The fastest way to extend your iPhone battery is to lower the screen brightness and turn on Low Power Mode
Your iPhone battery drains fastest when the screen is bright and apps are running in the background. Lowering brightness to 30 to 40 percent and enabling Low Power Mode together can add 2 to 4 hours to a single charge. Low Power Mode reduces processor speed, limits background activity, and dims the display automatically — you turn it on in Settings > Battery > Low Power Mode, and your phone will prompt you to enable it when the battery reaches 20 percent.
If you need your phone to last through the day without charging, start with these two changes before trying anything else. They work when ready and do not require you to delete apps or change your habits.
Key Takeaways
- Low Power Mode and reduced screen brightness are the two fastest ways to extend battery life and can be toggled on or off at any time.
- Background app refresh, location services, and push notifications drain battery even when you are not using your phone, and turning them off for specific apps saves power without disabling them entirely.
- Keeping your iPhone between 20 and 80 percent charged most of the time, and avoiding heat, slows the chemical aging of the battery itself.
- If your battery drains in a few hours even on Low Power Mode, a specific app or setting is likely the cause, and you can find it in Settings > Battery > Battery Usage.
Turn off background app refresh for apps that do not need it
Background app refresh lets apps check for new information even when you are not looking at them — email, weather, news, and social media apps use it constantly. Each one drains a small amount of battery, and together they add up. You do not have to turn it off entirely; instead, disable it only for apps that do not need to update in real time.
Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh. You will see a list of every app on your phone. Turn off the toggle next to apps like games, shopping apps, or news readers that you check manually. Leave it on for email, messaging, and maps if you use them regularly. This change saves 5 to 10 percent of battery life on a typical day.
Disable location services for apps that do not need your location
Location services use your phone's GPS, which is one of the most power-hungry features available. Many apps request location permission but do not actually need it — a weather app needs your location, but a calculator does not. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services and scroll through the list. For each app, tap it and choose "Never" instead of "Always" or "While Using".
Apps like maps, weather, and ride-sharing services should keep location on. Turn it off for social media, shopping, and entertainment apps unless you have a specific reason to keep it. This change typically saves 3 to 8 percent of battery per day, depending on how many apps were using location in the background.
Turn off push notifications for apps that do not need them
Push notifications wake up your phone's screen and processor every time an app sends you a message. If you have 20 apps sending notifications, your phone is waking up dozens of times per hour. Go to Settings > Notifications and review each app. Turn off notifications for anything that is not urgent — games, shopping apps, and news readers can wait until you open them manually.
Keep notifications on for messages, email, and calls so you do not miss important contact. Disabling notifications for low-priority apps saves 2 to 5 percent of battery daily and also reduces distractions.
Keep your iPhone cool and avoid charging it to 100 percent every day
Lithium batteries, which power iPhones, age faster when they are hot or fully charged. If you regularly charge your phone to 100 percent and leave it plugged in, the battery will lose capacity noticeably within a year. Instead, try to keep your iPhone between 20 and 80 percent charged during normal use. If you need a full charge for travel, that is fine — just do not make it your daily habit.
Heat is also a battery killer. Avoid leaving your iPhone in direct sunlight, in a hot car, or in a case while it is charging. If your phone feels warm to the touch, remove the case and let it cool down. These practices do not extend battery life on a single charge, but they slow the permanent aging of the battery itself, so it will hold a charge better a year from now.
Find the app draining your battery using Battery Usage
If your battery still drains quickly even with Low Power Mode on, a single app or setting is probably the culprit. Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Usage to see which apps have used the most power in the last 24 hours or the last 10 days. If one app is using 30 percent or more of your battery, that is unusual and worth investigating.
Tap the app name to see whether it is using battery while the screen is on or in the background. If a social media or streaming app is using 20 percent of your battery in the background, turn off its background app refresh. If it is using power while you are actively using it, the app itself may be poorly designed — try closing it and reopening it, or uninstall and reinstall it. If the problem persists, you may need to stop using that app or contact the developer.
Use Optimized Battery Charging to slow battery aging
iPhones have a feature called Optimized Battery Charging that learns when you charge your phone and slows charging to 80 percent until you need it. This keeps the battery in a healthier state longer. Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging and turn on Optimized Battery Charging. Your phone will charge to 80 percent overnight, then finish charging to 100 percent an hour or two before you usually wake up.
This feature only works if you charge your phone at the same time every night. If you charge at random times, turn it off — it will not help and may leave you with less than full battery when you need it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does turning off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth save battery?
Turning them off saves a small amount — maybe 1 to 2 percent per day — but not enough to notice unless your battery is already critically low. If you are in Low Power Mode and need every bit of battery, turn them off. Otherwise, the convenience of having them on is worth the small drain.
Will closing apps in the background actually save battery?
No. Closing apps manually does not save battery because iOS already stops apps from running when you are not using them. The only exception is if an app is actively using location or playing audio in the background — in that case, closing it stops the drain when ready.
What is the difference between Low Power Mode and battery saver mode?
Low Power Mode is Apple's name for what other phones call battery saver mode. It is the same thing — it reduces processor speed, limits background activity, and reduces screen brightness to extend battery life.
Can I replace my iPhone battery myself?
Apple and some third-party repair shops can replace your battery, but you should not attempt it yourself. If your battery drains in a few hours even on Low Power Mode, or if your phone shuts down at 20 percent battery, the battery is likely worn out and needs professional replacement.
Does using dark mode save battery on all iPhones?
Dark mode saves battery only on iPhones with OLED screens — iPhone 12 and newer. On older iPhones with LCD screens, dark mode makes no difference to battery life. If you have an older iPhone, use dark mode only if you prefer how it looks.