How do I make my phone battery last longer?
For a longer day, dim the screen, stay on Wi-Fi and cut background refresh and location for apps that do not need them. For a longer battery lifespan, keep the phone out of heat above 95° F, take it out of a hot case while charging, and use Optimized Battery Charging or a charge limit where your phone offers one.
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By Kasra Taheri, Founder, LoclisPublished
Researched and drafted with AI, then checked claim by claim against the sources listed below before it was published. Prices and rules change; the dates beside each source say when it was last checked.
Step by step
Read when to stop and call a pro, further down this page, before you start.
Step 1: Dim the screen
Turn on Auto-Brightness or lower the brightness.[2]
Step 2: Prefer Wi-Fi
Use Wi-Fi instead of cellular where you can.[2]
Step 3: Trim background apps
In the battery usage list, turn off background refresh, location access and notifications for apps that do not need them.[2]
Step 4: Use Low Power Mode on long days
Turn it on from Settings > Battery; it switches off by itself after charging.[2]
Step 5: Keep the phone cool
Do not leave it in direct sun or a hot car, and avoid temperatures above 95° F (35° C).[2]
Step 6: Charge without the case if it gets hot
Take the phone out of its case when it warms up on the charger.[2]
Step 7: Turn on charging protection
On an iPhone, leave Optimized Battery Charging on or set a charge limit; many Android phones have a similar setting.[3]
Step 8: Store it half charged
If the phone will sit unused for months, leave it around 50 percent.[1]
The settings that matter most
Most of a phone's battery life comes down to the screen, the radios and what apps do in the background, and then to how you charge it. Start with the screen. Dim the screen or turn on Auto-Brightness to extend battery life.[2] Stay on Wi-Fi when you can, because a Wi-Fi connection uses less power than a cellular network.[2]
Next, look at what apps do when you are not using them. On an iPhone, Settings > Battery lists the proportion of the battery used by each app.[2] For any app near the top that does not need it, you can turn off the feature that allows apps to refresh in the background.[2] You can also optimize your battery life by turning off Location Services for the app,[2] and if an app frequently wakes your display with notifications, you can turn off push notifications for the app.[2] Android phones have the same controls under their app and battery settings, with different names.
Low Power Mode when you need it
On an iPhone, Low Power Mode reduces display brightness, optimizes device performance, and minimizes system animations. Apps including Mail will not download content in the background.[2] You can still make calls, send messages and use the internet. When the phone charges up again, Low Power Mode automatically switches off.[2] Android has a battery saver mode that does a similar job. Use it on a long day, not as a permanent state.
Keep it out of the heat
Temperature does more to a battery's lifespan than most habits. Apple says it is especially important to avoid exposing your device to ambient temperatures higher than 95° F (35° C), which can permanently damage battery capacity.[2] In a Virginia summer that means not leaving the phone on a dashboard or in a parked car. Avoid charging or leaving your iPhone in hot environments, including direct sun exposure, for extended periods of time.[1]
The U.S. Fire Administration gives the same warning for any lithium-ion battery: Don't put lithium-ion batteries in direct sunlight or keep them in hot cars. This is a fire risk.[4]
Cold is less harmful. In a very cold place you may notice a decrease in battery life, but this condition is temporary.[2]
If the phone gets hot while charging, check the case. Charging your device when it's inside certain styles of cases may generate excess heat, which can affect battery capacity.[2] Take it out of the case first.
Charge it in ways that slow wear
You do not need to avoid charging overnight, but you can let the phone manage it. On an iPhone, Optimized Battery Charging is designed to reduce the wear on your battery and improve its lifespan by reducing the time your iPhone spends fully charged.[3] It is on by default. On iPhone 15 models and later you can also set a charge limit: you can choose a charge limit between 80 percent and 100 percent in 5 percent increments.[3]
Many Android phones have a similar protect-battery or charge-limit setting in battery settings.
A phone you are putting away is different. Apple recommends keeping your iPhone half charged when it's stored for the long term.[1]
Know when the battery is simply old
No setting can stop aging. Batteries of iPhone 14 models and earlier are designed to retain 80 percent of their original capacity at 500 complete charge cycles under ideal conditions.[1] Batteries of iPhone 15 models are designed to retain 80 percent of their original capacity at 1000 complete charge cycles under ideal conditions.[1] Past that point, a replacement is the fix. Read why a phone battery drains so fast to tell a worn battery from a misbehaving app, and how much a battery replacement costs in Virginia before you shop.
Stop and call a pro if
- The back is bulging or the screen is lifting. Stop using lithium-ion batteries if you notice an odor, change in color, too much heat, change in shape, leaking or odd noises.[4]
- The phone is hot with nothing running or charging. Power it off, keep it away from anything that can burn and have a repair business look at it.
- Battery health is low and the phone shuts off early. A new battery will help more than any setting.
- You are tempted to open the phone to change the battery. Unless you know the model well, leave it to a repair business.
Getting help in Virginia
Browse the phone and tablet repair answers for related questions, or see phone battery repair on Loclis to compare local businesses.
When you are ready, describe the problem once and local repair businesses quote it.
Common questions
- Is it bad to charge my phone overnight?
- Not usually. Apple's Optimized Battery Charging is designed to reduce wear by reducing the time the iPhone spends fully charged, and it is on by default. Heat is the bigger concern, so take the phone out of a thick case if it warms up on the charger.
- Does a charge limit really help?
- It reduces time spent at full charge, which Apple ties to lower wear. On iPhone 15 models and later you can choose a limit between 80 and 100 percent in 5 percent steps. The trade-off is less battery on a given day, so use it if you rarely need a full charge.
- Does Low Power Mode hurt the battery?
- No. It reduces display brightness, minimizes animations and stops background downloads, and Apple says it switches off automatically when the phone charges up again. It saves battery for the day; it does not change how fast the battery ages.
- How should I store a phone I am not using?
- Apple recommends keeping an iPhone about half charged for long-term storage, powered down, in a cool place. A fully drained battery can fall into a deep discharge state and stop holding a charge, and a full one stored for a long time may lose capacity.
- When is it time for a new battery instead?
- When maximum capacity is near 80 percent and the phone still dies early. Apple designs iPhone 14 and earlier batteries to reach that at 500 complete charge cycles and iPhone 15 models at 1000, under ideal conditions.
Sources
- [1] iPhone battery and performance, Apple Support. Checked October 28, 2026.
- [2] Batteries - Maximizing Performance, Apple Inc.. Checked October 28, 2026.
- [3] About Charge Limit and Optimized Battery Charging on iPhone, Apple Support. Checked October 28, 2026.
- [4] Battery Fire Safety, U.S. Fire Administration, FEMA. Checked October 28, 2026.
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