I changed these iOS 26 settings on my iPhone to significantly extend the battery life

Apple regularly updates iPhone software with new tricks and features, and sometimes those updates improve power management or fix battery-draining bugs. They might optimize CPU throttling or address network-stack inefficiencies. Skip an update, and you could miss out on better battery health or even be making things worse.

How to update to the latest iOS update on iPhone:

1. Open Settings > General > Software Update.
2. Tap Download and Install if an update is available.
3. Optional: Enable Automatic Updates from the Software Update screen. This will download and install the latest iOS update when your phone is connected to Wi-Fi, charging, and locked.

Also: This hidden iPhone feature keeps your private apps completely out of sight - how I use it

Apple keeps a changelog of its latest OS releases here. I wouldn't recommend running beta software on your main device, as it could contain bugs and potentially have the opposite effect of what you're trying to achieve.

Your screen brightness can really wreak havoc on your battery life. In fact, the display is one of the biggest power drains on an iPhone, so even lowering the brightness by 10 to 20 percent can noticeably extend your usage.

How to dim and automate screen brightness on iPhone:

1. Swipe down from the top-right to open Control Center.
2. Drag the Brightness slider down until comfortable.
3. Optional: Go Settings > Accessibility > Display and Text Size > toggle on Auto-Brightness.

That last optional step, Auto-Brightness, automatically adjusts your screen's brightness based on ambient light. I suggest enabling it to optimize your battery life and provide a better viewing experience in different conditions.

The iPhone 14 Pro and later models include an "Always-On Display," which keeps a dimmed version of your lock screen visible even when the device is locked. Reports suggest it uses about 1 percent of your battery per hour, or around 24 percent over a full day. By turning it off, you can reclaim a significant chunk of that charge.

How to disable the always-on display on iPhone:

1. Go Settings > Display and Brightness.
2. Toggle off Always On Display.

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If you've ever been in an area with low or no service, you've probably noticed your battery drops quickly. That's because your iPhone is constantly scanning to locate and connect to a cell tower, and that consumes power. 

Cellular data also uses more energy than Wi-Fi, since it has to transmit and receive signals over long distances and maintain connections with distant towers. In short, cellular connections can drain your battery, fast. 

If you need to conserve power, switch to Wi-Fi, but be cautious on public networks.

How to use Wi-Fi over cellular on iPhone:

1. Open Settings > Wi-Fi and toggle it on, and then join a known network.
2. In Settings > Cellular, toggle off Cellular Data.
3. Optional: In Settings > Cellular, disable Wi-Fi Assist to prevent auto-fallback to cellular.

If you need to stay on cellular and can't rely on Wi-Fi, pay attention to your 5G signal. When 5G coverage is weak or inconsistent, your iPhone works harder to hold that connection, which drains more battery. In those situations, switching to 4G LTE can actually be more efficient and help your phone last longer.

How to switch from 5G to LTE on iPhone:

1. Go Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options.
2. Tap Voice and Data, select LTE.
3. Optional: Disable 5G Standalone under Voice and Data in Settings.

Also: Need to share your Wi-Fi password? My simple phone trick gives you an instant connection

Apple offers a feature on all iPhones running iOS 9 or later called Low Power Mode. 

When enabled, it limits background activity like app refreshes, disables automatic downloads, lowers screen brightness, throttles the CPU, and slows down some animations. That all might sound drastic, but it can give you an extra hour or three on a low battery. Your battery icon turns yellow to indicate it's active.

How to enable Low Power Mode on iPhone:

1. Go Settings > Battery > toggle Low Power Mode on (battery icon turns yellow).
2. Or add to Control Center: Swipe into Control Center, hit +, search and add Low Power Mode.

If you have an iPhone 15 Pro, Pro Max, or a newer model, you can use Apple's new Adaptive Power Mode in iOS 26. It leverages on-device AI to make small performance tweaks, like slightly lowering screen brightness or letting some processes take a bit longer, to extend your battery when needed. It's more subtle than Low Power Mode.

How to enable Adaptive Power Mode on iPhone:

1. Make sure you're running iOS 26.
2. Open Settings > Battery > Power Mode.
3. Select Adaptive Power Mode.

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Did you know every little buzz or click triggers the Taptic Engine on your iPhone? Thousands of key presses a day add up, and they all use power. Apple even notes on a support page that haptics can affect battery life. If you need to conserve every last bit, turn off keyboard haptics (and even click sounds) until you're near a charger.

How to disable keyboard feedback on iPhone:

1. Open Settings > Sounds and Haptics.
2. Tap Keyboard Feedback.
3. Toggle off Haptics (and Sound if desired).
4. Optional: You can also turn off Haptics for all ringtones and alerts on your iPhone. Just select the Never option under Settings > Sounds and Haptic > Ringtone and Alerts.

Apple's "Hey Siri" feature can contribute to battery drain because your iPhone must constantly listen for the command, and when active, it uses both the microphone and the Neural Engine. Like any task, this consumes power. If you rarely use the hot word, switch it off. You can always invoke Siri by holding the side button.

