Extend iPhone battery life: 10 tips and tricks
If you have regular access to an iPhone charger at home or in the office, you probably don’t need to worry too much about your iPhone’s battery. However, on days when you’re out and about for extended periods, you should adjust a few settings to extend battery life. We’ve compiled 10 tips to help you reduce battery consumption.
1. Enable adaptive power management
The best way to extend battery life is to enable adaptive power management. This feature in iOS 26 is available on iPhones with Apple Intelligence. It analyzes usage patterns directly on the device and detects when additional power is needed.
It saves battery power by slightly reducing screen brightness, adjusting performance, and limiting background activity. It also automatically activates power-saving mode once the battery level reaches 20 percent.
If you own an iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, or iPhone Air, adaptive power management is enabled by default. However, on other models, you need to enable this feature. Adaptive power management can be enabled on compatible iPhones under Settings > Battery & Power Mode.
2. Set up automations for energy-saving mode
Enabling Low Power Mode is the most obvious way to extend your iPhone’s battery life, and you can automate it to turn on automatically when the battery level reaches a specified level.
Apple prompts you to activate Low Power Mode once your battery reaches 20 percent. However, it’s advisable to activate it sooner. To set up a Low Power Mode Shortcut, open the Shortcuts app and create a new automation. On iOS 27, you can simply type what you want the automation to do. On iOS 26, search for “Battery Level,” select a target percentage, and then add Low Power Mode as the action to activate once the battery reaches that level.
3. Deactivate the always-on display
Your iPhone’s Always-On Display shows the time, wallpaper, widgets, and live activity on the lock screen even when your iPhone is locked.
This setting conserves battery power by, for example, turning off the display when no connected Apple Watch is nearby (signaling that the iPhone owner has left the room) or when the iPhone is in a pocket. Nevertheless, the always-on display still consumes more battery power than no always-on display at all.
You can deactivate the always-on display as follows:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap on “Display & Brightness”.
- Tap on Always-On Display.
- Disable Always-On Display.
You can also customize the always-on display if you don’t want to disable it completely. For example, you can disable wallpapers or turn off notifications.
4. Limit the frame rate
Some iPhones have a 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate, but reducing it to 60Hz can slightly extend battery life. The refresh rate can be adjusted via the accessibility settings.
- Open the “Accessibility” section in the Settings app.
- Tap on Motion.
- Enable the “Limit frame rate” option.
ProMotion is available on all iPhone 17 models, the iPhone Air, and the Pro versions of older iPhones starting with the iPhone 13 Pro.
5. Activate Dark Mode
On iPhones with OLED displays, activating Dark Mode extends battery life because displaying darker pixels consumes less power. Enabling Dark Mode outdoors on a sunny day can significantly increase battery life.
Lower brightness levels in bright mode consume the same battery as higher brightness levels in dark mode, so dark mode can save battery even with increased brightness in a sunny location.
If you are in a location with dim lighting and lower screen brightness, turning on Dark Mode will not save as much battery power, but it will still consume slightly less electricity.
6. Check apps with location access
It is advisable to regularly check your privacy and access settings to ensure that apps and services do not perform actions you do not want.
Limiting the apps that have access to your location and the frequency with which apps are allowed to access this data can extend battery life.
- Open the Settings app.
- Choose privacy and security.
- Tap location services.
- Review the list and edit the settings by tapping on the name of the respective app in the list.
Each app offers four location settings options. However, depending on the app’s functionality, not all four options are always available. You can choose from: Never, Ask next time or when sharing, While using the app, and Always.
The “Never” setting does not prevent an app from ever accessing your location. Unless there is a compelling reason for an app to know your location, such as a map app, the “Never” setting is the best choice for location access.
The “Ask next time” or “When sharing” option causes an app to ask you via a pop-up window the next time it accesses your location, so that you can temporarily grant permission. With this setting, location access is disabled until you explicitly grant it via the pop-up window.
The app allows you to access your location as long as it is open and actively being used. Location access is terminated when you close the app or switch to another app.
Always allow an app access to your location, regardless of whether it’s open or closed. This leads to high battery consumption and should be limited to the apps you need most.
Many apps that don’t need location information still request it. A banking app might need access to your location to show you nearby ATMs, and a social media app like Facebook wants to offer you location-based features. By removing these unnecessary apps, you ensure that no app accesses your location without your explicit permission and save battery power at the same time.
You can also completely disable location services, but this is not ideal as it can affect apps you rely on, such as maps.
7. Restrict background app refresh
Most apps use background updates to update themselves even when they’re not open. Limiting background activity to only the apps that need it is a proven way to reduce battery consumption. This is also another privacy option that you should check regularly.
You can completely disable background app updates or select which apps are allowed to be updated in the background.
- Open the Settings app.
- Select “General”.
- Tap on “Update app in background”.
There you can tap the “Background refresh” option to disable it completely, or select that it is only activated when a Wi-Fi connection is available, which does not drain the battery as much as downloading via mobile network.
8. Restrict live activity and notifications
Incoming notifications activate the screen, and live activity keeps the lock screen constantly updated. Limiting the apps that can send notifications and live activity saves battery power.
Under “Settings & Notifications,” you can go through the list and disable notifications for apps from which you don’t need notifications. You can then further refine the settings using focus modes. Focus modes let you determine which apps and people are allowed to send you notifications and when.
- Open the Settings app.
- Scroll down to “Focus” and tap it.
- Tap the “+” button.
- Follow the instructions to select a focus mode and the apps you want to use with it.
During working hours, you can ensure you only receive work-related notifications, and during your free time, you can restrict them. You can set up focus modes for all sorts of situations, from driving and exercising to sleeping.
You will still receive all notifications, but they will be muted. Disabling unwanted app notifications remains the best way to save battery. However, with Focus, you can keep your notifications while reducing their number.
The “Scheduled Summary” feature allows you to further limit your notifications by having non-urgent notifications sent at a scheduled time.
You can enable the “Scheduled app summary” feature in the “Notifications” section of the Settings app. There, you can select which apps should include their notifications in the scheduled summary and when they should be delivered.
9. Disable keyboard haptics
The haptic feedback on the iPhone keyboard feels pleasant when typing on the on-screen keys, but can drain the battery.
You can disable it by going to Settings & Sounds & Haptics & Keyboard Feedback and turning off Haptics.
10. Finding the right size iPhone for consumers
In iOS 26, Apple made it easier to see which apps are using the most battery. At the top of the battery indicator, you can see the current battery level and the time of the last charge. When your iPhone is charging, it also shows you how much time is left until it’s fully charged.
You’ll see a weekly overview of your average battery consumption, as well as your current consumption compared to your usual average. This comparison shows you whether you’re using more, the same, or less battery than on most days.
It shows which apps have used how much battery, making it easier to identify which apps are draining your battery. It also shows why an app has used more battery, such as background updates or an excessive number of notifications.
Apps that consume a lot of battery power are displayed in orange to make them more noticeable. You should make adjustments there.
