Double Your iPhone’s Battery Life Overnight!
When it comes to your Apple devices, understanding both “battery life” (how long your device runs before needing a recharge) and “battery lifespan” (how long your battery lasts before needing replacement) is essential for optimal performance. Here are some tips to make the most of both aspects, regardless of the Apple device you own.
Stay Updated
First things first, make sure your device is rocking the latest iOS version. If you’re rolling with iOS 5 or anything newer, go to Settings > General > Software Update to check for updates. You can grab these updates wirelessly, or if you prefer, connect your device to your trusty computer and use iTunes for the job.
Optimize Your Settings
Here’s an easy one: tweak your screen brightness and make Wi-Fi your new BFF. For brightness control, swipe up for Control Center or wander over to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size.
Want your screen to adjust itself according to the surroundings? Go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size, and flick on Auto-Brightness. Plus, keep Wi-Fi on whenever you can. Just hit up Settings > Wi-Fi, and connect to any nearby network. Your battery will thank you!
Low Power Mode — Your New Buddy
iOS 9 introduced the game-changer known as Low Power Mode. When your battery drops to 20% or 10%, your iPhone will tap you on the shoulder and suggest you give Low Power Mode a whirl. Or, if you’re feeling independent, head to Settings > Battery and flip the switch yourself. Low Power Mode dials down the screen brightness, fine-tunes performance, and dials down those snazzy animations. Background tasks like email fetching hit pause, and some features, like AirDrop and iCloud sync, take a breather. The essentials like calls, emails, and web surfing still get the green light. And as soon as your phone gets a good charge, Low Power Mode makes its exit.
Also read: Why you should not charge your phone overnight
Keep an Eye on Battery Usage
iOS lets you play battery detective by showing you how much juice each app is sipping (except when your device is charging). Hop into Settings > Battery to check it out. You’ll see some messages under your apps:
- Background Activity: This means the app was using battery while chilling in the background. To save juice, go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and choose Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi & Cellular Data, or Off to halt Background App Refresh entirely.
- Location and Background Location: This one shouts “location services in action!” To be the battery hero, head to Settings > Privacy > Location Services, and turn them off for specific apps.
- Home & Lock Screen: If this tag pops up, it’s saying the app woke up your screen, usually thanks to notifications. For apps that go notification-crazy, take charge by turning off push notifications in Settings > Notifications.
- No Cell Coverage and Low Signal: Here, it’s either poor signal or your iOS device searching for a stronger signal, which can zap your battery. When this happens, go airplane mode by opening Control Center and tapping the Airplane icon. Keep in mind, in airplane mode, you won’t make or receive calls.
Proper Charging Habits
Last but not least, let’s chat about charging. When you’re juicing up your iOS device via USB on a computer, make sure that computer is alive and kicking. Charging from a computer in sleep or standby mode can lead to battery drainage. And one more thing, if you’re rocking an iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS, they won’t play nice with a FireWire power adapter or FireWire-based car charger.
