Nearly as soon as Apple released its recent iOS update, 7.1, complaints began rolling in that the iPhone’s battery life was being depleted to quickly. This is a common theme with iOS updates recently, and while we as the end users cannot control the way the operating system manages battery life, there are a few things we can do to help keep battery drain from usage to a minimum.
1. Keep your iPhone’s brightness at a third or less: Although there are times when we need to up our brightness (like in full sunlight), for the most part we can function pretty well with our iPhone’s screen turned down to the lower third of the spectrum, which will also help to keep our battery full longer.
2. Reduce motion in your system preferences: If you go to system> general> accessibility, you will find an option to “Reduce Motion.” This controls the iPhone’s visual animations and 3D effect of the app icons, known as the parallax effect. If you turn this option “on” the visual effects will be turned down thus saving precious battery life.
3. Turn off Bluetooth if you aren’t using it: Many of us use Bluetooth enabled devices in conjunction with our iPhone’s, but get in the habit of turning your Bluetooth off when you are not. Leaving the Bluetooth function on, even when devices are not connected, can drain the battery.
4. Shut down apps that are running in the background: I know most of us use tons of apps on our iPhones, but its important to shut down apps when they are not in use to cut down on battery drain. If you do not know how to do this, double-click on your home button with the iPhone screen on and you will be able to scroll left and right through your open apps. Swipe the app preview up to turn it off completely so it is not running in the background.
5. Keep a backup charger or portable external battery with you in case of emergency: iOS updates are frequently being released and issues with the iPhone’s battery drain issues are pretty much never-ending. Make sure you keep a charging solution or external battery with you for those emergency situations when your battery is getting dangerously low while you are out and about. I love these backup battery solutions from ban.do!
Do you have issues with the battery life of your iPhone? Do you already use some or all of these battery saving tips, and yet still have problems keeping your battery alive? Let me know in the comments below!
I just had to get a new iphone due to losing my s3 (and waiting for the galaxy s5 to come out) Thanks for all the tips!