The most common reasons your iPhone battery dies fast
Your iPhone battery drains quickly because of one or more of these causes: apps running in the background, screen brightness set too high, location services tracking your position constantly, or an aging battery that no longer holds a full charge. The culprit is rarely a single setting—it is usually a combination of habits and features you have not turned off.
The fastest way to find out what is draining your battery is to open Settings, tap Battery, then Battery Health & Charging. This screen shows you the maximum capacity your battery can hold. If it reads below 80 percent, your battery has degraded and will drain faster no matter what you do. If it reads 80 percent or higher, a setting or app is the problem, not the hardware.
Even if your battery health is good, iOS keeps a record of which apps used the most power in the last 24 hours or the last 10 days. Scroll down on that same Battery screen to see the list. If one app is using far more power than the others, that app is your answer.
Key Takeaways
- Check your battery health in Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging—if it is below 80 percent, the battery itself is wearing out and will drain faster over time.
- Screen brightness, background app refresh, and location services are the three settings that drain the most power on a typical iPhone.
- iOS tracks which apps used the most battery in the last 24 hours; if one app is listed far above the others, that app is the main drain.
- Turning off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when you are not using them, disabling push notifications, and closing apps that run in the background can add hours to your battery life.
- If your battery health is below 80 percent and you own the phone outright, Apple can replace the battery for a flat fee that varies by model.
Screen brightness and display settings drain the most power
Your screen is the single largest power consumer on your iPhone. If you have brightness set to maximum or if you have disabled auto-brightness, your battery will drain noticeably faster. The fix is straightforward: go to Settings, tap Display & Brightness, and turn on Auto-Brightness. This setting adjusts your screen brightness based on the light in your environment, so you use less power indoors and in dim rooms.
If you own an iPhone 12 or newer, you also have the option to use a 120 Hz refresh rate, which makes scrolling smoother but drains battery faster. Go to Settings, tap Display & Brightness, then scroll down to find 60 Hz or 120 Hz. Switching to 60 Hz will extend your battery life by several hours per day, though the difference is most noticeable when you are scrolling through social media or web pages.
The lock screen and always-on display (on iPhone 14 and newer) also consume power. If you have customized your lock screen with widgets or a live activity, disable the ones you do not check regularly. You can also turn off the always-on display entirely by going to Settings, tapping Display & Brightness, and toggling off Always-On Display.
Background app refresh and location services
Apps can run in the background even when you are not using them, checking for new messages, refreshing content, or tracking your location. Each of these tasks drains your battery. To stop this, go to Settings, tap General, then Background App Refresh. You will see a list of every app on your phone. Toggle off Background App Refresh for apps you do not need to update constantly—for example, you probably do not need a news app refreshing in the background every hour.
Location services are another major drain. Many apps ask permission to track your location, and some do so constantly. Go to Settings, tap Privacy & Security, then Location Services. You will see a list of apps with location access. For most apps, change the setting from "Always" to "While Using" or "Never." Maps and weather apps need location access to work properly, but social media apps, games, and shopping apps do not need to know where you are when you are not actively using them.
If you use location-based reminders or if you have turned on Significant Locations (a feature that learns where you go), these also drain power. Go to Settings, tap Privacy & Security, then Location Services, scroll to the bottom, and tap System Services. Toggle off Significant Locations if you do not use location-based reminders.
Push notifications and network connections
Every time an app sends you a notification, your phone wakes up and uses power. If you have dozens of apps sending notifications throughout the day, the cumulative drain is real. Go to Settings, tap Notifications, and review which apps are allowed to send notifications. Turn off notifications for apps that do not need to interrupt you—games, shopping apps, and news apps are good candidates. Keep notifications on for messaging apps, calendar, and anything work-related if that matters to you.
Your phone also drains battery when it is searching for a Wi-Fi network or Bluetooth device. If you have Wi-Fi or Bluetooth turned on but are not connected to anything, your phone is constantly scanning for networks and devices. Turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when you are not using them, or at least when you are in an area with no networks you recognize. If you use AirPods or a car stereo, you can leave Bluetooth on, but turn it off if you are not actively using wireless devices.
