Your iPhone battery is lagging behind so much that your phone can barely make it through the day without peetering out. If this scenario sounds way too familiar, it’s time to take steps toward boosting your device’s battery power so that it works more efficiently. Tech experts like Matthew Paxton, founder and owner of Hypernia, agree: this is the one thing you should do every day to improve your iPhone’s battery life.
Choose Low Power Mode
If you aren’t taking advantage of settings on your phone that can lessen the way your battery is taxing your phone, you are missing out on golden opportunities. One of the best settings to enable is Low Power Mode.
“With a single button, the function suspends mail fetch, background app refresh, auto-downloads, and more,” Paxton says. “This isn’t an everyday feature (hopefully), but it’s still useful. Under Settings > Battery, you can enable Low Power mode. However, having rapid access to Low Power Mode in the Control Center is useful. If Low Power Mode isn’t already present, go to Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls and hit the Plus icon next to it. iOS Performance Management is another function, similar to an automatic low-power mode. In essence, if the battery in your iPhone has worsened, performance will be automatically reduced to conserve battery and prevent it from shutting down unexpectedly. If your iPhone uses Performance Management, go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health to see if it’s enabled. While you may stop performance management for iPhones with poor batteries, bear in mind that without it, your iPhone will consume more power.”
While you are making changes to improve battery life, Paxton offers three more tips that can help.
Delete Apps That Tax Your Battery
“To see the details of your battery usage, go to Settings > Battery,” Paxton says. “The default setting is ‘Last 24 Hours,’ which displays which apps are consuming the most energy (including Home & Lock Screen and Siri). The ‘Last 10 Days’ toggle on the right-hand side gives you a more comprehensive view of what’s been consuming your power. Also, just above battery utilization, look at the ideas for battery life (near the top). This will provide you with immediate, actionable suggestions for reducing battery drain.”
Auto-Lock and screen brightness
It's a good idea to examine those settings if you see "Home & Lock Screen" on your battery use is higher than you'd expect, according to Paxton. “Auto-Lock at 30 seconds can help you get the most out of your battery,” Paxton says. “30 seconds can be worth it, especially since most Apple iPhones feature raise to wake. Lowering the brightness of your screen can also assist with battery life, but this is largely a matter of personal opinion. Control Center (swipe down from the top right corner) or Settings > Display & Brightness are also good options.”
Avoid Extreme Temperatures
“The recommended ambient temperature for iPhones and other Apple products, according to Apple, is 62° to 72° F (16° to 22° C),” Paxton says. “Temperatures above 95° F (35° C) have the potential to ‘permanently destroy battery capacity.’ In addition to avoiding high heat, it's a good idea to remove your iPhone case if it gets hot while charging. Temperatures below 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius) can lower battery life momentarily. If you live in a chilly region, placing your iPhone in an inner pocket close to your body can help increase battery life by keeping it warm.”
