Meta Title: iPhone Battery Draining Fast? Pro Fixes from Screen Fixed Meta Description: Is your iPhone battery draining fast? Learn software and hardware fixes from our expert guide. Get help with iPhone repairs in Brisbane from Screen Fixed.
It’s a scenario every iPhone user in Australia dreads: your battery life is fine one day, and the next, it’s in a nosedive before you’ve even had your morning coffee. When your battery is draining fast on your iPhone, it's natural to assume the worst—that the battery has finally given up.
While a failing battery is always a possibility, the real culprit is often hiding in your phone’s software, and there are several effective solutions you can try before considering a replacement.
alt text: A hand holding an iPhone with a green battery icon, illustrating the concept of a battery draining fast on an iPhone.
Software Glitches vs. Hardware Fatigue
Figuring out whether you’re dealing with a software bug or a genuinely worn-out battery is the first crucial step. The good news is that software problems are often sudden and fixable, whereas hardware issues tend to creep up on you over months or even years.
Think of a major iOS update. For the first day or two, your phone might feel warm and drain its battery much faster than usual. This is because iOS is busy behind the scenes, re-indexing files and recalibrating systems. It's a temporary power surge that usually settles down on its own.
Another common software issue is a rogue app. A social media app, for instance, might get stuck in an endless loop trying to refresh in the background. It won’t show up as 'on-screen' activity, but it’s secretly chewing through your battery reserves. For a deeper look at this, check out our guide on why your iPhone battery is draining so quickly.
This isn't just a theory; we see it in the data. After a major software update in Australia, for example, reports from local tech service networks showed battery-related consultations jumping significantly. This aligns with findings from sources like the University of Michigan’s study on software power consumption, which show that post-update processes can temporarily increase power consumption by a large margin.
To help you diagnose the problem, here are a few tell-tale signs:
- Sudden Drop After Update: If the drain started immediately after you installed a new version of iOS, it’s almost certainly a software problem.
- Phone Feels Warm to the Touch: An unusually warm iPhone, especially when you’re not actively using it, is a classic sign of a process or app running wild in the background.
- Inconsistent Percentage Drops: Does the battery percentage suddenly plummet from 60% to 40%, then hold steady for ages? This kind of erratic behaviour often points to a battery that needs recalibrating, or one that’s nearing the end of its life.
Quick Diagnosis for Common iPhone Battery Drain Causes
Use this table to quickly identify the potential cause of your iPhone's battery drain based on common symptoms.
| Symptom | Likely Cause (Software) | Likely Cause (Hardware) |
|---|---|---|
| Drain started right after an iOS update | iOS re-indexing, app incompatibility | Coincidence, but less likely |
| Phone is unusually warm, even when idle | Rogue app or background process stuck | Failing battery generating excess heat |
| Battery percentage drops suddenly and erratically | iOS needs a battery calibration (software) | Worn-out battery unable to hold a stable charge |
| Dies unexpectedly when battery shows 20% or more | Software misreading the battery level | Degraded battery with reduced actual capacity |
| Poor battery life that has gotten worse over time | Accumulation of "digital clutter," old apps | Normal chemical ageing of the lithium-ion battery |
Pinpointing the likely cause makes the next steps much clearer. Once you know what you’re up against, you can start applying the right fixes instead of just guessing.
Mastering Your iPhone Settings to Save Battery
Deep inside your iPhone's settings are some powerful controls that can seriously cut down your time tethered to a charger. Navigating them can feel like a maze, though. While flicking on 'Low Power Mode' is a decent quick fix, the real, lasting improvements come from fine-tuning the specific settings that are quietly draining your battery all day long. If your battery is draining fast on your iPhone, these tweaks are your first line of defence.
We're going to move beyond the basics and get into the settings that make a tangible difference.
alt text: An iPhone on a desk showing the battery settings screen, a key step in fixing an iPhone battery that is draining fast.
Fine-Tuning Background App Refresh
Background App Refresh is a classic culprit behind mysterious battery drain. This feature lets apps check for new content and updates even when you’re not actively using them. While it’s handy for things like email or messaging apps, it's often a total waste of power for games, social media, or other apps you only open now and then.
Think about it: a news app constantly pulling in new headlines in the background, all day long. Every single refresh uses a bit of data and processing power, slowly but surely chipping away at your battery life. By being more selective, you can stop this silent drain without really noticing a difference in how your phone works.
To get a handle on it, head to Settings > General > Background App Refresh. You've got three main options here:
- Off: This shuts the feature down for all apps. It’s the ultimate battery-saver, but it means apps will only update their content when you open them.
- Wi-Fi: This is a smart middle ground. Apps will only do their background refreshing when you’re on a Wi-Fi network, which is much less demanding on your battery than mobile data.
