Is your iPhone battery draining faster than you'd like?
The good news is that a few simple settings can make a noticeable difference to how long your battery lasts during the day — and fast battery drain doesn't automatically mean there's something wrong with your battery.
Screen brightness, notifications, background apps, mobile signal, Location Services and the way you use your iPhone can all affect battery usage.
Here are some simple ways to help your iPhone battery last longer.
Quick Answer: How Can I Save Battery on My iPhone?
To reduce unnecessary iPhone battery usage:
- Turn off notifications you don't need
- Limit Background App Refresh
- Disable mobile data for apps that don't need it
- Use Low Power Mode when needed
- Reduce screen brightness or use Auto-Brightness
- Use Dark Mode on iPhones with OLED displays
- Set Location Services to While Using the App where appropriate
- Use Wi-Fi when available
- Check which apps are using the most battery
- Avoid excessive heat
You don't need to use every battery-saving setting all the time. Start with the ones that won't affect how you normally use your phone.
1. Check What's Actually Using Your Battery
Before changing lots of settings, check which apps and activities are using the most power.
Go to:
Settings → Battery
Your iPhone will show battery usage by app.
This can help you identify whether a particular app is responsible for unusually high battery usage.
For example, an app that is constantly using your location, running in the background or using mobile data may consume more battery than expected.
This is often more useful than assuming the battery itself is the problem.
2. Turn Off Unnecessary Notifications
Every notification can wake your screen and create additional activity.
If you receive notifications from apps you don't actually need, switching some of them off can reduce unnecessary battery usage — while also making your phone a little less distracting.
Go to:
Settings → Notifications
Review your apps and disable notifications you don't need.
You don't have to turn off important notifications such as WhatsApp or banking alerts.
Focus on apps that frequently send unnecessary notifications.
3. Check Background App Refresh
Background App Refresh allows apps to update content while you're not actively using them.
This can be useful, but not every app needs it.
Go to:
Settings → General → Background App Refresh
You can disable it for individual apps that don't need to constantly update in the background.
This is particularly useful for apps you rarely use.
4. Turn Off Mobile Data for Apps That Don't Need It
Some apps can use mobile data even when you're not actively using them.
Depending on your iOS version, go to:
Settings → Cellular
or:
Settings → Mobile Service
Scroll through your apps and disable mobile data for apps that don't need access when you're away from Wi-Fi.
You can still use those apps when connected to Wi-Fi.
5. Use Low Power Mode
Low Power Mode is one of the easiest built-in ways to reduce iPhone battery usage.
Go to:
Settings → Battery → Power Mode (iPhone 15 and later). On iPhone 14 and earlier, go to Settings → Battery.
When enabled, your iPhone temporarily reduces certain background activities and power-consuming features.
It's particularly useful when:
- You're going to be away from a charger
- Your battery is running low
- You're travelling
- You need your remaining charge to last longer
Low Power Mode doesn't mean there's anything wrong with your battery. It's simply a useful power-saving feature built into iOS.
6. Reduce Screen Brightness
Your display can use a significant amount of power.
If your brightness is constantly set very high, reducing it can help your battery last longer.
You can adjust brightness from Control Centre.
You can also use Auto-Brightness so your iPhone automatically adjusts the display according to your surroundings.
7. Use Dark Mode on OLED iPhones
If your iPhone has an OLED display, Dark Mode can help reduce display power consumption in some situations because black areas of an OLED display require less power.
Go to:
Settings → Display & Brightness → Dark
Dark Mode is optional. If you prefer Light Mode, you do not need to change purely for battery saving.
8. Check Location Services
Some apps need your location.
Others don't need access to it all the time.
Go to:
Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services
Review the permissions for your apps.
Where appropriate, consider:
While Using the App
rather than allowing unnecessary continuous location access.
Do not disable location access for services where you genuinely need it.
9. Use Wi-Fi When Available
When you have access to reliable Wi-Fi, using it can help reduce battery usage compared with relying heavily on cellular data in some situations.
Poor mobile signal can be particularly demanding.
When signal strength is weak, your iPhone may use additional power trying to maintain a cellular connection.
This means faster battery drain isn't always caused by battery health.
If your phone drains considerably faster in an area with poor reception, the mobile signal may be contributing.
10. Don't Immediately Blame Battery Health
If your battery seems to be draining quickly, it's easy to assume the battery needs replacing.
That's not always the case.
Battery usage depends on:
- Your iPhone model
- Screen brightness
- Mobile signal
- Apps
- Background activity
- Location Services
- Mobile data
- Camera use
- Video streaming
- Gaming
- Temperature
- Your individual usage
An iPhone with 80% battery health or higher can still be a good, perfectly usable pre-owned device.
At Smartest Phone Deals, our current minimum battery-health standards are:
A-Grade: 85%+
B-Grade: 80%+
unless otherwise disclosed on the individual product listing.
Battery health is important, but it isn't the only factor affecting how long your phone lasts during the day.
