How to Stop Your iPhone Battery From Draining So Fast

If your iPhone battery dies before the end of the day, a few simple settings changes can make it last hours longer.

In this guide (5 steps):

1.Check your battery health
2.See which apps are using the most battery
3.Turn off Background App Refresh
4.Lower screen brightness and shorten screen timeout
5.Enable Low Power Mode when below 50%

Check your battery health

~31s

Go to SettingsBatteryBattery Health & Charging. You'll see a percentage that shows how much of the original capacity your battery still has. If it says 80% or below, the battery is worn out and may need to be replaced — Apple does this at the Apple Store for around $89. If the health is above 80%, the steps below will help.

Quick Tip

A battery at 100% health holds the same charge it did when the iPhone was brand new. Most batteries drop to around 80% after two to three years of regular use.

See which apps are using the most battery

~23s

Stay in SettingsBattery and scroll down past the battery health section. You'll see a list of apps with percentages showing how much battery each one used in the last 24 hours. Apps that are high on the list but that you rarely use are prime targets for the next steps. Social media apps, streaming apps, and navigation apps typically use the most battery.

Turn off Background App Refresh

~29s

Go to SettingsGeneralBackground App Refresh. Tap "Background App Refresh" at the top and select "Off." This prevents apps from downloading new content when you're not actively using them. Apps like Facebook, Instagram, and news apps are especially aggressive about doing this, which drains your battery even when your screen is off.

Quick Tip

After turning this off for all apps, your battery will usually last noticeably longer within a day or two. You can also go app-by-app and only disable it for apps you don't need fresh.

Lower screen brightness and shorten screen timeout

~23s

Your screen is the biggest battery drain on any phone. Swipe down from the top-right corner to open Control Center, then drag the brightness slider (the sun icon) down to around 50%. For screen timeout, go to SettingsDisplay & BrightnessAuto-Lock and set it to 30 seconds or 1 minute — this means the screen turns off sooner when you're not looking at it.

Enable Low Power Mode when below 50%

~33s

When your battery reaches 50% or below, turn on Low Power Mode: go to SettingsBattery and tap the toggle next to "Low Power Mode." The battery icon at the top of your screen will turn yellow, showing it's on. Low Power Mode reduces background activity, automatic downloads, and some visual effects to extend battery life by an hour or two. It turns off automatically when your phone charges to 80% or more.

Quick Tip

You can add Low Power Mode to Control Center for quick access: go to SettingsControl Center and add "Low Power Mode" to the list.

You Did It!

You've completed: How to Stop Your iPhone Battery From Draining So Fast

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A fast-draining iPhone battery is one of the most common frustrations people have with their phones. The good news is that a few simple settings changes can often extend how long your battery lasts during the day. You do not need a new phone — you just need to know where to look.

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