This article has been updated since it originally published on December 27, 2022.
If there’s a better way to use your iPhone so that it doesn’t consume a mountain of battery power each day, you’d do it, right? Well, here’s the great news: conserving battery power is as easy as adjusting a few settings. Without your knowledge, some phone settings can be consuming a great deal of power, leaving you scurrying around searching for a charger just when you need your phone most. Tech Expert Alastair Hazell, an entrepreneur and the founder of The Calculator Site, has priceless advice: turn off these two iPhone settings to save your battery and make your phone charge last so much longer.
Background App Refresh
This setting allows apps to update their content in the background while you’re not using them, Hazell said — which sounds nothing short of helpful. But there’s a big drawback. “While this can be convenient for some apps, it can also drain your battery because it requires your device to use power to refresh the content,” Hazell said. “To turn this setting off, go to ‘Settings’ > ‘General’ > ‘Background App Refresh’ and toggle the switch to ‘Off.’”
Location Services
Your iPhone uses GPS, Bluetooth, and other technologies to determine your location, which can be helpful in a variety of situations, Hazell admits. “However, keeping this feature turned on can also drain your battery because it requires your device to constantly search for your location. To turn this setting off, go to ‘Settings’ > ‘Privacy’ > ‘Location Services’ and toggle the switch to ‘Off,’” he said.
It’s also worth noting that turning off these settings may impact the functionality of certain apps and features on your device and that, for example, if you turn off Background App Refresh, certain apps may not update as frequently or may not function as intended, according to Hazell. Similarly, if you turn off Location Services, certain features, such as location-based reminders, may not work.
“Overall, it’s a good idea to periodically review your iPhone’s settings and determine which ones you can turn off in order to save battery power,” Hazell said. “Some other settings to consider turning off include push email, automatic downloads, and notifications. By making a few simple changes, you can help extend the battery life of your iPhone and ensure that it’s always ready to go when you need it.”
Bluetooth
Keeping Bluetooth turned on is a waste of battery power. Unless you are in need of Bluetooth turn it off when you aren’t using it by heading over to Settings > Bluetooth and turn off Bluetooth.
Screen Brightness
A too-bright screen is one of the leading causes of premature battery annihilation. Keep your screen brightness to a minimum by heading over to Settings > Display & Brightness. You can manually adjust your screen brightness and lower it to as low as you can comfortably handle.
Push Email
Push email is a setting that consistency, rapidly delivers new messages to your iPhone, but it’s very draining on your battery and not always necessary. If you can afford to wait a few seconds for your messages to catch up with you in real time, switch to Manual or Scheduled Fetch instead.
Go to Settings > Mail > Accounts > select Fetch New Data and choose Manually or Scheduled.
Update To Latest Software
If your phone isn’t updated to the latest software, it can have an effect on how your device operates and even your battery power, as it could be taxed to perform outdated functions. See if you need an update by going to Settings > General > Software Update. If there is an update available, plug in your device to a charger and update your software.
Enable Low Power Mode
Here’s a setting you should actually enable instead of turning off: Low Power Mode. Enabling Low Power Mode has a few battery-saving outcomes that include minimizing your screen brightness, preventing apps from using data in the background, and turning off push notifications. You’ll still be able to make phone calls and send text messages, but your battery impact will be reduced.
Enable Low Power Mode by heading to Settings > Battery.
