updates also matter. Apps that haven't been updated in months may drain more battery than newer versions. Go to the App Store, tap your profile icon in the top right, and scroll down to see which apps have updates available. Tap Update All to install them all at once.
Updates usually happen automatically if you have Background App Refresh on and your phone is plugged in, but checking manually ensures you're not running outdated software that wastes power.
Avoid extreme temperatures and manage battery health over time
Lithium batteries in iPhones lose capacity over time, especially if exposed to heat above 95°F or cold below 32°F. Avoid leaving your phone in a hot car or in direct sunlight for long periods. In winter, keep it in an inside pocket rather than an outside pocket.
You can check your battery's health by going to Settings, tapping Battery, then Battery Health & Charging. The number shown is the maximum capacity your battery can hold compared to when it was new. A battery at 80 percent capacity will hold a charge for about 80 percent as long as it did originally. Most batteries reach 80 percent after two to three years of normal use.
If your battery health is below 80 percent and your phone is more than two years old, consider having the battery replaced. Apple and authorized repair shops can replace it for a fee, which is usually cheaper than buying a new phone. If your phone is still under warranty or AppleCare+, battery replacement may be covered.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does turning off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth save battery?
Turning them off saves a small amount of battery—maybe 5 to 10 percent of your daily drain—but not as much as lowering brightness or disabling background app refresh. If you're not using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, turning them off is worth doing, but don't expect a dramatic difference. Most people find it easier to just leave them on and focus on the bigger drains instead.
Will Low Power Mode damage my battery?
No. Low Power Mode is a software setting that reduces processor speed and background activity. It doesn't harm the battery itself. You can use it every day without any long-term damage. It's designed to extend the time between charges when you need it.
Why does my battery drain faster in cold weather?
Lithium batteries work less efficiently in cold temperatures. Your phone may show a lower battery percentage in the cold, but the battery isn't actually damaged—it will recover when it warms up. Avoid leaving your phone outside in freezing temperatures for long periods, and keep it in an inside pocket in winter.
Can I use my iPhone while it's charging without damaging the battery?
Yes, it's safe to use your phone while charging. The charger supplies power to both the phone and the battery simultaneously. The only downside is that using your phone while charging generates heat, which can slightly slow charging speed. If you want the fastest charge, avoid heavy use like gaming or video while plugged in.
Should I let my battery drain completely before charging?
No. Modern iPhones use lithium batteries that actually last longer if you charge them frequently and avoid letting them drop to zero. Charging from 20 percent to 80 percent is better for long-term battery health than draining to zero and charging to 100 percent. You don't need to think about this daily—just charge normally—but avoid letting your phone die regularly.