Your iPhone battery drains quickly because of one or more apps running in the background, screen brightness set too high, location services always on, or a battery that has degraded over time
When your battery percentage drops noticeably between charges, the cause is usually visible in your phone's settings — you do not need to guess. iOS keeps a record of which apps consumed the most power in the last 24 hours and the last 10 days. That record tells you whether a single app is the culprit, whether your screen is the problem, or whether your battery itself is aging and holding less charge than it used to.
The fastest way to find out is to open Settings, tap Battery, then tap Battery Health & Charging. Below that, go back and tap Battery to see which apps used the most power. If one app is using 30 percent or more of your battery while you barely use it, that app is the problem. If your battery health shows below 80 percent, your battery has degraded and will not hold a full charge the way it did when new.
Key Takeaways
- Check Settings > Battery to see which apps consumed the most power in the last 24 hours and last 10 days — one app often accounts for most of the drain.
- Open Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging to see your battery's maximum capacity; anything below 80 percent means the battery has degraded and holds less charge.
- Background App Refresh, location services, and screen brightness set above 40 percent are common causes of fast drain that you can control when ready.
- If battery health is above 80 percent and no single app is draining power, turn off Background App Refresh for apps you do not need running constantly.
- A battery that has degraded below 50 percent capacity will drain noticeably faster no matter what you do, and Apple can replace it.
How to read your battery usage report
Open Settings, scroll down and tap Battery, then look at the section labeled Battery Usage. You will see a list of apps with a percentage next to each one. The percentages show how much of your battery each app used since you last fully charged your phone. Scroll down to see all apps — sometimes the drain is spread across several apps, but often one app is using 25 percent or more while you are barely using it.
Below the app list, you will see two tabs: Last 24 Hours and Last 10 Days. Check both. If an app shows high usage only in the Last 24 Hours tab but not in the Last 10 Days tab, it means something unusual happened that day — maybe the app crashed and restarted repeatedly, or you used it heavily. If the same app shows high usage in both tabs, that app is consistently draining your battery.
Tap any app in the list to see a breakdown of how it used power — whether it was running in the foreground (while you were using it), in the background, or using location services. This tells you whether the app is the problem when you are actively using it, or whether it is running when you are not looking at it.
Check your battery health to see if the battery itself is aging
Open Settings, tap Battery, then tap Battery Health & Charging. The first number you see is Maximum Capacity, shown as a percentage. This number tells you how much charge your battery can hold compared to when it was brand new. A new iPhone battery is at 100 percent. After a year or two of normal use, it typically drops to 85 to 90 percent. After three years, it often drops to 75 to 85 percent.
If your Maximum Capacity is below 80 percent, your battery has degraded enough that it will drain noticeably faster than it did when new, no matter what apps you have or what settings you use. At 50 percent capacity or lower, the battery drains so fast that normal use becomes frustrating. Apple considers a battery that has dropped below 80 percent to be out of warranty for battery issues, but you can still have it replaced — the cost varies by iPhone model, but typically ranges from $50 to $70.
The Battery Health section also shows Charging Optimization, which is usually turned on. This feature slows down charging when your phone learns you typically charge overnight, to reduce stress on the battery. You can turn it off if you prefer your phone to charge at full speed, but leaving it on extends your battery's lifespan.
Turn off Background App Refresh for apps you do not need running constantly
Background App Refresh lets apps update their content even when you are not using them — for example, Mail can check for new messages, or Weather can update the forecast. This is useful for apps you check frequently, but it drains battery for apps you rarely open. Open Settings, scroll down and tap General, then tap Background App Refresh. You will see a list of every app on your phone with a toggle next to it.
Turn off the toggle for any app you do not need updating in the background. For most people, Mail, Messages, and Maps are worth keeping on. Apps like games, news readers, or shopping apps usually do not need to refresh in the background. Turning off Background App Refresh for five to ten apps can noticeably extend your battery life, especially if your battery health is still above 80 percent.
If you turn off Background App Refresh entirely (using the master toggle at the top), all apps will stop updating in the background, but they will still work normally when you open them. Some people do this and turn it back on only for the apps they use most often.
