How to Make Your iPhone Battery Last Longer (iOS 27 Settings)
The settings that actually save battery on iOS 27, from Adaptive Power to Always-On, plus charging habits that keep your battery healthy for years.
Most "battery saving tips" online are either outdated or barely make a difference. Closing apps from the app switcher, for example, usually doesn't help at all. These are the settings and habits that actually matter on iOS 27.
Settings that save the most battery
1. Turn on Adaptive Power
Settings → Battery → Power Mode → Adaptive Power.
Adaptive Power learns your charging habits over about a week, then makes small performance adjustments on days you'll need extra battery. It's on by default on the iPhone 17 family and iPhone Air, and you can switch it on for other supported models.
2. Use Low Power Mode when you need it
Low Power Mode is still a separate switch, in Settings → Battery or Control Center. It reduces background activity and some visual effects. In iOS 27 you can automate it with Shortcuts, for example to turn on automatically below 30%.
3. Turn off the Always-On display
If your iPhone has it, Settings → Display & Brightness → Always On Display. It's lovely, but it uses battery all day.
4. Let brightness adjust itself
The screen is one of the biggest battery users. Keep Auto-Brightness on: Settings → Accessibility → Display & Text Size.
5. Find the battery hogs
Settings → Battery shows which apps used the most battery in the last 24 hours and 10 days. If an app you barely use is near the top, check its settings or delete it.
6. Cut background activity
- Background App Refresh: Settings → General → Background App Refresh. Turn it off for apps that don't need it.
- Location Services: Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services. Set most apps to "While Using" or "Never".
7. Prefer Wi-Fi over cellular
Wi-Fi typically uses less power than mobile data, especially with a weak signal. In areas with poor reception, your iPhone works harder to stay connected.
Habits that keep your battery healthy
Battery life (how long a charge lasts) is different from battery health (how much capacity your battery keeps over the years). For health:
- Avoid heat. Don't leave your phone in a hot car or charge it under a pillow.
- Use Optimized Charging or the 80% limit option in Settings → Battery → Charging on supported iPhones. Keeping the battery from sitting at 100% for hours slows wear.
- Don't worry about small top-ups. Charging little and often is fine for modern batteries.
- Check health: Settings → Battery → Battery Health. Under about 80% maximum capacity, a replacement battery can make an older iPhone feel new.
Myths you can ignore
- "Close all your apps." iOS manages background apps well. Force-closing them can use more battery when they relaunch.
- "Drain it to 0% regularly." That's advice for old battery types, not modern lithium-ion batteries.
Running low on space too? See how to free up iPhone storage. Thinking of upgrading for battery life? The iPhone 18 Pro Max is rated for up to 30 hours of typical use. See which iPhone to buy.