Cellular signal strength also affects battery life. If you are in an area with weak signal, your phone works harder to maintain a connection and drains faster. There is nothing you can do about this except move to a location with better signal, but it is worth knowing that a weak signal is a legitimate reason for fast battery drain.
When your battery health has degraded
If your battery health is below 80 percent, the battery itself is aging and will not hold a charge as long as it once did. This is normal—all rechargeable batteries degrade over time. An iPhone battery is designed to retain 80 percent of its capacity after 500 full charge cycles (a full cycle means charging from 0 to 100 percent). After that, it continues to degrade slowly.
If your battery health is between 80 and 90 percent, you may not notice much difference in daily use. Below 80 percent, most people notice the phone drains noticeably faster or shuts down unexpectedly when the battery reaches 20 percent. Below 50 percent, the phone becomes difficult to use for a full day.
Apple offers battery replacement for a flat fee. The cost varies by model—as of 2024, it ranges from around $50 to $100 for most iPhones, though this varies by location and model. You can replace the battery at an Apple Store, an Apple Authorized Service Provider, or by mailing your phone to Apple. If your iPhone is still under warranty or covered by AppleCare+, the replacement may be covered at no cost.
Low Power Mode and other built-in battery savers
iOS includes a Low Power Mode that reduces performance and background activity to extend battery life. When you turn it on, your phone will last several extra hours on a single charge, but some features will be slower or disabled. To turn it on, go to Settings, tap Battery, then toggle on Low Power Mode. You can also turn it on from the Control Center by swiping down from the top-right corner and tapping the battery icon.
Low Power Mode disables background app refresh, reduces mail fetch frequency, disables some visual effects, and limits performance. Most people do not notice the slowdown in daily use, but games and video editing apps will feel noticeably slower. You can turn Low Power Mode on and off as needed—many people turn it on when the battery reaches 20 or 30 percent, or use it all day if they know they will not have access to a charger.
Optimized Battery Charging is another feature worth turning on. Go to Settings, tap Battery, then Battery Health & Charging, and toggle on Optimized Battery Charging. This feature learns when you usually charge your phone and slows down charging to 80 percent until you need the phone, then finishes charging to 100 percent. This reduces the stress on your battery and slows down degradation over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does closing apps in the app switcher save battery?
No. Closing apps does not save battery because apps in the background are not actively running—they are suspended in memory. Closing them and reopening them later actually uses more battery because your phone has to reload them from scratch. The only exception is if an app is actively running in the background (you will see it listed under Battery with high usage), in which case closing it will help.
Should I turn off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi all the time?
Only if you are not using them. If you use AirPods, a smartwatch, or a car stereo, leave Bluetooth on. If you are at home or work with a Wi-Fi network, leave Wi-Fi on because it uses less power than cellular data. Turn them off only when you are in transit or in an area with no networks you use.
Why does my battery drain faster in cold weather?
Cold temperatures reduce the chemical reaction inside your battery, making it unable to deliver power as quickly. Your phone may even shut down at 20 or 30 percent battery in very cold weather, even though the battery is not actually empty. Warm the phone up indoors and the battery will work normally again. This is temporary and does not damage the battery.
Can I replace my iPhone battery myself?
You can, but it is not recommended unless you have experience with phone repair. The battery is glued to the phone, and prying it out risks damaging the screen, logic board, or other components. A mistake can cost you more than an official replacement. Apple's battery replacement service is the safest option.
Does leaving my phone plugged in overnight damage the battery?
No. Modern iPhones have Optimized Battery Charging, which stops charging at 80 percent overnight and finishes charging to 100 percent before you wake up. This reduces stress on the battery. Even without this feature, leaving a phone plugged in does not cause damage—it straightforward stops charging once it reaches 100 percent.