Reduce screen brightness and turn on Auto-Brightness
Your screen is usually the single largest battery drain on an iPhone. Open Settings, tap Display & Brightness, and look at the brightness slider. If it is set above 50 percent, lower it — most people find 30 to 40 percent is bright enough for indoor use. Turn on Auto-Brightness by toggling the switch at the bottom of the same screen. Auto-Brightness adjusts your screen brightness based on the light around you, so you do not have to do it manually.
If you use your phone outdoors in bright sunlight, you may need higher brightness there, but Auto-Brightness handles that automatically. Lowering your screen brightness to 30 to 40 percent and turning on Auto-Brightness can extend your battery life by several hours per day, especially if your battery health is still good.
Turn off location services for apps that do not need it
Location services use your phone's GPS, which is power-hungry. Open Settings, scroll down and tap Privacy & Security, then tap Location Services. You will see a list of every app that has asked for permission to use your location. Many apps request location permission but do not actually need it — for example, a note-taking app or a calculator.
Tap any app and you will see three options: Never, While Using, or Always. Set most apps to Never unless you specifically use that app for location-based features. For example, Maps should be set to While Using, because you need it to know where you are when you are navigating. Weather can be set to While Using if you want it to show your local forecast. A game or a note app should be set to Never.
If you turn off Location Services entirely (the master toggle at the top), no app can use your location, but you will not be able to use Maps for navigation or get location-based weather. Most people find it better to keep Location Services on but set it to While Using for the few apps that actually need it.
Disable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth scanning when you are not using them
Your iPhone constantly scans for Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth devices even when Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are turned off. This scanning uses battery power. Open Settings, tap Privacy & Security, scroll down and tap Location Services. At the bottom, you will see Wi-Fi Networking and Bluetooth Networking, each with a toggle. Turn these off if you do not need your phone to scan for networks in the background.
If you turn off Wi-Fi Networking, your phone will not automatically connect to saved Wi-Fi networks, and location services that rely on Wi-Fi will be less accurate. If you turn off Bluetooth Networking, your phone will not scan for Bluetooth devices. Most people leave these on, but turning them off can save a small amount of battery if you are trying to extend your charge as much as possible.
When to consider a battery replacement
If your battery health is below 50 percent, or if it has dropped below 80 percent and you have already turned off Background App Refresh, reduced screen brightness, and disabled location services for unnecessary apps, a battery replacement is usually the next step. You can have your battery replaced at an Apple Store, an Apple Authorized Service Provider, or by mail through Apple's repair service.
Before you go, back up your phone using iCloud or a computer, because the technician may erase it during the repair. The process usually takes a few hours at a store, or a few days if you mail it in. After the replacement, your battery will be at 100 percent capacity again, and your phone will hold a full charge the way it did when new.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if one app is using 40 percent of my battery but I barely use it?
That app is likely crashing and restarting repeatedly, or running a background process that is stuck. Try force-closing the app by swiping up from the bottom of the screen and swiping the app away, then restart your phone. If the problem continues, delete the app and reinstall it from the App Store. If the app is essential and the problem persists, contact the app maker's support.
Does turning on Low Power Mode help?
Yes. Low Power Mode reduces performance and background activity to extend battery life by roughly one to two hours per charge. Open Settings, tap Battery, and tap Low Power Mode. Your phone will run slower and some features like automatic downloads will turn off, but it is useful when you are away from a charger for a long time.
Can I check battery health on an older iPhone?
Battery Health & Charging is available on iPhone 6s and newer. If you have an older iPhone, you cannot see the exact capacity, but you can still check which apps are using the most power in Settings > Battery.
Does closing apps in the background actually save battery?
Closing apps manually does not save much battery because iOS suspends apps automatically when you switch away from them. The exception is if an app is visibly draining power in your battery report — in that case, force-closing it and restarting your phone may help.
What if my battery health is 100 percent but my battery still drains fast?
Check your battery usage report to see which apps are consuming power. If no single app is the culprit, turn off Background App Refresh, reduce screen brightness, and disable location services for apps that do not need it. If your screen brightness is already low and you have disabled background activity, your phone may straightforward be getting heavy use that day.