Turn on Low Power Mode to cut background activity

Low Power Mode is the fastest way to extend your iPhone XR's battery life. When you turn it on, your phone reduces processor speed, limits background app refresh, and dims the display slightly. Most people see their battery last 1 to 3 hours longer with this setting active.

To turn on Low Power Mode, open Settings, tap Battery, then toggle on Low Power Mode. You can also swipe up from the bottom of your screen to open Control Center and tap the battery icon. Your phone will ask you to confirm, and the status bar at the top will turn yellow so you know it is active. Low Power Mode stays on until your battery reaches 20 percent, then turns off automatically—or you can turn it off manually anytime.

Low Power Mode does slow down some tasks like photo processing and app loading, but email, texting, and web browsing work normally. If you are about to leave home and your battery is below 50 percent, turning this on before you go is the single most effective step you can take.

Key Takeaways

  • Low Power Mode reduces processor speed and background activity, and you can turn it on in Settings > Battery or through Control Center.
  • Reduce screen brightness and enable Auto-Brightness so your display uses less power throughout the day.
  • Turn off location services for apps that do not need it, and disable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when you are not using them.
  • Close apps running in the background and check Battery in Settings to see which apps are draining the most power.
  • Disable push notifications and background app refresh for apps you do not need constant updates from.

Lower your screen brightness and use Auto-Brightness

Your iPhone XR's display is the single largest battery drain on the phone. Reducing brightness by even 30 percent can add hours to your battery life, especially if you use your phone throughout the day.

Open Settings, tap Display & Brightness, and drag the brightness slider to the left. Most people find 30 to 40 percent brightness is readable indoors and still saves significant battery. If you are outdoors in bright sunlight, you may need to go higher, but lower it again when you come inside.

Enable Auto-Brightness in the same menu so your phone adjusts brightness automatically based on the light around you. This prevents you from leaving the screen at full brightness when you do not need it. Auto-Brightness learns your habits over time and becomes more accurate the longer you use it.

Turn off location services for apps that do not need it

Location services use your phone's GPS, which drains battery quickly. Many apps request location permission but do not actually need it to work—social media apps, news apps, and games often ask for location but function fine without it.

Go to Settings, tap Privacy, then tap Location Services. You will see a list of every app that has requested location access. Tap each app and choose "Never" unless the app genuinely needs your location to work (Maps, weather apps, and ride-sharing apps are legitimate uses). For apps you use occasionally, choose "While Using" instead of "Always" so location only turns on when you open the app.

Turning off location for even three or four apps can add 30 minutes to a full day of battery life. Check this list once a month because app updates sometimes reset these permissions.

Disable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when you are not using them

Bluetooth and Wi-Fi both search for connections constantly, even when you are not actively using them. If you are at home or work where you do not need either one, turning them off saves battery.

Swipe up from the bottom of your screen to open Control Center. Tap the Bluetooth icon to turn it off, and tap the Wi-Fi icon to turn it off. The icons will dim when they are disabled. Turn them back on when you need them—for example, turn Bluetooth back on when you get in your car if you use it for hands-free calling.

If you are away from home all day, leaving Wi-Fi on may actually save battery because your phone will not search for cellular signal as hard when it is connected to Wi-Fi. The trade-off depends on your situation, so experiment for a few days and see what works for you.

Check which apps are using the most battery and close background activity

Some apps drain battery much faster than others. Open Settings, tap Battery, and scroll down to see which apps have used the most battery in the last 24 hours or the last 10 days. Apps like Maps, video streaming apps, and games typically use the most power.

If an app is using far more battery than you expect, you have two options: close it when you are not using it, or uninstall it if you do not use it often. You can also turn off background app refresh for specific apps so they do not run when you are not looking at them. Go to Settings, tap General, tap Background App Refresh, and toggle off the apps you do not need running in the background.

Be aware that turning off background app refresh means some apps will not send you notifications or update their content until you open them. Email and messaging apps are worth keeping on, but news apps and social media apps work fine with it turned off.

Disable push notifications and reduce visual effects

Every time your phone receives a notification, it lights up the screen and uses power. If you get dozens of notifications per day, they add up. Go to Settings, tap Notifications, and review which apps send you notifications. Turn off notifications for apps you do not need constant updates from—you can always check them manually when you open the app.

You can also reduce visual effects that use battery. Go to Settings, tap Accessibility, tap Display & Text Size, and toggle on Reduce Motion. This turns off animations when you swipe between screens and open apps. It is a small change but noticeable on battery life over a full day.

Use Wi-Fi instead of cellular data when possible

Cellular data uses more power than Wi-Fi because your phone has to maintain a stronger connection to the cell tower. When you are at home, work, or a coffee shop with Wi-Fi, connect to the network instead of using cellular data. Your phone will automatically switch to Wi-Fi when it is available if you have it turned on.

If you are streaming video or downloading large files, Wi-Fi will also be faster, which means the task finishes quicker and your phone can go back to lower power use sooner. This is especially true if you have a weak cellular signal, because your phone works harder to maintain the connection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Low Power Mode damage my battery long-term?

No. Low Power Mode only changes how fast your processor runs and does not affect the battery itself. You can use it every day without harming your battery's health. Your iPhone XR's battery naturally degrades over time with normal use, but Low Power Mode does not speed up that process.

Will turning off background app refresh stop my emails and texts?

No. Email and text messages still arrive because they use push notifications, which work separately from background app refresh. Background app refresh only affects apps that check for new content on a schedule, like news apps or social media. Turn it off for those apps but leave it on for email and messaging if you want when ready notifications.

What is the difference between turning off Wi-Fi and turning off location services?

Wi-Fi connects you to the internet and uses less power than cellular data. Location services use GPS to pinpoint your location and drain battery faster than either one. You can have Wi-Fi on and location off, or any combination. Turn off location for apps that do not need it, and use Wi-Fi over cellular data when you can.

Can I use Low Power Mode all the time?

Yes, but most people only use it when their battery is low or they know they will be away from a charger for a long time. Low Power Mode does slow down some tasks slightly, so many people turn it off when they are home and can charge. Use it whenever you want—there is no downside to leaving it on.

Why is my battery draining so fast even with these changes?

If your iPhone XR is still draining quickly after trying these steps, check Settings > Battery to see if one app is using an unusually high percentage. If an app is using more than 20 percent of your battery and you do not use it often, uninstall it. If the problem started recently, restart your phone by holding the side button and volume down button, then sliding to power off. If battery drain continues, your battery may be aging and losing capacity.