iPhone 15: Whenever a new operating system is launched or a fresh iPhone model is released, complaints often arise regarding issues with battery life, and this year is no different. Following an update or product release, it’s common to experience periods of rapid battery depletion due to background synchronization, but sometimes these problems persist.
Battery life concerns may stem from new features introduced by Apple, bugs that need fixing, or simply increased usage following an update. Regardless of the reason, we have gathered a set of recommendations to help you maximize your iPhone’s battery life, especially when every last bit of power is crucial.
Please be aware that many of these suggestions may involve deactivating certain key features on your iPhone. It’s important to strike a balance between conserving battery life and having the necessary features enabled. You can toggle them on or off as needed to extend your battery life. While not all of these tips are specific to iOS 17 and the iPhone 15 models, these strategies will certainly help you save battery power on your new device.
1. Turn Off Live Activities
Live Activities allow apps to display persistent notifications on your Lock Screen or Dynamic Island. In iOS 17, Live Activities are used more extensively than ever, and when combined with the Always-On display of the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro models, they can significantly impact your battery life.
To disable Live Activities, follow these steps:
- Open up the Settings app.
- Go to Face ID & Passcode.
- Enter your passcode to unlock the iPhone.
- Scroll down and toggle off Live Activities.
This action will prevent Live Activities from appearing on your Lock Screen. Furthermore, you can take it a step further by disabling Live Activities for individual apps within their respective settings or simply by avoiding the use of Live Activities features within apps.
While it’s not possible to completely deactivate the Dynamic Island, you can swipe left to dismiss any active animations.
2. Delete Lock Screen and Home Screen Widgets
iOS 17 has enriched widgets with interactive capabilities that can be accessed directly from your Lock Screen. However, if you don’t frequently use a specific widget, removing it can help preserve your battery life. It’s worth considering whether using a widget consumes less power compared to opening an app.
On the Lock Screen, you can opt for an option without widgets, making the transition hassle-free. You can even associate specific Lock Screens with a Focus mode that eliminates widgets and non-essential notifications.
For comprehensive instructions on adding, removing, and customizing widgets and Lock Screens, we provide dedicated guides.
3. Turn Off Live Voicemail
Live Voicemail offers a real-time transcript of voicemails directly on your Lock Screen. While this feature is convenient, it can exert a toll on your battery.
To disable it, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings > Phone.
- Locate Live Voicemail and toggle it off.
4. Turn Off Proximity AirDrop Sharing
When two iPhones running iOS 17 or an iPhone running iOS 17 and an Apple Watch with watchOS 10.1 come into close proximity, an AirDrop or contact transfer protocol initiates. Frequent triggering of this feature can drain your battery. If you find the AirDrop interface continuously appearing, consider turning it off:
- Navigate to Settings > General > AirDrop.
- Toggle off “Bringing Devices Together.”
5. Take Advantage of Offline Maps
iOS 17 enables you to download Apple Maps for offline use. This feature is not only handy when you lack a cellular connection but can also be beneficial even with a stable connection. If you’re in an area with unreliable connectivity, downloading a map and then switching off cellular data can extend your battery life without compromising your navigation.
We’ve provided a step-by-step guide for downloading maps for offline use, but the process is as straightforward as searching for a location in Maps, tapping the download button, and selecting the map area for download.
6. Disable Haptic Keyboard Feedback
Apple offers a feature that provides haptic feedback when tapping on-screen keys, creating a tactile typing experience. It’s worth noting that this feature can impact your device’s battery life.
Apple mentioned in a support document last year that keyboard haptics might affect battery performance. Therefore, it’s recommended to disable this feature when your battery is running low. While it’s not enabled by default, you can deactivate it by following these steps:
- Open the Settings app.
- Navigate to Sounds & Haptics.
- Select Keyboard Feedback.
- Disable the Haptic option.
7. Turn Off Always-On Display (iPhone 15 Pro)
As the name suggests, the Always-On display on iPhone 15 Pro models keeps the time, wallpaper, widgets, and Live Activities visible on the Lock Screen even when your iPhone is locked.
The display utilizes a 1Hz refresh rate to conserve battery, and Apple has implemented features like turning off the display when an Apple Watch is no longer nearby (indicating the iPhone owner is out of the room) or when the iPhone is in a pocket. However, the Always-On display may still consume battery more rapidly than not having it active.
You can disable the Always-On display using these steps:
- Launch the Settings app.
- Access Display & Brightness.
- Navigate to Always On Display.
- Turn off the Always On Display option.
It’s challenging to precisely quantify the impact of the Always-On display on battery life since it depends on usage. Nevertheless, even if it only causes a marginal reduction, it’s advisable to disable it, especially if it’s a feature you don’t find particularly useful.
8. Choose Non-Animated Wallpapers
Some wallpapers available for the Lock Screen are animated, and animated wallpapers tend to consume slightly more battery than static ones. If you prioritize battery conservation over animated wallpapers, opt for a static wallpaper that doesn’t change throughout the day.
For instance, the Weather wallpaper adjusts to weather conditions, the Photo Shuffle option cycles through your selected photos during the day, and the Astronomy wallpaper changes based on current conditions.
9. Use Focus Modes
Leveraging Apple’s built-in Focus feature can significantly reduce the number of notifications you receive during the day, which, in turn, results in fewer instances of apps waking your device’s display and depleting your battery.
Focus modes allow you to specify which apps and contacts can send notifications and when they are permitted to do so. For example, during working hours, you can ensure you only receive work-related notifications, while during your personal time, you can limit work notifications. You can also restrict notifications when driving, sleeping, working out, and in various other scenarios. Focus filters even enable you to filter out specific emails, messages, calendars, and more.
Even though you will receive all your notifications when the Focus mode concludes, they will be consolidated into a single alert rather than multiple ones. While turning off unnecessary app notifications remains the most effective approach to conserve battery life, using Focus allows you to maintain your notifications while reducing the number you receive simultaneously.
Setting up Focus modes is straightforward, but it does require some initial configuration. We have created a dedicated Focus guide to assist you with this. You can access all of the Focus features in the Focus section within the Settings app.
10. Use Scheduled Summary
It’s also a good practice to ensure that any apps sending non-essential notifications are categorized into the Scheduled Summary, which collects notifications and delivers them to you once or twice a day.
You can activate Scheduled Summary for apps in the Notifications section of the Settings app, where you can specify which apps should have their notifications included in the Scheduled Summary and when you prefer to receive them.
