The most common reasons your iPhone battery dies quickly
Your iPhone battery drains fast because of one or more of these: apps running in the background, high screen brightness, location services tracking constantly, too many notifications, an old battery that no longer holds a charge, or a software bug after an update. The single biggest culprit is usually background app refresh — apps you are not looking at still pull power to check for new messages, load photos, or track your location.
If your phone is less than three years old and the battery was not damaged by water or a drop, the problem is almost always software settings or app behavior, not the battery itself. If your phone is older than four years, the battery has likely degraded enough that it cannot hold as much charge as it did new, even if nothing is wrong with your settings.
The fastest way to find out which app is draining your battery is to check Settings > Battery > Battery Usage. This screen shows you the percentage of battery each app has used in the last 24 hours or the last 10 days. If one app is using more than 20 percent of your battery and you rarely use it, that app is the problem.
Key Takeaways
- Background app refresh is the most common cause of fast battery drain — turning it off for apps you do not need updates from saves 10 to 20 percent of your daily battery.
- Screen brightness set to automatic or high drains battery faster than any other single setting, especially on newer iPhones with larger screens.
- Location services running constantly for maps, weather, and social media apps can drain 5 to 15 percent of your battery per day depending on how many apps use it.
- If your iPhone is older than four years, the battery itself has likely degraded and holds less charge than when new, even if all settings are correct.
- Checking Settings > Battery > Battery Usage shows you exactly which apps are using the most power so you can turn off the ones you do not need.
Turn off background app refresh for apps you do not need
Background app refresh lets apps check for new content even when you are not using them. Mail, Messages, and social media apps use this constantly. You can turn it off globally or per app. Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and toggle it off entirely, or tap it again to see the list of apps and turn it off only for the ones you rarely use.
Most people do not need background refresh for games, news apps, or social media. You will still get notifications when someone messages you — that uses a different system. The only apps that truly need background refresh are Mail, Messages, and Calendar if you want them to update without opening the app. Turning off background refresh for everything else usually saves 10 to 20 percent of your daily battery use.
Lower your screen brightness or turn on adaptive brightness
Your screen is the single largest power consumer on your iPhone. If you have brightness set to maximum or even 75 percent, it drains battery much faster than it needs to. Go to Settings > Display & Brightness and move the slider to 40 to 50 percent, or turn on Adaptive Brightness so the phone adjusts brightness based on the light around you.
Adaptive Brightness learns your habits and dims the screen in dark rooms and brightens it in sunlight without you having to adjust it manually. This saves battery because your eyes do not need maximum brightness indoors. If you spend most of your time indoors, lowering brightness to 40 percent and turning on Adaptive Brightness can extend your battery life by 20 to 30 percent.
Turn off location services for apps that do not need it
Location services use your phone's GPS, which is a power-hungry feature. Many apps request location permission and then use it constantly in the background. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services and scroll through the list. You will see each app and whether it uses location "Always," "While Using," or "Never."
Change apps to "While Using" instead of "Always" whenever possible. Maps and navigation apps need "Always" so they can give you directions. Weather, social media, and photo apps do not. If an app shows "Always" and you do not use it for navigation, change it to "While Using" or "Never." This can save 5 to 15 percent of your battery per day depending on how many apps were set to "Always."
Check for a battery that has degraded with age
iPhones older than four years usually have batteries that no longer hold a full charge. You can see how much your battery has degraded by going to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging. Look at the "Maximum Capacity" number — if it is below 80 percent, your battery has lost that much of its original capacity.
A battery at 60 percent capacity will drain twice as fast as a new battery, even if all your settings are correct. If your phone is older than four years and the maximum capacity is below 70 percent, replacing the battery is usually cheaper than buying a new phone and will restore most of your battery life. Apple and most repair shops can replace an iPhone battery in one to two hours.
If your phone is newer than three years and maximum capacity is still above 85 percent, your battery is fine and the drain is caused by settings or apps, not age.
Disable push notifications and fetch settings
Every time an app sends you a notification, your phone wakes up the screen and uses power. If you have dozens of apps sending notifications, your phone is waking up constantly. Go to Settings > Notifications and turn off notifications for apps you do not need alerts from. You can also change the fetch setting for email.
Go to Settings > Mail > Accounts > Fetch New Data and change it from "Push" to "Every 30 Minutes" or "Hourly." Push means your phone checks for new mail constantly, which drains battery. Checking every 30 minutes uses much less power and you will still see new mail within half an hour. For most people, hourly is fine and saves even more battery.
Restart your phone or update to the latest iOS version
Sometimes a software bug causes an app or system process to use more battery than it should. Restarting your phone closes all apps and clears temporary files, which often fixes the problem. Hold the side button and either volume button until the power-off slider appears, then slide to power off. Wait 10 seconds and turn it back on.
If restarting does not help, check whether a new iOS update is available. Go to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple sometimes releases updates that fix battery drain bugs. If an update is available, plug your phone in and install it — do not install major updates on battery alone. After updating, check Battery Usage again to see whether the draining app is still using as much power.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my battery drain faster after an iOS update?
iOS updates sometimes include bugs that cause apps or system processes to use more power than intended. Restarting your phone usually fixes this. If it does not, check Settings > Battery > Battery Usage to see which app is using the most power. If it is a system process like "System Services," wait a few days — the phone is usually indexing files or updating in the background and will return to normal.
Does turning off WiFi and Bluetooth save battery?
Turning off WiFi and Bluetooth saves a small amount of battery, usually 3 to 5 percent per day. However, using WiFi instead of cellular data actually saves more battery because WiFi uses less power than 4G or 5G. Turn off Bluetooth only if you do not use wireless headphones or smartwatches. For most people, leaving WiFi and Bluetooth on is worth the small battery cost.
Is it bad to charge my iPhone every night?
Charging your iPhone every night does not damage the battery. Modern iPhones are designed to charge overnight and will not degrade faster because of it. However, if your battery is draining so fast that you need to charge it multiple times per day, something is wrong with your settings or the battery itself. Check Battery Usage to find the cause, or have the battery tested if your phone is older than four years.
Will low power mode really extend my battery life?
Low Power Mode reduces performance and background activity, which extends battery life by 15 to 25 percent depending on what you are doing. It limits background app refresh, reduces screen refresh rate, and slows down processing. Turn it on when your battery is below 20 percent or if you know you will not have access to a charger for several hours. You can enable it in Settings > Battery > Low Power Mode.
What if my battery drains even when I am not using my phone?
If your phone loses 10 percent or more of its battery overnight while in sleep mode, an app is running in the background or your battery has degraded significantly. Check Settings > Battery > Battery Usage to see which app is using power while you sleep. If no app stands out, go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging and check the maximum capacity. If it is below 60 percent, the battery needs replacement.