The iPhone X is an impressive device, but like any smartphone, battery life can be a concern. With heavy use, most iPhone X batteries need to be recharged every day. Fortunately, there are many ways to extend your battery life so you can use your iPhone longer between charges.
As an iPhone X user for over 3 years, I’ve discovered several effective tips to stretch battery life. By following these best practices, you can easily get over a day of use from a single charge—even with relatively heavy use.
Table of Contents
Check Battery Health
The first step is checking your battery’s maximum capacity in Settings > Battery > Battery Health. This measures how much charge your battery can hold relative to when it was new.
Apple says an iPhone battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity after 500 complete charge cycles. So if your battery health drops below 80%, it’s a good idea to replace the battery to restore full performance and capacity.
Use Optimized Battery Charging
Optimized Battery Charging is enabled by default and helps extend your battery’s lifespan. It learns your daily charging routine so your iPhone reaches 80% then finishes charging right before you need to use it. This reduces the time your battery spends fully charged which can shorten its lifespan.
I recommend leaving this feature on to maximize battery longevity between replacements. But you can toggle it off in Settings if needed.
Reduce Screen Brightness
The screen uses a significant portion of your iPhone’s battery. So turning down brightness can meaningfully extend battery life.
I keep my brightness below 50% when I don’t need to see the screen clearly. Auto-Brightness can help adjust brightness automatically based on ambient light.
Disable Background App Refresh
Background App Refresh allows apps to refresh their content when you aren’t using them. While convenient, it drains battery unnecessarily in most cases.
I disable Background App Refresh entirely and just update apps manually when I open them. You can disable it for some or all apps in Settings > General > Background App Refresh.
Stop Automatic Downloads
Automatic downloads will drain battery by continually pulling in new data even when you aren’t using your iPhone.
I disable automatic downloads in Settings for music, apps, books, audiobooks and more. Then I just manually update them myself when connected to Wi-Fi to save battery.
Use Airplane Mode Overnight
Airplane Mode turns off all wireless connections and prevents background processes from accessing the internet while you sleep. This can extend battery life significantly overnight.
I enable Airplane Mode each night since most iPhone activity isn’t urgent overnight anyway. Just don’t forget to disable it in the morning!
Limit Location Services
Constant GPS access can drain iPhone battery quickly. Carefully manage which apps have access to Location Services in Settings > Privacy > Location Services.
I only enable location access for apps like Maps where I need it. Disabling unnecessary location access provides a nice boost in daily battery life.
Close Unused Apps
Apps running actively or in the background drain system resources and battery life. When you’re done with an app, fully close it by double pressing the Home button and swiping it away to stop unnecessary battery drain.
Actively monitoring and closing unused apps helps minimize battery drain from unnecessary background processes.
Use Low Power Mode
Low Power Mode temporarily reduces background activity, visual effects and performance to extend battery life. It can be enabled manually in Settings > Battery or automatically activates at 20% battery.
I use Low Power Mode whenever I need to stretch my remaining battery life a bit longer. It disables some visual effects but otherwise doesn’t impact normal iPhone use too much.
Avoid Extreme Temperatures
Exposing your iPhone to very warm or very cold environments can reduce battery performance and lifespan.
I try to keep my iPhone at moderate, room-level temperatures whenever possible. Don’t leave it baking in a hot car or freezing in subzero temperatures longer than necessary.
Replace an Aging Battery
No battery lasts forever. If your battery capacity drops below 80% or your iPhone starts shutting down unexpectedly, it’s time to replace the battery.
I had my iPhone X battery replaced after 3 years when its capacity dropped below 80%. The $69 battery replacement restored it to like-new battery life and performance.
By following these iPhone battery best practices, you can easily extend your battery life significantly. A few simple adjustments to settings, charging habits and usage can help your iPhone X battery last over a day—or even two days—per full charge.
