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Modern iPhones, celebrated for their sleek design and advanced features, typically offer robust battery performance when new. However, with time and usage, this battery longevity can diminish. Factors such as the latest iOS 18 software, demanding applications, and features like Apple Intelligence AI can contribute to quicker battery depletion. If you find your iPhone requiring more frequent charging, explore these battery-saving strategies before considering an upgrade to the latest models like the iPhone 16 or the budget-friendly iPhone 16E. These practical tips can help extend your iPhone’s battery life throughout the day.
Battery drain can often be attributed to easily managed settings, such as default features that can be disabled. Other factors may require adjustments to your daily usage patterns, potentially involving altering habits and foregoing some minor conveniences. Regardless of the cause, carrying a portable power bank can be a useful backup solution.
Here are eight actionable recommendations for diagnosing and improving your iPhone’s battery performance.
1. Identify Battery-Draining Apps
Certain applications consume more of your iPhone’s battery than others. Apps that utilize location tracking, stream video content, or generate significant graphics—such as games, particularly online multiplayer games—are known to be particularly power-intensive. If your device noticeably heats up during use, it’s likely that the app is contributing to rapid battery discharge.
To pinpoint specific apps impacting your battery life, navigate to Settings > Battery. Scroll down to the battery usage section to view a breakdown of apps and their battery consumption percentages. Pay attention to the Insights and Suggestions area, which provides automated analysis and recommendations for optimizing app and setting configurations.
While this section highlights overall battery usage, differentiate between essential apps like communication tools and high-drain culprits such as streaming services like YouTube or TikTok. For instance, if Safari shows high usage, it may reflect extensive web browsing, while YouTube indicates video streaming consumption.
2. Eliminate Power-Hungry Applications
It’s common for one or two applications, whether social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok or others, to disproportionately consume your iPhone’s battery. To significantly enhance battery life, consider removing these apps. Uninstall an app by long-pressing its icon on the home screen and tapping the “x” to delete.
Alternatively, before completely removing these applications, you could attempt to moderate your usage. If you possess sufficient self-control, try relocating the app icon to a less accessible folder to reduce temptation and mindful use.
For structured app usage management, iPhones offer built-in time limits. Configure these limits by going to Settings > Screen Time and selecting App Limits. Tap Add Limit to choose specific apps or entire app categories and set daily usage restrictions.
3. Reduce Screen Brightness Levels
Dimming your iPhone’s screen brightness is a straightforward method to conserve battery power. Access the Control Center by swiping down from the top-right corner of the screen and adjust the brightness slider manually. Alternatively, navigate to Settings > Display & Brightness to manage brightness settings. Voice command via Siri, such as “Reduce brightness,” is another convenient option.
Within the Display & Brightness menu, also adjust the Auto-Lock timer to shorten the duration before your screen automatically turns off. A shorter auto-lock time prevents unnecessary battery drain when the phone is inactive.
4. Activate Low Power Mode
iPhones proactively suggest enabling Low Power Mode when the battery level reaches 20% to extend remaining battery duration. You can also manually activate this mode at any point via the Control Center (if the shortcut is configured) or through Settings > Battery by toggling the Low Power Mode switch.
Low Power Mode is a comprehensive battery-saving feature. It optimizes power consumption by diminishing background processes like downloads and email retrieval, lowering screen brightness, and disabling features such as the Always-On Display, collectively contributing to extended battery performance.
5. Switch to 4G LTE in Areas with Weak 5G Signals
While 5G network infrastructure has expanded, signal strength can vary. In areas with poor 5G coverage, including indoors or underground locations, iPhones may expend considerable battery power attempting to maintain a 5G connection. In such scenarios, manually switching to 4G LTE can improve battery efficiency.
To switch to 4G LTE, go to Settings > Cellular, then select Cellular Data Options. If Cellular Data Options is not visible, choose the active SIM or eSIM. On the subsequent screen, tap Voice & Data and select LTE. This will prioritize 4G LTE networks, which generally offer broader and more consistent coverage.
Data downloads also consume battery. Restricting data usage can further extend battery life. To implement this, go to Settings > Cellular and tap Cellular Data Options. Again, if you don’t see this option, select your SIM or eSIM. Next, tap Data Mode, and then choose Low Data Mode. This setting will pause automatic updates and background data tasks.
6. Manage Location Services Selectively
Location tracking services consume battery. Disabling location access when it’s not required can be an effective battery-saving measure. Location triangulation utilizes multiple sensors—GPS, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi—making it a notable power draw.
Review app-specific location permissions under Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services. You can customize location access for each app individually. Alternatively, a master toggle at the top of the Location Services screen allows for complete disablement of location tracking across all apps.
Note that disabling Location Services will also impact features like Apple’s Find My functionality. Location Services must be enabled to locate devices linked to your account or to locate your iPhone if it’s lost. Remember to re-enable Location Services when these features are needed.
7. Deactivate Always On Display
Introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro series in 2023 and available on newer Pro and Pro Max models, the Always On Display feature maintains a dimmed version of the lock screen, showing time, widgets, and notifications without fully waking the phone. While convenient, this constant display activation consumes battery.
To disable Always On Display, navigate to Settings > Display & Brightness > Always On Display and turn it off. While the power saving might be incremental, it addresses a feature that inherently counteracts battery optimizations in newer iPhone Pro models. Within the Always On Display settings, you can further minimize power draw by disabling Wallpaper and Notifications, opting for a minimal display showing only the date and time on a black background.
8. Consider Battery Replacement
Over extended use, iPhone batteries degrade, losing their capacity to hold a full charge compared to their original state. Apple provides a straightforward method to assess battery health. Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health to view a diagnostic report, including maximum capacity relative to a new battery and the number of charge cycles.
Apple generally advises battery replacement when maximum capacity falls below 80%. Reduced battery capacity isn’t the only concern; battery degradation can also lead to physical issues like swelling, which, although rare, could potentially impact internal components.
Apple offers in-store battery replacement services. Pricing starts at $99 for recent iPhone 15 models and decreases to $69 for older models like iPhone SE and iPhone 5. Third-party repair services provide alternative options. DIY replacement kits are also available from vendors like iFixit, although self-repair may void AppleCare coverage.