How to disable "Hey Siri" on iPhone:

1. Go Settings > Siri.
2. Tap Talk to Siri > select Off.
3. Optional: In Settings > Siri, disable "Allow Siri When Locked" to prevent accidental wakeups.

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Did you know every push notification you get uses power? Each one wakes your screen, may play a sound, and often vibrates. Disable non-essential alerts to cut down on wake cycles and save battery. Plus, do you really want to be spammed all day? Clean them up and you'll squeeze out a few extra percent of battery life.

How to manage your notifications on iPhone:

1. Open Settings > Apps.
2. Scroll to an app, and tap Notifications.
3. Toggle Allow Notifications off entirely, or uncheck Lock Screen, Banners, Sounds, and Badges selectively.
4. Repeat for social media, games, news, and other high-churn apps.

While AirDrop has a minimal impact on battery life, it still uses power. 

The Bringing Devices Together feature in particular, which lets you share contact info by placing two iPhones close, continuously scans via Bluetooth LE and peer-to-peer Wi-Fi. If you rarely use AirDrop, turn receiving off or at least disable Bringing Devices Together to stop those background scans and reduce power drain.

How to limit AirDrop on iPhone:

1. Open Settings > General > AirDrop.
2. Select Receiving Off.
3. Disable Bringing Devices Together.

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Live Activities display real-time updates from apps on your lock screen or in the Dynamic Island, and they can contribute to battery drain. For example, a food delivery app might constantly update your order's ETA.

Disable them for apps that push frequent updates you don't need, like social networks, to cut down on energy use. You can even suppress all Live Activities on the lock screen at once.

How to disable live activities on iPhone:

1. To turn off in specific apps, go Settings > Apps > scroll to the app > toggle Live Activities off.
2. To suppress all on your lock screen, open Settings > Face ID and Passcode > Enter passcode > toggle Live Activities off under Allow Access When Locked.

You can probably tell I'm getting into the nitty-gritty of iPhone settings at this point. 

Feel free to pick and choose what you want to disable to save battery, but another niche tip is to remove your lock screen widgets. They refresh periodically and sometimes make network or GPS calls.

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If you rarely look at them, removing widgets stops those potentially battery-draining background checks.

How to remove lock screen widgets:

1. Press and hold the lock screen > tap Customize.
2. Select the widget area > tap each widget's button to remove.

Apps perform background refreshes, too. This lets them fetch updates in the background for things like email, social feeds, and news. Turning it off means apps will only update when you open them, which can help extend your battery life.

How to disable Background App Refresh on iPhone:

1. Go Settings > General > Background App Refresh.
2. Select Off under Background App Refresh.
3. Or, scroll down your list of apps and disable them individually.

You probably thought I was done with display settings. Not quite. The iPhone Pro models, starting with the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max, feature Apple's ProMotion technology, which shifts the refresh rate between 10Hz and 120Hz. By limiting the frame rate, you can reduce GPU load and save power.

Also: How to use Hold Assist on iOS 26 (and why it's my must-have iPhone feature)

How to cap frame rate on iPhone:

1. Open Settings > Accessibility > Motion.
2. Toggle Limit Frame Rate on.

Dark Mode on iPhones can help save both your eyes and your battery. It only delivers battery benefits on OLED displays, but that includes the iPhone X and all newer models. Because OLED panels light up individual pixels, the black areas in Dark Mode require less power, which reduces energy use and helps your battery last longer.

How to enable Dark Mode on iPhone:

1. Go Settings > Display and Brightness.
2. Under Appearance, tap Dark.
3. Optional: Enable Automatic and schedule it for Sunset to Sunrise.

What about Focus Modes - do they help battery life?

Yes. Focus Modes help by letting you whitelist specific apps and contacts, so during "Work" or "Sleep," only essential alerts light up your display. That means fewer wake-ups and less background activity. I already mentioned disabling notifications above, but Focus Modes take it a step further.

Also: My favorite iOS 26 feature makes screenshots even more useful - and it's easy to enable

How to set up a Focus Mode:

1. Open Settings > Focus > tap + to create a profile.
2. Under Allowed Notifications, choose People and Apps.
3. Optionally schedule it by time, location, or app.

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

How do I identify the biggest battery hogs on iPhone?

To see what might be draining your iPhone's battery, go to Settings > Battery. There, you'll see usage by app and how much time each spent on screen or in background.

Can removing my case while charging help?

Possibly. If your device gets hot while charging, removing the case can improve heat dissipation, which might speed up charging and protect your iPhone's battery health.

Also: Yes, your iPhone can track every place you visit - here's how to turn it off

Should I try a battery pack or a power bank?

Yes. I always travel with one. All the settings tweaks in the world won't help if you're stranded somewhere, staring at a red battery icon, far from an outlet. Here are the top picks ZDNET's editors recommend:

• Best MagSafe battery packs 2025: I tested the best options to boost your phone's battery anywhere you go
• The best iPhone power banks of 2025: Expert tested and reviewed