Battery life seems to get shorter and shorter the longer you use your phone. Sadly, it’s part of phone ownership and if you’re here it’s likely you’re feeling that frustration. We know it well, so we’ve put every solution into one handy post. Follow these steps to get your iPhone running for as long as possible between charges.
Update the software
We’re all guilty of delaying updates but a lot of them include energy saving updates which are constantly improving the battery life of phones. Stop putting off the latest upgrade and get your OS up to date.
Remove unused apps or disable them
Go into Settings and Battery and scroll down to Activity by App. Here you can see which apps are responsible for battery usage. Consider uninstalling or replacing any with heavy battery usage and use the opportunity to clear out any apps you don’t use. You can also use this information to tweak settings to reduce battery usage, for example, limiting your email syncing.
Reduce brightness
Screens use a lot of energy and you can reduce the battery drain by turning down the brightness. You can use auto brightness to automatically adjust the light as required or adjust the slider manually. Use the lowest brightness you need to comfortably view the screen.
Use dark mode
OLED screens benefit from this because each pixel is lit individually, so dark pixels don’t use power. LCD screens won’t see any improvement. If you have one of the models below then dark mode is worth using:
- iPhone X
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XS Max
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 Mini
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
iOS 13 has a dark mode option for your iPhone which can be accessed under Settings and Display & Brightness. Individual apps and websites may also have a dark mode, activate this where available, particularly on apps that you use heavily.
You can also take advantage of OLED power saving by using true black wallpapers.
Turn off unused networking features
Location, data, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth services constantly scan and connect in the background. That’s why they can be a heavy drain on battery life. We recommend turning off services you’re not using and enable them when needed. Turn off Wi-Fi when you’re using mobile data and vice versa. Leave Bluetooth off when you’re not using it and leave the location off until it’s required.
Other maintenance
There are a few more things you can do to squeeze the most out of your battery:
Use Optimised Battery Charging.
16-22 degrees Celsius is the optimal running temperature for iPhone batteries, that’s about room temperature. Lithium ion batteries are sensitive to the cold which can reduce performance and temperatures higher than 35 degrees can affect your battery permanently. Keep it warm in your pocket when the weather is cold and don’t leave it in the car on warm days.
Removing the case when you charge your iPhone can reduce the heat generated and better protect your battery. If your phone gets hot during charging this is particularly important. If you really can’t get into the habit of removing the case look for one that doesn’t trap heat or block vents.
If your iPhone needs to be stored long term leave it half charged. Fully charged or drained batteries left dormant can affect the battery long term. Discharged batteries may become incapable of holding a charge and fully charged batteries may lose capacity.
If you’ve tried all this and your battery still won’t hold a charge it might be time for a replacement. Head on over to our repairs page to find out more.