The fastest ways to cut battery drain right now
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 a weak cellular signal. You can slow that drain when ready by lowering screen brightness, closing unused apps, and switching to airplane mode in areas with poor reception. These three changes alone often add hours to a single charge.
If you are at 20 percent battery or lower, turn on Low Power Mode. On iPhone 15 and newer, swipe down from the top-right corner, find the battery icon, and tap it. On older models, go to Settings > Battery > Low Power Mode and toggle it on. Low Power Mode reduces background activity, dims the screen slightly, and slows processor speed—it cuts battery drain by roughly half, though some apps will run slower.
The screen itself is the single largest battery consumer on most iPhones. Lowering brightness to 30 or 40 percent, or turning on Auto-Brightness so the phone adjusts to your surroundings, makes a visible difference within an hour. You can also reduce the refresh rate: on iPhone 13 Pro and newer, go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Motion and toggle on Reduce Motion, which lowers the screen refresh from 120 Hz to 60 Hz.
Key Takeaways
- Low Power Mode cuts battery drain by roughly half and is the single fastest way to extend a charge when you are away from a charger.
- Screen brightness is the largest battery consumer—lowering it to 30 or 40 percent or turning on Auto-Brightness adds hours to your battery life.
- Background app refresh, location services, and Bluetooth drain battery even when you are not using those apps, and you can turn them off per app in Settings.
- Older batteries lose capacity over time; if your iPhone is more than three years old and drains quickly even after these changes, the battery itself may need replacement.
Turn off background app refresh for apps you do not use constantly
Apps running in the background consume battery even when you are not looking at them. Mail, Maps, social media apps, and fitness trackers all refresh their data periodically. You do not need all of them doing this all day.
Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh. You will see a list of every app on your phone. Toggle off Background App Refresh for apps you check only occasionally—news apps, games, shopping apps, and social media are safe to disable. Keep it on for Mail, Messages, and any app that sends you time-sensitive notifications.
The same principle applies to location services. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services. Scroll through and change apps from "Always" or "While Using" to "Never" unless they genuinely need your location—Maps needs it, but your weather app does not. Many apps request location permission and never actually use it; denying it saves battery.
Disable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when you are not using them
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi drain battery because your phone is constantly searching for and maintaining connections. If you are at home on your home Wi-Fi network, leave Wi-Fi on—it uses less battery than cellular data. But if you are moving between locations or in an area with weak Wi-Fi, turn Wi-Fi off so your phone does not waste energy searching.
Bluetooth is simpler: turn it off unless you are actively using wireless headphones, a smartwatch, or a car stereo. Swipe down from the top-right corner (iPhone X and newer) or up from the bottom (iPhone 8 and older) to open Control Center, then tap the Bluetooth icon to toggle it off. You can also go to Settings > Bluetooth and toggle it off there.
If you leave Bluetooth on all day but only use it for 30 minutes, you are wasting battery for the other 23.5 hours. The same is true for Wi-Fi in areas where the signal is weak—your phone works harder to maintain a weak connection than to switch to cellular.
Reduce notifications and vibration
Every notification wakes your screen and triggers a vibration, both of which drain battery. You do not need notifications from every app. Go to Settings > Notifications and review which apps are allowed to send them. Turn off notifications for apps that are not urgent—games, shopping apps, and news apps can wait until you open them.
Vibration uses more battery than sound because it requires the phone's motor to run. If you are in a quiet place, use sound instead of vibration. Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics, scroll down to Haptic Strength, and lower it or turn it off entirely. You can also disable vibration for specific notifications by going to Settings > Notifications, selecting an app, and toggling off Sounds & Haptics.
Check which apps are consuming the most battery
Some apps are straightforward more demanding than others. Video streaming, games, and navigation drain battery much faster than email or messaging. To see which apps are using the most power, go to Settings > Battery, then scroll down to Battery Usage by App. The list shows which apps have consumed the most battery in the last 24 hours or the last 10 days.
If an app you rarely use is at the top of the list, that app may have a problem—it might be refreshing in the background constantly or using location services unnecessarily. Try closing the app completely (swipe up from the bottom or down from the top-right to open the app switcher, then swipe up on the app) and see if battery drain improves. If the problem persists, uninstall the app and reinstall it, or contact the app maker.
Some apps are straightforward power-hungry by design. Maps, Spotify, and video apps will always drain battery faster than text-based apps. That is normal. If you are using Maps for navigation, battery drain is the cost of that feature, not a sign something is wrong.
Keep your iPhone cool and avoid extreme temperatures
Battery capacity shrinks in cold weather and the battery works harder in hot weather. If your iPhone feels warm to the touch, remove it from direct sunlight, close apps you are not using, and let it cool down before charging. Charging a warm phone also stresses the battery.
In winter, keep your iPhone in an inside pocket rather than a back pocket or bag where it is exposed to cold air. Cold does not permanently damage the battery, but it does reduce how much charge the battery can hold while it is cold. Once the phone warms up, the battery will perform normally again.
Do not leave your iPhone in a hot car or in direct sunlight for extended periods. Temperatures above 95 degrees Fahrenheit can permanently reduce battery capacity over time. If your phone gets too hot, iOS will throttle performance and may show a temperature warning.
Replace the battery if your iPhone is more than three years old
iPhone batteries are designed to hold 80 percent of their original capacity after 500 full charge cycles—roughly two years of normal use. After three years, most batteries hold 70 to 75 percent of their original capacity. After four years, they may hold 60 percent or less.
You can check your battery health by going to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging. Look at the Maximum Capacity number. If it is below 80 percent and you have tried all the steps above, the battery itself is the problem, not your settings. Apple and most phone repair shops can replace the battery. The cost varies by iPhone model and location, but typically ranges from $50 to $100.
A new battery is often cheaper and faster than buying a new phone, and it will restore your iPhone to nearly its original battery life. If your phone is still under warranty or you have AppleCare+, battery replacement may be covered.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does closing apps in the app switcher actually save battery?
No. Closing an app in the app switcher does not save battery because the app is not running in the background anyway—it is just sitting in memory. The only reason to close an app is if it is misbehaving or using location services when it should not be. Instead, turn off Background App Refresh for apps you do not need to refresh constantly.
Is it bad to leave my iPhone plugged in overnight?
Modern iPhones are designed to handle overnight charging safely. iOS slows charging once the battery reaches 80 percent and stops charging at 100 percent, so the battery is not constantly being charged all night. However, if you want to extend battery lifespan, you can enable Optimized Battery Charging in Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging, which learns your charging habits and avoids keeping the battery at 100 percent for long periods.
Does dark mode really save battery on my iPhone?
Dark mode saves battery only on iPhones with OLED screens—iPhone 12 and newer. OLED screens turn off individual pixels to display black, so dark mode uses less power. On older iPhones with LCD screens, dark mode makes no difference to battery life because the entire backlight stays on regardless of what is displayed.
Should I turn off 5G to save battery?
5G uses more battery than 4G LTE, but the difference is usually small unless you are actively downloading large files. If you are in an area with weak 5G signal, your phone will work harder to maintain the connection, which drains battery faster. You can turn off 5G by going to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options > Voice & Data and selecting LTE instead of 5G Auto.
What is the best way to charge my iPhone to keep the battery healthy?
Charge your iPhone whenever it is convenient—modern batteries are designed to handle frequent charging. Avoid letting the battery drop to zero regularly, and avoid leaving it plugged in at 100 percent for days at a time. If you want to optimize battery lifespan, enable Optimized Battery Charging in Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging, which slows charging after 80 percent to reduce stress on the battery.