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How to actually extend your iPhone’s Battery Life (Tips and Tricks) source idevicecentral.com

dominic 7 days ago

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How to actually extend your iPhone’s Battery Life (Tips and Tricks)

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Last updated:

July 25, 2023

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August 5, 2022

How to actually extend your iPhone's Battery Life (Tips and Tricks)

If you’ve been using an iPhone for any length of time, you are probably awfully aware of how poor the battery life can get after a few months of usage. iPhones have always had this issue where batteries simply don’t last as much, so in this guide, we’ll check out a few proven tips and tricks to extend your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch’s battery life.

Of course, all Lithium-Ion or Lithium-Polymer batteries degrade over time. This is not something Apple did wrong, it’s just the way it is with the currently available consumer-grade battery technology.

Android devices tend to somehow make this issue less noticeable because many of them have a larger battery pack, to begin with. Of course, packing a larger battery also means increased bulk and thickness of the phone, something Apple isn’t very keen on.

While charging cycles will eventually degrade your battery no matter what you do, there are a few things you can do to extend its lifespan as much as possible while having a decent battery left through the day.

How to actually extend your iPhone’s Battery Life (Tips and Tricks)

Tip #1: Dim your brightness.

I know, I know, it’s one of those duuuh moments, but you’d be surprised how many people I see every day with their brightness cranked to 120%. iPhones nowadays have pretty large and bright display panels. Keeping that panel lit up to the maximum will guzzle the battery like crazy, it’s just the way it is.

While I personally enjoy a brighter display, dimming the brightness even 25% can have an impact on how long your battery lasts. The math is simple. Less battery consumption means less frequent charging which in turn leads to fewer cycles on the battery, so less degradation for its internal chemistry.

Tip #2: Avoid 4G / 5G internet as much as possible and favor WiFi instead

4G, LTE, and 5G are quite fast, you can browse the internet almost as fast as you do on WiFi, so why switch to WiFi when you get home right? Wrong. Using Mobile Data is more battery intensive than WiFi. Your device will actually drain the battery faster if you watch videos or browse the internet on 4G/5G than on WiFi.

With this in mind, it’s best to switch to WiFi at home or at the office if you have the possibility, and only default to 4G / 5G on the road. On a similar note, do you really need 5G? Sure, it’s blazing fast, but unless you’re literally torrenting on your iPhone, 4G should be more than enough to watch full HD videos on YouTube, reply to messages on social media and google the occasional buzzword.

Going from 4G to 5G gives you a speed boost you don’t need, but you pay for it with your battery.

Tip #3: Do not leave your phone in a hot car / outside in direct sunlight

Lithium batteries are very sensitive to extreme temperatures, such as the heat that builds up in a hot car during the summer, or the cold outside in the winter. As much as you can, try to avoid leaving your phone in direct sunlight or in a very hot or cold place. This can degrade the battery severely.

iPhones have a built-in safety feature that will lock them into a frozen state if they are too hot. The screen will show an overheating warning and the device will not be operational until it cools down, but you should not rely on that.

I wish Apple mentioned that while your iPhone may be relatively safe thanks to that mode, the battery inside most definitely won’t.

Tip: #4: Avoid storing the device with either low battery or full battery for long periods of time

If you bought a new phone, or you’re simply having multiple devices that you use occasionally, do not leave them fully charged or fully discharged in a drawer. This is very unhealthy for the battery and depending on how much time you leave it like that, it may not take a charge next time you use it, or you may learn it no longer holds as much charge as it used to.

When storing a device for a longer time (more than a few days), it’s best to charge it up to around 60-70% and shut it down. This way, the battery won’t have as much stress and it won’t degrade severely while in storage. As Apple mentions on their Batteries page, these are consumables and will eventually degrade. It’s up to you to slow that process down as much as you can.

Of course, if possible, store the device in a cool, dry place. Heat + Moisture and electronics: enemies.

There you go. Now you know how to actually extend your device’s battery life for as much as possible, but also how to store it safely for a long period of time without degrading the battery severely.