"Battery life" is the time your device works before it needs to be charged. “Battery life” is the amount of time your battery will last until it needs to be replaced. Maximize both and you'll get the most out of your Apple devices, no matter which one you own.
Tips for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
Update to the latest software.
Always make sure your device is running the latest version of iOS.
- If you are using iOS5 or higher, see if you need an update. Go to Settings > General > Software update.
- If an update is available, you can connect your device to a power source and update wirelessly, or connect it to your computer and update with the latest version of iTunes.
Learn more about updating iOS
Optimize your settings.
There are two simple ways you can extend battery life no matter how you use your device: Adjust the screen brightness and use Wi-Fi.
Dim the screen or enable auto brightness to extend battery life.
- To dim, open Control Center and drag the Brightness slider down.
- Auto-Brightness automatically adjusts your screen to the lighting conditions. To enable this, go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Show Nights and set Auto Brightness to On.
When you use your device to access data, a Wi-Fi connection uses less power than a cellular network. So make sure that Wi-Fi is always turned on. To enable Wi-Fi, go to Settings > Wi-Fi to access a Wi-Fi network.
Enable energy saving mode.
Introduced in iOS 9, Low Power Mode is an easy way to extend your iPhone's battery life when it's running low. Your iPhone will notify you when the battery level drops to 20%, and again to 10%, and you can turn on power saving mode with one tap. Or you can enable it by going to Settings > Battery. Low Power Mode reduces screen brightness, optimizes device performance and minimizes system animations. Apps like Mail won't download content in the background, and features like AirDrop, iCloud sync, and Continuity will be disabled. You can still use key features like making and receiving phone calls, email and messaging, accessing the Internet, and more. And when your phone charges again, power saving mode will turn off automatically.
See battery consumption information.
iOS makes it easy to manage your device's battery life because you can see what percentage of your battery is being used by each app (unless the device is charging). To see your usage, go to Settings > Battery.
These are the notifications you can see under the apps you've used:
Background activity.This indicates that the battery was being used by the app while it was in the background, i.e. while you were using another app.
- To improve battery life, you can disable the feature that allows apps to update in the background. Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and select Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi & Mobile Data, or Off to completely disable Background App Refresh.
- If the Mail app shows background activity, you can choose to download data manually or increase the download interval. Go to Settings > Accounts & Passwords > Get New Data.
Location and background location.This indicates that the app is using location services.
- You can optimize your battery life by turning off Location Services for the app. Turn it off via Settings > Privacy > Location Services.
- In Location Services, you can see each app with its permission setting. Apps that have recently used location services will have an indicator next to the power button.
Home and lock screen.This indicates that the home screen or lock screen was displayed on your device. For example, the display was woken up by pressing the Home button or by a notification.
- If an app regularly wakes up your screen with notifications, you can turn off push notifications for the app in Settings > Notifications. Tap the app and set Allow Notifications to Off.
No mobile coverage and weak signal.This indicates that you are in an area with poor mobile coverage and your iOS device is looking for a better signal, or you have been using your device in low signal conditions, which has affected battery life influenced.
- You can optimize your battery life by turning on airplane mode. Open Control Center and tap the Airplane Mode icon. Please note that you cannot make or receive calls in airplane mode.
Plug in your computer and turn it on to charge your device.
Make sure your computer is plugged in and turned on when using it to charge your iOS device via USB. If your device is connected to a computer that is turned off or in sleep or standby mode, your device battery may drain. Please note that the iPhone3G and iPhone3GS cannot be charged with a FireWire power adapter or a FireWire-based car charger.
Tips for Apple Watch
Update to the latest software.
Make sure your AppleWatch is always running the latest version of watchOS.
- To see if you need an update, open the AppleWatch app on your iPhone and go to My Watch > General > Software Update.
- If an update is available, connect your iPhone to Wi-Fi, connect the charger to your Apple Watch (make sure it's at least 50% charged), and update wirelessly.
Learn more about updating watchOS
Adjust your settings.
There are a few ways you can extend the battery life of your Apple Watch:
- During running and walking training, activate energy saving mode to turn off the heart rate sensor. To do this, open the AppleWatch app on the iPhone, go to My Watch > Sports and enable power saving mode. Please note that when the heart rate sensor is turned off, calorie burn calculations may not be as accurate.
- For longer workouts you can choose to use a Bluetooth chest strap instead of the built-in heart rate monitor. To pair the Bluetooth chest strap with your watch, make sure the strap is in pairing mode, then open Settings on Apple Watch, select Bluetooth, and then select Health Devices from the list.
- If you are very active with your hands and your watch display turns on more often than you would like, you can prevent the display from turning on every time you lift your wrist. Open Settings on Apple Watch, choose General, choose Wake Screen, and then turn off Wrist Up Wake Screen. To turn on the screen, simply tap it or press the DigitalCrown.
- Turning off Bluetooth on your iPhone increases battery consumption on your AppleWatch. For more energy-efficient communication between devices, keep Bluetooth enabled on iPhone.
See battery consumption information.
To see information about your usage and standby time, open the AppleWatch app on iPhone and go to My Watch > General > Usage.
Plug in your computer and turn it on to charge your Apple Watch.
