The most common reasons your iPhone battery empties quickly
iPhone battery drain usually comes from one of three sources: an app running constantly in the background, a setting that keeps your screen or radios active, or a hardware problem that developed after a drop or liquid exposure. Most of the time it is the first two, and you can fix them yourself by checking a few specific places in Settings.
The fastest way to find the culprit is to look at which apps are using battery in the last 24 hours. This tells you whether the problem is one app hogging power, your screen staying on too long, or your phone searching for signal or location constantly. Once you know which one, the fix usually takes under five minutes.
Key Takeaways
- Check Settings > Battery to see which apps used the most power in the last 24 hours; a single app using over 30 percent usually means that app is the problem.
- Background App Refresh lets apps run and use location even when you are not looking at them; turning it off for specific apps saves significant battery without breaking their core functions.
- Screen brightness, location services set to "Always", and Bluetooth left on all drain battery faster than most apps do.
- If battery drains even when the phone is off or in airplane mode, the problem is likely hardware and usually requires a battery replacement.
How to check which apps are draining your battery
Open Settings, then tap Battery. Scroll down to see Battery Usage by App. The list shows the last 24 hours by default, but you can tap the clock icon at the top to see the last 10 days instead. Apps at the top used the most power.
If one app is using 25 percent or more of your battery, that app is almost certainly the problem. Common culprits are Maps (especially if you left navigation running), social media apps that refresh feeds constantly, and games. If the top app is using under 15 percent and the drain is spread across many apps, the problem is a setting, not an app.
Tap any app in the list to see whether it used battery while you were actively using it or while it was running in the background. If it says "Background Activity" and the number is high, Background App Refresh is letting that app run when you are not looking at it.
Turn off Background App Refresh for specific apps
Background App Refresh lets apps check for new messages, refresh feeds, and update location even when you are not using them. This is useful for some apps (like Messages or Maps) but wasteful for others (like games or news apps you check once a day). You can turn it off per app instead of turning it off entirely.
Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh. You will see a list of every app. Toggle off the ones you do not need to run in the background. Start with apps you do not use every day, social media apps, and games. Leave it on for Messages, Mail, Maps, and Find My.
If you want to turn off Background App Refresh completely, toggle the switch at the top. Your apps will only refresh when you open them, which saves battery but means you might not see new messages until you check the app.
Check Location Services and turn off "Always" for apps that do not need it
Location Services uses your phone's GPS, which drains battery faster than almost any other feature. Some apps ask for location "Always" even though they only need it when you are actively using them. Changing these from "Always" to "While Using" or "Never" saves significant battery.
Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services. Make sure Location Services is on (if it is off, this is not your problem). Scroll through the list and look for apps set to "Always". Tap each one and change it to "While Using This App" unless you have a specific reason it needs to track you all the time. Weather, Maps, and Find My are the only apps most people need set to "Always".
If you see an app you do not recognize or do not use, set it to "Never". You can always change it back if the app stops working the way you expect.
Lower screen brightness and check auto-brightness settings
Your screen is often the single biggest battery drain because it is on for hours every day. Lowering brightness saves battery when ready, and auto-brightness can help by dimming the screen in low light.
Swipe down from the top right corner to open Control Center. Drag the brightness slider down to around 40 percent for indoor use. For auto-brightness, go to Settings > Display & Brightness and toggle on Auto-Brightness. This dims your screen in dim rooms and brightens it in sunlight, which uses less battery than keeping brightness high all the time.
If you use your phone outdoors a lot, you may need to keep brightness higher. In that case, the trade-off is acceptable — a readable screen is more important than squeezing out another hour of battery.
Turn off Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and cellular radios when you are not using them
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and cellular radios search for networks and devices constantly, which uses battery. Turning them off when you do not need them saves power, though the savings are usually smaller than turning off Location Services or Background App Refresh.
Swipe down from the top right to open Control Center. Tap the Bluetooth icon to turn it off, the Wi-Fi icon to turn it off, and tap Airplane Mode to turn off all radios at once. If you turn on Airplane Mode, you will not receive calls or texts until you turn it off again, so use this only when you know you will not need connectivity.
If your phone is in a place with weak cellular signal, it works harder to stay connected and drains battery faster. In this case, turning on Airplane Mode or switching to Wi-Fi calling saves battery by reducing the work your phone has to do.
What to do if battery still drains after checking these settings
If you have turned off Background App Refresh for unnecessary apps, changed Location Services to "While Using", lowered brightness, and battery still drains in a few hours, the problem is likely hardware. Lithium batteries degrade over time, and after two or three years most iPhones hold less charge than they did new. A drop or liquid exposure can also damage the battery.
Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging. Look at Maximum Capacity. If it is below 80 percent, your battery has degraded and a replacement will restore most of your battery life. If it is above 80 percent and battery still drains quickly, the problem may be elsewhere in the phone's hardware, and you should visit an Apple Store or authorized repair shop to have it checked.
Apple offers battery replacement for a flat fee that varies by model, usually between $50 and $100. Third-party repair shops often charge less but may not use Apple parts. Either way, a new battery is cheaper than a new phone and usually fixes the problem completely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my battery drain even when I am not using my phone?
Background App Refresh, Location Services set to "Always", and Bluetooth left on all use battery even when your screen is off. Check those three settings first. If battery drains even in Airplane Mode, the battery itself may be failing and needs replacement.
Does closing apps in the app switcher save battery?
No. Closing apps does not save battery because apps do not use power when they are not running. The only thing that matters is whether Background App Refresh is on for that app. Closing apps in the switcher is unnecessary and does not help.
Should I turn off Wi-Fi to save battery?
Wi-Fi uses less battery than cellular data, so turning it off usually makes battery drain worse, not better. Keep Wi-Fi on when you are home or at work. Turning off Bluetooth and Location Services saves more battery than turning off Wi-Fi.
Can a software update fix battery drain?
Sometimes. Apple releases updates that fix bugs causing apps to use too much battery. If you have not updated recently, go to Settings > General > Software Update and install any available update. If battery drain started after an update, wait a few days — sometimes the phone needs time to finish indexing and background tasks.
What is Low Power Mode and does it really work?
Low Power Mode reduces performance and limits background activity to extend battery life. It works, but it slows down your phone noticeably. Use it only when battery is below 20 percent or you will not have access to a charger for several hours. You can turn it on in Settings > Battery or in Control Center.