Before you start
- An iPhone
Method 1 When your battery is low right now
-
Step 1: Turn on Low Power Mode
Open Control Center and tap the battery icon, or go to Settings > Battery > Low Power Mode. It reduces background activity, mail fetch, visual effects and refresh rate. Your battery icon turns yellow.
-
Step 2: Lower the brightness
Drag the brightness slider in Control Center down. The screen is usually the biggest power user.
-
Step 3: Stop power-hungry apps
Close navigation, video, camera and games if you don’t need them. Turn off Bluetooth hotspot sharing if it’s on.
-
Step 4: Use airplane mode in weak signal
Searching for signal drains the battery fast. If coverage is poor and you don’t need calls, turn on Airplane Mode, then turn Wi-Fi back on if available.
Method 2 Settings that save battery every day
-
Step 1: Check what uses the battery
Go to Settings > Battery and scroll to the usage by app. Look for apps with lots of background activity.
-
Step 2: Limit Background App Refresh
Settings > General > Background App Refresh: turn it off for apps that don’t need it, or set it to Wi-Fi only.
-
Step 3: Reduce location use
Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services: set apps to While Using or Never instead of Always.
-
Step 4: Turn off Always On Display
On iPhone 14 Pro and later Pro models: Settings > Display & Brightness > Always On Display.
-
Step 5: Use Dark Mode
On iPhones with OLED screens (iPhone X and later, except the XR and 11), Dark Mode saves some power. Settings > Display & Brightness.
Keep your battery healthy for the long term
- Leave Optimized Battery Charging on (Settings > Battery > Charging). On iPhone 15 and later you can also set a charge limit, such as 80%.
- Avoid heat: don’t leave the phone in the sun or charge it under a pillow.
- Check Settings > Battery > Battery Health. Below about 80% maximum capacity, a battery replacement brings back all-day life.
Troubleshooting
Battery drains fast after an iOS update
For a day or two after an update, iOS re-indexes photos and data in the background. If the drain continues after that, check Battery usage for a misbehaving app.
One app uses a lot of battery
Update it, restrict its background refresh and location, or delete and reinstall it.
iPhone shuts down at 20–30%
This usually means the battery is worn. Check Battery Health and consider a replacement.
Frequently asked questions
Is it OK to use Low Power Mode all the time?
Yes. It doesn’t harm the battery. Some features, like background mail fetch and iCloud Photos sync, are paused while it’s on.
Does closing apps save battery on iPhone?
Generally no. iOS pauses background apps. Only close an app if it’s frozen or actively running, like navigation.
Should I let my iPhone drop to 0%?
No need. Lithium batteries prefer to stay between about 20% and 80%; occasional full charges are fine.
Summary
When you’re running low, turn on Low Power Mode, lower the brightness and stop navigation or video. Day to day, check Settings > Battery, limit background refresh and location, and keep the phone cool to protect battery health.
