How to Fix Fast Battery Drain on Your Phone

Difficulty: Easy

Time needed: 10-15 minutes

What you'll need: Your phone (iPhone or Android)

Step 1: Check which apps are draining your battery

iPhone: Go to Settings > Battery. Scroll down to see battery usage by app over the last 24 hours or 10 days
Android: Go to Settings > Battery > Battery usage. See which apps consumed the most power

Step 2: Turn off background app refresh for non-essential apps

iPhone: Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh. Turn it off for apps that don't need to update in the background (games, shopping apps, etc.)
Android: Go to Settings > Apps, select an app, then Battery > Restricted

Step 3: Reduce screen brightness and enable auto-brightness

iPhone: Go to Settings > Display & Brightness. Enable True Tone and set brightness to auto. Or swipe down from the top-right and lower the brightness slider
Android: Go to Settings > Display > Brightness. Enable Adaptive brightness and lower the slider

Step 4: Turn off unnecessary features

Disable features you're not actively using:

Location Services: Only enable for apps that need it (maps, weather)
Bluetooth: Turn off when not connected to headphones or a car
WiFi: Turn off when you're not near a known network
Hey Siri / OK Google: Always-on voice detection uses significant battery

Step 5: Update your phone and apps

iPhone: Go to Settings > General > Software Update
Android: Go to Settings > System > System update

Also update all apps in the App Store or Google Play Store, as updates often fix battery bugs.

Step 6: Enable battery saver mode

iPhone: Go to Settings > Battery > Low Power Mode (or add it to Control Center for quick access)
Android: Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Saver and turn it on

If that didn't work

If your phone is more than 2-3 years old, the battery itself may be degraded. Check battery health: iPhone: Settings > Battery > Battery Health. If Maximum Capacity is below 80%, consider a battery replacement ($50-80 at most repair shops).

Pro tip

Avoid letting your phone battery drop to 0% or charging it to 100% regularly. Keeping it between 20-80% extends the overall lifespan of your battery.