Turn on Low Power Mode to cut background activity

Low Power Mode is the fastest way to extend your battery life. When you turn it on, your iPhone slows down performance, reduces visual effects, and stops background app refresh until you plug in or reach 80 percent charge.

To turn it on, open Settings, tap Battery, then toggle Low Power Mode on. You can also swipe up from the bottom of your screen (or down from the top right on newer models) to open Control Center and tap the battery icon. Low Power Mode appears as a yellow battery icon in your status bar.

Low Power Mode cuts your battery drain by roughly 20 to 30 percent depending on what you are doing. The trade-off is that apps load slower and some features pause — but your phone still works normally for calls, texts, and browsing.

Key Takeaways

  • Low Power Mode is the single fastest way to extend battery life and can be turned on in Settings or Control Center.
  • Turning off location services, background app refresh, and push notifications stops apps from draining power when you are not using them.
  • Reducing screen brightness and enabling auto-brightness helps because the display uses more power than any other component.
  • Closing apps running in the background and disabling Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when you do not need them prevents constant power drain.
  • Turning off visual effects like motion and transparency in Accessibility settings saves battery without affecting core functions.

Reduce screen brightness and enable auto-brightness

Your screen is the biggest battery drain on an iPhone. Lowering brightness when ready cuts power use. Go to Settings, tap Display & Brightness, and drag the brightness slider down. Most people can work comfortably at 30 to 50 percent brightness indoors.

Enable Auto-Brightness in the same menu so your phone adjusts brightness based on the light around you. This prevents you from running at full brightness in a dark room or keeping it low in sunlight, both of which waste power.

If you use your phone outdoors often, keep auto-brightness on and manually lower brightness when you are inside. This single change can add 1 to 3 hours to your battery life depending on how much you use your screen.

Turn off location services and background app refresh

Location services let apps track your position using GPS, which drains battery constantly. Go to Settings, tap Privacy, then Location Services. You will see a list of apps with location access. Turn off location for apps that do not need it — most social media apps, games, and news apps do not require your location to work.

Keep location on for Maps, Weather, and Find My if you use them. For other apps, you can set location to "While Using" instead of "Always" so the app only knows where you are when it is open.

Background App Refresh lets apps update in the background even when you are not using them. Go to Settings, tap General, then Background App Refresh. Turn it off entirely, or turn it off for individual apps you do not need updating constantly. Email, messaging, and news apps are the biggest culprits.

Disable push notifications and fetch mail less often

Every time your phone receives a notification, it wakes the screen and uses power. Go to Settings, tap Notifications, and turn off notifications for apps you do not need alerts from. Keep notifications on for messages, calls, and calendar events, but turn them off for social media, games, and shopping apps.

For email, go to Settings, tap Mail, then Accounts. Tap Fetch New Data and change the setting from "Push" to "Every 30 Minutes" or "Hourly." Push means your phone checks for new mail constantly; fetching on a schedule checks less often and uses less power. If you do not need email urgently, set it to hourly or manual.

Turn off Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and cellular data when not in use

Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and cellular radios search for connections constantly, which drains battery. Open Control Center and tap the Bluetooth icon to turn it off when you are not using wireless headphones or a smartwatch. Do the same with Wi-Fi if you are away from home or the office.

If you are in an area with poor cellular signal, your phone works harder to stay connected. Turn on Airplane Mode in Control Center to stop all wireless searching. You can turn Wi-Fi back on while Airplane Mode is on if you need internet.

Cellular data also drains faster than Wi-Fi, so connect to Wi-Fi when you can. If you are not using data, turn off cellular data in Settings under Cellular to prevent apps from using it in the background.

Disable visual effects and motion in Accessibility settings

Your iPhone uses power to animate transitions, blur backgrounds, and create parallax effects (where the background moves when you tilt your phone). These look nice but drain battery. Go to Settings, tap Accessibility, then Display & Text Size.

Turn on Reduce Motion to stop parallax and animation effects. Turn on Reduce Transparency to remove blur effects and use solid colors instead. These changes make your phone feel slightly less polished but save 5 to 10 percent battery without affecting how your apps work.

Close apps running in the background and restart your phone

Apps left open in the background continue using power. Swipe up from the bottom of your screen (or down from the top right) and hold on an app preview, then tap "Remove" to close it. You do not need to close every app — focus on ones you used recently but do not need running.

Restarting your phone clears the memory and stops apps from running unnecessarily. Hold the power button and volume down button together until the power-off slider appears, then drag it to turn off your phone. Wait 10 seconds, then hold the power button to turn it back on. A restart can improve battery life by 10 to 20 percent if your phone has been running for days without restarting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Low Power Mode damage my battery?

No. Low Power Mode slows your phone temporarily but does not harm the battery itself. Your battery health depends on charge cycles and temperature, not on performance settings. You can use Low Power Mode whenever you want without long-term damage.

Will turning off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth really save battery?

Yes, but the savings depend on how often your phone searches for connections. If you are in a place with weak Wi-Fi or Bluetooth signals, turning them off saves noticeable power. In strong signal areas, the savings are smaller — maybe 5 to 10 percent. Turn them off if you are not using them.

What is the difference between Low Power Mode and turning off background app refresh?

Low Power Mode slows your entire phone and stops background refresh all at once. Turning off background app refresh only stops apps from updating in the background — your phone still runs at full speed. Use both together for maximum battery life, or use Low Power Mode alone if you want a simpler approach.

Should I keep my phone plugged in overnight?

Modern iPhones stop charging at 100 percent and do not overcharge, so leaving your phone plugged in overnight is safe. However, keeping your battery at 100 percent constantly can slightly reduce its lifespan over years. If you want to preserve battery health, unplug your phone once it reaches 100 percent or use Optimized Battery Charging in Settings under Battery to limit charging to 80 percent overnight.

Does closing apps in the background actually save battery?

Closing apps saves battery only if they are actively running or refreshing in the background. If an app is just sitting in memory, closing it saves very little. Focus on turning off background app refresh and location services instead — that stops apps from draining power even when closed.