If you want to charge from your computer, make sure it is plugged in and turned on when using it to charge your AppleWatch via USB. If your AppleWatch is connected to a computer that is turned off or in sleep or standby mode, the AppleWatch battery may drain.
If your Apple Watch battery requires maintenance, use Apple or an authorized service provider.
Tips for iPod shuffle, iPod nano and iPod classic
Update to the latest software.
Always make sure your iPod has the latest version of Apple software. Dock your iPod or connect it to your computer and iTunes will notify you of available updates.
Optimize your settings.
Press and hold pause.Set the Hold switch when you are not using your iPod. This prevents the iPod from accidentally waking up and consuming unnecessary power. If you're not listening to your iPod, you can pause it or turn it off by pressing the play button for two seconds.
Equalizer (EQ).Adding EQ to playback increases the use of your iPod's processor because the EQ is not encoded in the song. Turn EQ off if you are not using it. However, if you've added EQ to songs in iTunes, you'll need to set the EQ to 'flat' to get the effect of 'off' because the iPod will keep your iTunes settings intact.
Backlight.Setting the backlight to "always on" will significantly reduce your battery life. Use the backlight only when necessary.
Plug in your computer and turn it on to charge your iPod.
Make sure your computer is plugged in and turned on when using it to charge your iPod via USB. If your iPod is connected to a computer that is turned off or in sleep or standby mode, the iPod battery may drain.
Tips for MacBookAir and MacBookPro.
Update to the latest software.
Make sure your MacBook is always running the latest version of macOS. If you're connected to the Internet, macOS automatically checks for software updates every week, but you still control when the updates are installed. To check if you are using the latest software, go to the Apple menu and select Software Update.
Learn more about updating macOS
Optimize your settings.
Energy.The Power Saver settings panel contains several settings that determine the power level for your MacBook. Your MacBook knows when it's connected and works accordingly. When using battery power, the screen dims and other components are used sparingly. Changing this setting to maximize performance will drain your battery faster.
Brightness.Dim the screen to the lowest comfortable level for maximum battery life. For example, when watching a video on an airplane, you may not need full brightness if the cabin lights are off.
Wireless Internet.Wi-Fi consumes power even when you're not using it to connect to a network. You can disable this in the Wi-Fi status menu in the menu bar or in Network settings.
Applications and peripherals.Disconnect peripherals and close applications that are not in use. Eject an SD card if you don't currently have access to it.
Plug in your MacBook and turn it on to charge other devices.
Make sure your MacBook is plugged in and turned on when using it to charge other devices via USB. Otherwise, these devices can drain your MacBook's battery faster than normal. Having another device connected to your MacBook while it is turned off or in sleep or standby mode can drain the device's battery.
General performance tips
Update to the latest software.
Software updates from Apple often include advanced power-saving technologies, so always make sure your device is running the latest version of iOS, macOS, or watchOS.
- How to Update iOS
- How to update macOS
- How to update watchOS
Avoid extreme ambient temperatures.
Your device is designed to perform well in a wide range of ambient temperatures, with 16° to 22°C (62° to 72°F) being the ideal comfort zone. It is especially important to avoid exposing your device to ambient temperatures higher than 35°C (95°F), which can permanently damage battery capacity. That is, your battery does not power your device for very long on a given charge. Charging the device in high ambient temperatures may further damage the device. Software can limit charging to more than 80% when recommended battery temperatures are exceeded. Even storing a battery in a warm environment can damage it irreversibly. When using your device in a very cold environment, you may notice a decrease in battery life, but this condition is temporary. When the battery temperature returns to its normal operating range, performance will also return to normal.
iPhone, iPad, iPod en AppleWatch Comfort Zone
0°C
35°C
Too cold Room temperature Too hot
iPhone, iPad, iPod and AppleWatch work best in an ambient temperature of 0° to 35°C (32° to 95°F). Storage temperature: –20° to 45°C (–4° to 113°F).
MacBook comfort zone
10°C
35°C
Too cold Room temperature Too hot
MacBook works best in an ambient temperature of 10° to 35°C (50° to 95°F). Storage temperature: –20° to 45°C (–4° to 113°F).
Remove certain cases while charging.
Charging your device while in certain cases can generate excess heat, which can affect battery capacity. If you notice that your device becomes warm while charging, first remove it from the case. For Apple Watch Edition models, make sure the magnetic cover is removed from the charging case.
Keep it half charged when storing it for long periods of time.
If you plan to store your device for extended periods of time, two major factors affect the overall health of your battery: the ambient temperature and the battery's percentage charge when it's turned off for storage. We therefore recommend the following:
- Do not fully charge or discharge the device battery; charge it to about 50%. Storing a device when the battery is completely discharged can cause the battery to become deeply discharged, causing it to become unable to hold a charge. Conversely, if you store the battery fully charged for an extended period of time, the battery may lose some capacity, leading to shorter battery life.
- Turn off the device to prevent further battery usage.
- Place your device in a cool, moisture-free environment that is below 32°C (90°F).
- If you plan to use your device for more than six months, charge the device to 50% every six months.
Depending on how long you keep your device, the battery may be low when you take it out of long-term storage. After taking it out of storage, it may take up to 20 minutes to charge it with the original adapter before you can use it.