For more on what these grades mean, see our A-Grade vs B-Grade iPhones breakdown.
11. Avoid Excessive Heat
Heat is one of the most important things to avoid when looking after a lithium-ion battery.
Try not to leave your iPhone:
- In direct sunlight for extended periods
- Inside a very hot car
- In excessively hot environments
Your iPhone may also become warm during certain demanding activities.
If it becomes unusually warm while charging, avoid heavy tasks such as gaming or intensive video use until it cools down.
12. Can You Use Your iPhone While It's Charging?
Yes.
Using your iPhone while it's charging isn't automatically harmful.
However, if you're doing something demanding and the device becomes excessively warm, it is better to reduce heavy usage while it cools down.
Heat is the important factor.
Normal activities such as replying to a WhatsApp message while charging are not something you need to worry about.
13. Is It Safe to Charge Your iPhone Overnight?
Yes.
You do not need to wake up during the night to unplug your iPhone.
Apple provides charging-management features designed to help reduce battery ageing.
Depending on your model, this may include Optimized Battery Charging and Charge Limit options.
14. Do You Have to Stop Charging at Exactly 80%?
No.
There is a lot of advice online suggesting that you must unplug your iPhone every time it reaches 80%.
You don't need to obsess over the number.
On supported iPhones, Apple provides charging optimisation and charge-limit features designed to help manage long-term battery wear.
Use the battery-management features available on your device and focus on avoiding excessive heat.
15. What Is Optimized Battery Charging?
Optimized Battery Charging is designed to reduce the amount of time your iPhone spends fully charged when it predicts that it will remain connected to a charger for an extended period.
Your iPhone learns your charging routine and can delay charging beyond 80% until closer to when you're expected to need it.
This is one reason overnight charging does not require you to manually wake up and unplug the phone.
16. Does Closing All Your Apps Save Battery?
Not necessarily.
You don't need to constantly force-close every app on your iPhone just to save battery.
iOS manages background activity automatically.
If an app is frozen or behaving incorrectly, closing and reopening it can help.
But repeatedly swiping away every app isn't a necessary everyday battery-saving routine.
17. Why Is My iPhone Battery Suddenly Draining Faster?
Sometimes battery drain can temporarily increase even when your battery is healthy.
Possible reasons include:
- A recent iOS update
- Apps updating or syncing
- Heavy photo or cloud syncing
- Poor mobile signal
- A newly installed app
- Increased screen time
- Navigation
- Location activity
- Video recording
- Gaming
- High screen brightness
- Hot temperatures
Start by checking:
Settings → Battery
This can often show you where the additional battery usage is coming from.
18. What If My Battery Still Drains Quickly?
If you've checked your settings and battery usage but the phone still drains unusually quickly, look at:
Settings → Battery
and check the battery-health information available for your model.
Also check whether iOS displays any battery or service messages.
If you're a Smartest Phone Deals customer and you believe your device has an actual fault rather than normal battery usage, contact us so we can help you troubleshoot it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I stop my iPhone battery from draining so fast?
Start by checking Settings → Battery to identify which apps are using the most power.
Then review screen brightness, Background App Refresh, Location Services, notifications, mobile data and signal strength.
Does Low Power Mode damage your battery?
No.
Low Power Mode is an Apple feature designed to reduce power consumption temporarily.
Should I leave Low Power Mode on all the time?
You can use Low Power Mode whenever you want to reduce power consumption, although some background activities and features may be limited while it is active.
Is 80% battery health still good?
Yes. 80% and above is a good battery-health range for a pre-owned iPhone.
Smartest Phone Deals uses 80% as the minimum battery-health standard for B-Grade devices unless otherwise disclosed.
Is 85% battery health good?
Yes. 85% battery health is very good for a pre-owned iPhone.
It is also Smartest Phone Deals' current minimum standard for A-Grade devices unless otherwise disclosed.
Does Dark Mode save battery?
On iPhones with OLED displays, Dark Mode can reduce display power usage in certain situations because black pixels require less power.
Is overnight charging safe?
Yes. Modern iPhones include charging-management features designed to manage charging and reduce battery ageing.
Should I charge my iPhone to 100%?
You can charge your iPhone to 100%.
You do not need to manually disconnect it at exactly 80% every time you charge.
Supported iPhones also offer charging optimisation or charge-limit features if you want additional control.
The Bottom Line
If you want your iPhone battery to last longer during the day, start with the simple things:
Check what's using your battery.
Reduce unnecessary background activity.
Manage screen brightness.
Use Low Power Mode when needed.
Review Location Services and notifications.
Use Wi-Fi when available.
Avoid excessive heat.
And remember: faster battery usage doesn't automatically mean you have a bad battery.
An iPhone with 80% battery health or higher can still be a good pre-owned device, and the way you use your phone can make a significant difference to how long a charge lasts.
A few small changes to your settings and charging habits can make a big difference.
Browse our current A-Grade and B-Grade iPhones, or read our full A-Grade vs B-Grade comparison to find the right device for your budget.