The iPhone battery saving tips that matter most are finding the app that drains it in Settings > Battery, turning on Low Power Mode on long days, and lowering screen brightness. Keeping the phone out of the heat protects the battery for years; closing apps by swiping them away does not help.
Check Battery Usage first
Go to Settings > Battery. You’ll see which apps used the most power over the last 24 hours or 10 days, and how long each was on screen versus in the background.
- An app with high background use but little screen time is the one to fix: limit its location access or Background App Refresh.
- Screen and Home & Lock Screen near the top is normal; that’s just you using the phone.
- iOS sometimes shows suggestions at the top, such as lowering brightness. They’re worth following.
Low Power Mode and Optimised Charging
Low Power Mode (Settings > Battery, or add it to Control Centre) cuts background activity, mail fetch, some visual effects and 5G use. It’s the single best switch for a long day, a matatu commute with no charger, or a day of KPLC power cuts. It turns itself off once you charge past 80%.
Optimised Battery Charging (Settings > Battery > Charging, or Battery Health & Charging on older iOS) learns your routine and holds the charge at 80% overnight, finishing just before you usually unplug. Less time at 100% means slower battery wear. Leave it on.
iPhone 15 and later can also set a charging limit (80% upwards) so the battery never fills completely. It’s useful if you’re always near a charger.
Settings to change
- Auto-Brightness on, and brightness a notch lower. The screen is the biggest drain.
- Background App Refresh: turn it off for apps that don’t need fresh content (games, shopping, most social apps).
- Location Services: set apps to While Using or Never instead of Always.
- Dark Mode on iPhones with OLED screens (iPhone X and most later models, except the XR, 11 and SE models) saves some power.
- Always On Display (Pro models from iPhone 14 Pro): turn it off if you don’t use it.
- Weak signal drains the battery as the phone hunts for a network. In poor-coverage areas, use Wi-Fi where possible.
What not to bother with
- Closing apps from the app switcher. iOS freezes background apps already, and relaunching them from scratch uses more power. Only close an app that’s frozen.
- Letting the battery fall to 0% to “calibrate” it. It doesn’t help modern batteries.
- Battery-saver apps from the App Store. They can’t change system settings.
Do worry about heat. Don’t leave your phone in a parked car, on a sunny dashboard or under a pillow while charging; Apple’s comfortable range is roughly 0–35°C. Heat wears the battery faster than anything else. More on that in phone battery charging tips, and what the percentage means in iPhone battery health explained. On Android? See Android battery saving tips.
Quick answers
Check Settings > Battery for draining apps, use Low Power Mode, lower brightness, limit location and Background App Refresh, and keep the phone cool.
No. iOS already pauses background apps, and reopening them from scratch uses more power. Only force-close an app that’s stuck.
An iPhone feature that learns your charging routine and holds the battery at 80% overnight, finishing the charge just before you usually unplug, to reduce battery wear.
