Fast battery drain usually comes from one of three sources: an app running constantly in the background, your screen brightness set too high, or a feature like location services working harder than it needs to
When your iPhone battery drops noticeably faster than it used to, something has changed — either a new app is running, an old app has updated and behaves differently, or a system setting has shifted. The drain is rarely a hardware failure on newer phones; it is almost always software or settings you can investigate yourself.
The fastest way to narrow it down is to check which apps are using the most battery, then decide whether they should be running in the background at all. After that, a few specific settings — screen brightness, location services, and background app refresh — account for most of the remaining drain.
Key Takeaways
- Open Settings > Battery to see which apps have used the most power in the last 24 hours or 10 days, which tells you where to start investigating.
- Apps that drain battery fastest are often running location services, playing audio, or refreshing data in the background even when you are not using them.
- Screen brightness and auto-brightness settings have a larger effect on battery life than most people realize, especially on newer iPhones with larger screens.
- Turning off Background App Refresh for specific apps prevents them from updating data when your phone is locked, which cuts battery drain without breaking their core function.
- If battery drain started after a specific app updated, uninstalling and reinstalling that app often fixes the problem.
How to check which apps are draining your battery
Go to Settings > Battery (or Settings > Battery and Device Management > Battery on newer models). You will see a list of apps ranked by how much battery they have used. Tap the time range at the top — you can view the last 24 hours or the last 10 days. The 24-hour view shows what happened recently; the 10-day view shows patterns.
Look for apps that seem out of place — a messaging app using 40% of your battery, or a weather app using 15%. That is unusual and worth investigating. Also note whether the app shows a small clock icon next to its name; that means it was running in the background, not just when you were actively using it.
If you see an app you do not recognize, or one you barely use, that is a good candidate for uninstalling. If it is an app you need, move to the next section.
Turn off Background App Refresh for power-hungry apps
Many apps refresh their data — checking for new messages, updating weather, syncing files — even when you are not looking at them. This happens because of a setting called Background App Refresh. You can turn it off globally, or just for the apps that drain the most battery.
Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh. You will see a toggle at the top to turn it off entirely, and a list of apps below with individual toggles. If you turn off the global toggle, no app can refresh in the background. If you leave it on but toggle off specific apps, those apps will only update when you open them.
Start by turning off Background App Refresh for apps that do not need real-time updates — games, news readers, or social media apps. Keep it on for messaging, email, and navigation apps if you want notifications to arrive promptly. The difference in battery life can be noticeable within a day.
Check location services and disable them for apps that do not need them
Location services — the feature that lets apps know where you are — uses the GPS chip, which consumes significant power. Some apps request location permission and then check your location constantly, even in the background. You can see which apps are using location and restrict them.
Go to Settings > Privacy and Security > Location Services. You will see a list of apps with a colored arrow or icon next to each one. A purple arrow means the app used location recently; a gray arrow means it has permission but has not used it lately. Tap each app and choose Never, Ask Next Time, or Always.
For most apps — weather, maps, reminders — choose While Using instead of Always. This lets the app know your location when you open it, but not when it is running in the background. Navigation apps are the exception; they need Always to work properly. If an app does not need location at all, choose Never.
Reduce screen brightness and check auto-brightness settings
The display is the single largest power consumer on an iPhone. If your screen brightness is set to maximum, or if auto-brightness is turned off and your phone is adjusting brightness manually, battery drain accelerates quickly.
Go to Settings > Display & Brightness. Look at the brightness slider — if it is above 70%, lower it to 50% and use your phone for a day to see the difference. Then go back and turn on Auto-Brightness. This setting lets your phone adjust brightness based on the light around you, which usually saves battery because the screen does not stay at maximum brightness in dim rooms.
If you use your phone outdoors in bright sunlight often, auto-brightness will keep the screen bright, which does use more battery. That is normal and unavoidable — you need to see the screen. But indoors, auto-brightness typically keeps brightness lower than you would set it manually, which saves power.
Disable location-based features you do not use
Several iPhone features use location constantly in the background. If you do not use them, turning them off saves battery.
Significant Locations (Settings > Privacy and Security > Location Services > System Services > Significant Locations) tracks where you go to build a map of your routine. Turn this off if you do not use it for reminders or other features. Find My iPhone (Settings > [Your Name] > Find My > Find My iPhone) uses location to help you locate a lost phone, but it runs in the background. If you do not need it, you can turn it off, though most people keep it on for safety.
Check Settings > Privacy and Security > Location Services > System Services for a full list. Scroll through and turn off anything you do not recognize or do not use.
Uninstall or reinstall apps that drain battery after an update
If battery drain started suddenly after a specific app updated, the app itself is likely the problem. Try uninstalling and reinstalling it. This clears out any corrupted data the update may have created.
Press and hold the app icon on your home screen, tap Remove App, then Delete App. Go to the App Store, search for the app, and tap the cloud icon to reinstall it. Open it and let it set up again. Check your battery usage after a few hours.
If the problem persists, the app may have a genuine bug. Check the app's reviews in the App Store to see if other users are reporting the same drain. If they are, the developer usually releases a fix within days or weeks. Until then, consider using a web version of the service if one exists, or switching to a different app.
When to check for a hardware problem
If you have turned off background refresh, reduced brightness, disabled location services, and uninstalled suspicious apps, and your battery still drains in a few hours, a hardware problem may be involved. iPhones older than three years sometimes develop battery degradation that software cannot fix.
Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging. Look at the Maximum Capacity percentage. If it is below 80%, your battery has degraded and is no longer holding a full charge. Apple can replace the battery; the cost varies by model and whether you have AppleCare+. If the percentage is above 80% and drain is still severe, contact Apple Support or visit an Apple Store to rule out other hardware issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my battery drain faster in cold weather?
Cold temperatures slow the chemical reactions inside a battery, which makes it deliver power more slowly and can cause the phone to shut down at 20% charge even though the battery is not actually empty. Warm the phone to room temperature and the battery will recover. This is normal and not a sign of damage, but if it happens regularly, your battery may be degraded.
Does closing apps in the app switcher save battery?
No. Closing apps by swiping them away from the app switcher does not save battery because they are not running in the background anyway. The only way to stop an app from using battery in the background is to turn off Background App Refresh for that app in Settings.
Should I turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to save battery?
Turning them off saves a small amount of battery, but the difference is usually less than 5% over a full day. If you use Wi-Fi or Bluetooth regularly, leaving them on is worth the tiny battery cost because searching for a connection uses more power than staying connected. Turn them off only if you are in a situation where you need maximum battery life and will not use them.
Can I fix battery drain by restarting my iPhone?
A restart can help if an app is stuck and using battery abnormally. Hold the power button and volume button together, slide to power off, wait 10 seconds, then power on. Check your battery usage after a few hours. If drain is still high, the problem is not a stuck process.
Does enabling Low Power Mode really extend battery life?
Yes. Low Power Mode (Settings > Battery > Low Power Mode) reduces performance, limits background activity, and lowers screen brightness automatically. It typically extends battery life by 20 to 30% because it stops Background App Refresh, reduces CPU speed, and disables some visual effects. Turn it on when your battery reaches 20%, or sooner if you need your phone to last longer than usual.