Turn on Low Power Mode to cut background activity
Low Power Mode is the single fastest way to extend your iPhone's battery life. When you turn it on, your phone reduces processor speed, limits background app refresh, and turns off some visual effects. Most iPhones will last 20 to 30 percent longer on a single charge when Low Power Mode is active.
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. Your phone will ask you to confirm, and the icon will turn yellow once it is active.
Low Power Mode stays on until your battery reaches 20 percent, then turns off automatically. You can turn it off manually at any time by returning to Settings or Control Center. There is no downside to using it regularly — your phone will not be damaged, and you can still use all your apps normally, just slightly slower.
Key Takeaways
- Low Power Mode cuts your phone's processing speed and background activity, extending battery life by 20 to 30 percent without harming your device.
- Closing background app refresh for apps you do not use constantly prevents them from draining battery when you are not looking at them.
- Reducing screen brightness and enabling auto-brightness means your display uses less power throughout the day.
- Turning off location services, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi when you are not using them stops your phone from constantly searching for connections.
- Disabling push notifications and mail fetch reduces the number of times your phone wakes up to check for new messages.
Close background app refresh for apps you rarely use
Apps running in the background drain your battery even when you are not looking at them. Background App Refresh lets apps check for new content — email, messages, news updates — without you opening them. If you have ten apps refreshing in the background, your battery will deplete faster than necessary.
Open Settings, tap General, then Background App Refresh. You will see a list of every app on your phone. Toggle off the ones you do not need constant updates from — social media apps, news apps, games, and messaging apps you check manually are good candidates. Keep it on for apps like Mail, Messages, and Maps if you rely on them for real-time information.
You can also turn off Background App Refresh entirely by toggling the master switch at the top of the screen, though this will stop all apps from refreshing. The middle ground — turning it off for specific apps — gives you the best balance between battery life and staying current.
Reduce screen brightness and enable auto-brightness
Your screen is the biggest battery drain on your iPhone. A bright display at full power can use 30 to 40 percent of your battery in a few hours. Lowering brightness and letting your phone adjust it automatically based on the light around you will noticeably extend your battery life.
Open Settings, tap Display & Brightness, and drag the brightness slider to the left. Most people find 40 to 50 percent brightness comfortable indoors. Then toggle on Auto-Brightness, which uses your phone's ambient light sensor to dim the screen in dark rooms and brighten it in sunlight. This happens automatically and you will not notice it happening.
If you use your phone outdoors in bright sun, auto-brightness will increase brightness to keep the screen readable, which will use more battery in those moments. That trade-off is worth it because auto-brightness saves power the rest of the day. You can also enable Dark Mode in Display & Brightness settings, which uses darker colors on newer iPhones with OLED screens and saves additional battery power.
Turn off location services and Bluetooth when not needed
Location Services uses GPS, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi signals to pinpoint your location. GPS is the most power-hungry option. If you have location services on for ten apps, your phone is constantly calculating your position, and your battery will drain faster.
Open Settings, tap Privacy, then Location Services. You will see every app that uses your location. Toggle off location services for apps that do not need it — games, social media, and shopping apps rarely need to know where you are. Keep it on for Maps, Weather, and Find My iPhone. You can also set location access to "While Using" instead of "Always" for most apps, which means they only use GPS when you are actively using them.
Bluetooth drains battery when it is searching for devices to connect to. If you are not using wireless headphones, a smartwatch, or a car system, turn Bluetooth off in Control Center. The same applies to Wi-Fi — if you are on cellular data, turn Wi-Fi off so your phone stops scanning for networks. These small changes add up across the day.
Disable push notifications and switch to manual mail fetch
Every time your phone receives a notification, it wakes up your screen and uses power to display it. If you get 50 notifications a day, your phone is waking up 50 times. Push notifications for non-essential apps are a hidden battery drain.
Open Settings, tap Notifications, and review which apps send you notifications. Turn off notifications for social media, games, shopping apps, and anything else that does not require your when ready attention. Keep notifications on for Messages, Phone, and Mail if those are important to you. You can also change notification settings per app — tap an app name and toggle off "Allow Notifications" or choose "Deliver Quietly" so it does not wake your screen.
For email, open Settings, tap Mail, then Accounts. Tap Fetch New Data and change the setting from "Push" to "Manual" or "Every 30 Minutes." Push means your phone checks for new mail constantly. Manual means mail only arrives when you open the Mail app. Every 30 Minutes is a middle ground — your phone checks less often, saving battery, but you still get updates regularly.
Close apps running in the background and restart your phone weekly
Apps you have used but not fully closed stay in memory and use small amounts of battery. If you have 20 apps open, they are all using power. Closing apps you are done with is a quick way to reduce battery drain, though the effect is smaller than the other steps on this list.
Swipe up from the bottom of your screen (or swipe down from the top right on newer models) and hold to open the app switcher. You will see thumbnails of all open apps. Swipe up on any app to close it. Close apps you have finished using — email, web browser, maps — but leave the ones you use frequently, like Messages or Phone, open.
Restart your iPhone once a week to clear its memory and stop background processes from accumulating. Hold the power button and volume button together until the power-off slider appears, then drag it to turn off your phone. Wait 10 seconds, then press the power button again to turn it back on. A fresh restart often improves battery life noticeably.
Check which apps are using the most battery
Some apps are straightforward more power-hungry than others. Video apps, games, and navigation use significantly more battery than text-based apps. If one app is draining your battery much faster than the rest, you may want to limit how often you use it or find an alternative.
Open Settings, tap Battery, then Battery Usage. You will see a list of apps ranked by how much battery they have used in the last 24 hours or last 10 days. Tap the time period toggle at the top to switch between them. If an app you rarely use is in the top five, consider uninstalling it or turning off its background refresh and notifications.
Some apps have battery-saving settings within the app itself. For example, YouTube has a data saver mode, and Maps has a battery saver option. Check the settings inside apps you use frequently to see if they offer power-saving features. These settings are usually in the app's own Settings menu, not in your iPhone's main Settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does using Low Power Mode slow down my iPhone?
Yes, slightly. Your phone's processor runs slower, which means apps open a bit slower and scrolling may feel less smooth. For most people, the difference is barely noticeable. The trade-off — much longer battery life — is worth it for most users, especially when your battery is below 50 percent.
Will turning off background app refresh stop me from getting important messages?
No. Messages, Mail, and Phone will still notify you because they use push notifications, which work separately from background app refresh. Background app refresh only affects apps that check for updates silently in the background. You will still get alerts for calls, texts, and emails.
Is it bad to keep my iPhone on Low Power Mode all the time?
No, it is not harmful to your phone. Low Power Mode straightforward reduces performance slightly to save battery. Many people leave it on permanently and do not notice the slowdown. Your iPhone will not be damaged by running in Low Power Mode continuously.
Why is my battery draining fast even after I made these changes?
A few things could still be draining your battery: your screen brightness may still be too high, you may have many apps refreshing in the background, or your battery itself may be degraded. Check Battery Health in Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging. If your maximum capacity is below 80 percent, your battery is aging and may need replacement.
Does closing apps actually save battery?
Closing apps saves a small amount of battery, but not as much as turning off background app refresh or reducing screen brightness. Modern iPhones are designed to manage open apps efficiently. The bigger battery savers are Low Power Mode, screen brightness, and disabling background refresh for apps you do not need constant updates from.