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 a weak cellular signal. You can add hours to your battery life by lowering screen brightness, closing unused apps, and switching to Wi-Fi when possible. The single biggest change most people make is turning on Low Power Mode, which reduces performance slightly but can stretch a full charge by a day or more.
Battery drain also depends on what you are doing. Streaming video, using GPS navigation, and playing games drain the battery much faster than reading text or checking email. If you need your phone to last through a long day, avoid these heavy tasks when the battery is below 20 percent.
Key Takeaways
- Low Power Mode cuts battery drain by roughly half and is the single fastest way to extend your charge, though it slows down some phone functions.
- Screen brightness is the second-largest battery drain; lowering it to 30 to 40 percent or turning on auto-brightness saves several hours per charge.
- Background app refresh lets apps update even when you are not using them; turning it off for apps you do not need to monitor constantly saves 10 to 20 percent of battery life.
- Location services, Bluetooth, and cellular data all drain the battery when running constantly; turning them off when you do not need them extends your charge by hours.
- Keeping your iPhone between 20 and 80 percent charge most of the time, rather than draining it to zero, slows the chemical aging of the battery itself.
Turn on Low Power Mode to cut battery drain in half
Low Power Mode is built into every iPhone and reduces the speed at which your phone processes information, which cuts battery drain significantly. When Low Power Mode is on, your phone will not read email as often, apps will not refresh in the background, and some visual effects will be turned off. Most people do not notice these changes during normal use.
To turn on Low Power Mode, open Settings, tap Battery, and toggle Low Power Mode to on. You can also add Low Power Mode to your Control Center (the quick-access menu you swipe down from the top right) so you can turn it on without opening Settings. Low Power Mode stays on until you manually turn it off or until you charge your phone to 80 percent.
If you want your phone to turn on Low Power Mode automatically, go to Settings, tap Battery, and choose when you want it to set up. Most people set it to turn on at 20 percent battery remaining.
Lower your screen brightness or turn on auto-brightness
Your screen uses more battery power than any other single component of your iPhone. Lowering the brightness from 100 percent to 40 percent can add three to five hours to your battery life, depending on what you are doing.
The easiest way to manage brightness is to turn on auto-brightness, which adjusts the screen to match the light in your surroundings. Go to Settings, tap Display & Brightness, and toggle on Auto-Brightness. Your phone will dim in a dark room and brighten in sunlight without you having to adjust it manually.
If you prefer to set brightness yourself, swipe down from the top right to open Control Center and drag the brightness slider to the left. Most people find 30 to 50 percent brightness is comfortable for indoor use and still saves significant battery.
Turn off background app refresh for apps you do not monitor constantly
Background app refresh lets apps update their content even when you are not using them. This is useful for apps like Mail or Messages that you want to stay current, but it drains the battery for apps you check only occasionally. Turning off background app refresh for apps you do not need to monitor can save 10 to 20 percent of your battery life.
Go to Settings, tap General, then Background App Refresh. You will see a list of every app on your phone. Toggle off background refresh for any app you do not need to update constantly. Keep it on for Mail, Messages, and any other apps where you want to see new content right away. You can turn it off for social media apps, news apps, and games without losing important notifications.
Disable location services, Bluetooth, and cellular data when not in use
Location services, Bluetooth, and cellular data all use power to search for signals or track your position. You do not need these running all the time. Turning them off when you are not using them can extend your battery by two to four hours.
Go to Settings and toggle off Bluetooth if you are not using wireless headphones or a smartwatch. Go to Settings, tap Privacy, then Location Services, and toggle it off entirely if you do not need navigation or location-based reminders. If you want to keep location services on but use less battery, go into Location Services and change apps from "Always" to "While Using" or "Never."
Cellular data is harder to turn off completely without losing phone calls and texts, but you can switch to Wi-Fi whenever possible. Wi-Fi uses less power than cellular data when you are stationary, so connecting to Wi-Fi at home or work saves battery throughout the day.
Close apps running in the background and restart your phone weekly
Apps that stay open in the background continue to use battery power even when you are not looking at them. Closing apps you have finished using is a straightforward way to reduce drain. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or swipe down from the top right on newer iPhones) to see all open apps, then swipe up on each app you want to close.
Restarting your iPhone once a week clears temporary files and stops apps from accumulating in the background. To restart, go to Settings, tap General, scroll to the bottom, and tap Shut Down. Wait a few seconds, then press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears. Your phone will restart and often run faster and use less battery afterward.
Keep your battery between 20 and 80 percent most of the time
iPhone batteries degrade over time because of chemical reactions inside the battery. These reactions happen faster when the battery is completely full or completely empty. If you keep your battery between 20 and 80 percent most of the time, the battery will stay healthy longer and hold a charge better after a year or two of use.
You do not need to obsess over this—using your phone normally and charging it overnight is fine. But if you want to slow battery aging, avoid letting your phone drain all the way to zero, and unplug it from the charger once it reaches 80 percent instead of waiting for 100 percent. Some newer iPhones have an Optimized Battery Charging feature that does this automatically. Go to Settings, tap Battery, then Battery Health & Charging, and toggle on Optimized Battery Charging.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does closing apps in the background actually save battery?
Closing apps saves a small amount of battery, but the effect is smaller than most people think. The bigger battery drain comes from apps that are actively running in the background, not from apps sitting idle in memory. Low Power Mode and screen brightness have much larger effects. Close apps if you want to, but do not expect it to double your battery life.
Is it bad to use Low Power Mode all the time?
Low Power Mode is safe to use constantly. It slows down some phone functions like email refresh and visual effects, but it does not damage the battery or the phone. Many people leave it on permanently and only turn it off when they need full performance for a specific task.
Why does my battery drain faster in cold weather?
Cold temperatures slow the chemical reactions inside the battery, which makes it harder for the battery to deliver power. Your iPhone may show a lower battery percentage in cold weather, but the battery itself is not damaged. The battery will return to normal capacity once it warms up. Avoid leaving your phone in a cold car for long periods.
Does turning off Wi-Fi save battery if I am using cellular data instead?
No. Cellular data uses more power than Wi-Fi, so turning off Wi-Fi and using cellular instead will drain your battery faster. Keep Wi-Fi on whenever it is available. Turn off Wi-Fi only if you are not connected to a network and do not want your phone to search for one.
Can I replace my iPhone battery myself?
Apple and some authorized repair shops can replace your battery, but opening your iPhone yourself will damage the water-resistant seal and void your warranty. If your battery no longer holds a charge after a full day of normal use, contact Apple or visit an Apple Store to discuss replacement options.