We’ve all been there—watching our iPhone’s battery percentage drop faster than expected, leaving us scrambling for a charger. While Apple’s devices are known for their efficiency, there are ways to optimize your iPhone’s battery life by tweaking a few key settings. Here’s a guide to help you boost your iPhone’s battery life and keep it running longer throughout the day.
1. Enable Low Power Mode
Low Power Mode is the quickest and easiest way to extend your battery life when you’re running low. This setting reduces background activities like email fetching, background app refresh, and automatic downloads, giving your battery a much-needed break.
To enable Low Power Mode:
- Go to Settings > Battery and toggle on Low Power Mode.
You’ll notice the battery icon turns yellow when this mode is active, and it automatically turns off once you charge past 80%.
2. Adjust Screen Brightness
Your iPhone’s screen is one of the biggest battery drainers. Keeping your brightness on maximum all day will significantly reduce your battery life. Instead, lower your brightness or enable Auto-Brightness to allow your phone to adjust automatically based on the lighting around you.
To adjust brightness manually:
- Swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen (on iPhones with Face ID) or swipe up from the bottom (on older models), and drag the brightness slider down.
To enable Auto-Brightness:
- Go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size, and toggle on Auto-Brightness.
3. Turn Off Background App Refresh
Many apps continue to refresh content in the background, even when you’re not using them. This can be useful for keeping data updated but consumes a lot of battery power. Disabling Background App Refresh can help you conserve energy, especially for apps you don’t need constantly updated.
To disable Background App Refresh:
- Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh. You can turn it off entirely or choose to limit it to Wi-Fi only to save data and battery.
4. Disable Location Services for Unnecessary Apps
Location tracking is another major battery drainer, especially when apps are constantly pinging your location in the background. While it’s necessary for navigation or food delivery apps, many apps request location access without actually needing it.
To adjust location settings:
- Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services. Review the apps listed and select Never or While Using the App for those that don’t need constant access.
You can also toggle off Precise Location for apps that don’t require your exact whereabouts.
5. Disable Push Email
By default, your iPhone is set to fetch new emails as soon as they arrive, which means your device is constantly checking for updates. Changing the email settings to Fetch or Manual can save battery, especially if you don’t need immediate email notifications.
To change email fetch settings:
- Go to Settings > Mail > Accounts > Fetch New Data, and select Fetch or Manual for your email accounts.
If you choose Fetch, you can set how frequently your iPhone checks for new emails (e.g., every 15 or 30 minutes).
6. Turn Off Raise to Wake
The Raise to Wake feature lights up your screen whenever you lift your iPhone. While it’s a convenient way to check notifications, it can also be a drain on your battery if your screen is lighting up frequently throughout the day.
To disable Raise to Wake:
- Go to Settings > Display & Brightness, and toggle off Raise to Wake.
This will prevent your screen from turning on unnecessarily, preserving more battery power.
7. Use Dark Mode
Switching to Dark Mode can help conserve battery on iPhones with OLED screens (iPhone X and later). Dark Mode reduces the amount of light emitted by your screen, leading to less power consumption.
To enable Dark Mode:
- Go to Settings > Display & Brightness, and select Dark.
You can also schedule Dark Mode to turn on automatically at night by selecting Automatic and customizing the schedule.
8. Limit App Notifications
Constant notifications cause your iPhone to light up and vibrate, which drains battery life. Limiting which apps are allowed to send notifications can reduce these interruptions and save battery.
To manage notifications:
- Go to Settings > Notifications, and review each app’s notification settings. Consider turning off notifications for non-essential apps or disabling sound and vibrations to save even more power.
9. Turn Off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth When Not in Use
When Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are on, your iPhone is constantly searching for available networks and devices, which consumes battery power. If you’re not using these features, turning them off can help extend your battery life.
To turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth:
- Swipe down from the top-right corner (on iPhones with Face ID) or swipe up from the bottom (on older models), and tap the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth icons to disable them.
For more permanent control, go to Settings > Wi-Fi or Settings > Bluetooth and toggle them off.
10. Update to the Latest Software
Apple regularly releases software updates that include optimizations and bug fixes, which can improve battery performance. Keeping your iPhone updated ensures that you’re using the most battery-efficient version of iOS.
To check for updates:
- Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install any available updates.
Updating your iPhone can also introduce new battery-saving features, so it’s worth checking for updates regularly.