The longer you’ve had your iPhone, the more you’ll notice that the battery doesn’t last the way it did when it was fresh out of the box. Over time, phone batteries gradually degrade, robbing them of their ability to hold a charge. That doesn’t mean that you need to constantly charge your phone or keep it in Low Power Mode, though. By tweaking a few settings, you can help your battery last longer, even if it’s a few years old.
Whether you’re using your phone to get directions, stream music, or send that one last text, the last thing you want is for it to shut down at the worst possible moment. Instead of scrambling for a charger or switching on Low Power Mode every few hours, take a minute to check your iPhone settings. Turning off a few power-draining features could be the fix your battery desperately needs—and it only takes seconds to do.
You can also keep an eye on your Battery Health menu—it’ll tell you your battery health percentage (80% or higher is considered good), as well as show you how many times you’ve cycled your battery and whether or not your battery is “normal.”
Battery Life After iOS 18
iOS 18 has introduced some subtle features that can significantly impact your battery life. By understanding and adjusting a few settings, you can make your iPhone much more efficient. Here’s a breakdown of the changes you can make to improve battery performance.
Turn Off Widgets on Your iPhone Lock Screen
All the widgets on your lock screen force your apps to run in the background, constantly fetching data to update the information displayed—like sports scores or the weather. This background processing continuously drains power.
To preserve battery on iOS 18, consider avoiding widgets entirely. Switch to a different lock screen profile by pressing down on your existing lock screen and swiping to choose one without widgets. If you’d rather remove them from your current setup, press down, hit Customize, select Lock Screen, tap on the widget box, and hit the “—” button on each widget to remove them.
Reduce the Motion of Your iPhone UI
Your iPhone’s user interface features fun and sleek animations that can also reduce battery life. From the fluid movement of app transitions to the burst of color when activating Siri with Apple Intelligence, these animations bring your device to life. However, they also come at a cost.
To minimize the battery drain from these animations, enable the Reduce Motion feature. Navigate to Settings > Accessibility > Motion and toggle on Reduce Motion. This setting will make your iPhone interface more efficient.
Switch Off Your iPhone’s Keyboard Vibration
Your iPhone keyboard now supports haptic feedback—a feature introduced with iOS 16—enhancing the typing experience by providing vibrations for each key press. While this feature offers a richer interaction, it can also drain your phone’s battery.
According to Apple, this haptic feedback “might affect the battery life of your iPhone,” though specifics on how much is not provided. If you’re looking to conserve battery, it’s advisable to disable this feature. To do this, go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Keyboard Feedback and toggle off Haptic to disable it.
Keeping these settings in check can lead to a noticeably better experience with your iPhone. For further optimization, consider accessing your iPhone settings regularly to check for other potential improvements in battery performance.
By applying these adjustments, your daily iPhone usage can become more reliable and efficient, ensuring it lasts longer when you need it most.