- Wi-Fi & Mobile Data: This is the default setting and, you guessed it, the most power-hungry.
Pro Tip: My go-to strategy is to set the main toggle to 'Wi-Fi' and then manually go down the list of apps on that same screen. I switch it off for anything that doesn't absolutely need real-time updates. Social media apps, photo editors, and most games are prime candidates to get the chop.
Managing Location Services
Another massive power hog is Location Services. So many apps ask for access to your location, but very few of them actually need it all the time. A ride-sharing app needs to know where you are when you’re booking a trip, but does that weather app need to track you 24/7? Probably not.
Thankfully, iOS gives you really granular control. Just pop over to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services. You can go through the list and pick the best permission for each app:
- Never: The app can’t get your location data, period.
- Ask Next Time Or When I Share: The app has to ask for permission every single time it wants to know where you are.
- While Using the App: The app can only see your location when it's open and active on your screen. This is the sweet spot for most apps.
- Always: The app can access your location anytime, even when it’s just running in the background. Reserve this setting for only the most essential apps, like a map app you rely on for turn-by-turn navigation.
Just changing a social media app from 'Always' to 'While Using the App' can stop it from constantly pinging your GPS, which can lead to a noticeable amount of extra battery by the end of the day.
Taming Your Display and Notifications
Your iPhone’s gorgeous display is one of its best features, but it's also one of its biggest power consumers. A couple of simple tweaks here can make a world of difference.
Auto-Brightness is your best friend. You'll find it under Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size. This uses your iPhone’s ambient light sensor to adjust the screen brightness for you. It’s a simple but effective way to stop your screen from blasting at full power when you’re indoors, saving a surprising amount of juice.
On a similar note, try disabling Raise to Wake in Settings > Display & Brightness. It’s a convenient feature, but it also means your screen lights up with every little movement, leading to hundreds of unnecessary screen activations throughout your day.
Finally, take a look at how your email is delivered. Under Settings > Mail > Accounts > Fetch New Data, you can choose between 'Push' and 'Fetch'. 'Push' means emails arrive instantly because your phone maintains a constant connection to the server. Switching to 'Fetch' (say, every 15 or 30 minutes) tells your iPhone to check for new mail on a schedule, cutting down on that constant network chatter and saving power. You can find more practical battery-saving strategies in our guide to iPhone 14 Pro battery tips, which are useful for many different models.
Finding and Dealing With Power-Hungry Apps
When your iPhone's battery suddenly starts draining for no apparent reason, it's tempting to jump to conclusions and blame the hardware. But hold on. More often than not, the real villain is a single, poorly-behaving app chugging away in the background.
Think of it like a tiny, invisible leak. One rogue app can drain your battery drip by drip, leaving you scrambling for a charger by lunchtime. The good news is, your iPhone gives you all the tools you need to play detective, hunt down the culprit, and put a stop to it. This isn't about guesswork; it's about using the phone's own data to make smart decisions.
To get started, head over to Settings > Battery. You’ll need to give it a second to load, but once it does, scroll down. What you'll see is a detailed list of every app that's used your battery over the last 24 hours or the last 10 days, complete with percentages. This is your list of prime suspects.
Making Sense of the Battery Usage Data
It’s easy to look at this list and assume the app at the very top is the problem. But context is everything. If you just spent three hours on a FaceTime call, it’s perfectly normal for FaceTime to be at the top of the list.
The real trick is to look for anomalies—apps with high usage that you barely remember opening. To dig deeper, tap on an app in the list. You'll see its activity broken down into two crucial categories:
- On Screen: This is exactly what it sounds like—the time you were actively using the app. This is expected battery usage.
- Background Activity: This is the sneaky one. It's the time the app was running behind the scenes, fetching new content, tracking your location, or syncing data. A little bit of this is fine, but a lot is a massive red flag.
A classic example is seeing a social media app with 20 minutes of 'On Screen' time but 4 hours of 'Background Activity'. That’s a clear sign something’s gone wrong. That app is working overtime when it shouldn't be, and it's almost certainly why your battery is draining fast.
Taking Action on Those Draining Apps
Once you've identified an app that's misbehaving, you have a few simple ways to bring it back in line. It's always best to start with the easiest fix and only move on to more drastic measures if the problem doesn't go away.
Often, a simple force-quit is enough to stop a temporary glitch. To do this, swipe up from the bottom of your screen (or double-press the Home button on older iPhones) to bring up the app switcher. Find the app you want to close and just swipe its card up and off the screen. Done.
It's a common myth that you should be constantly force-quitting all your apps to save battery. In reality, iOS is very good at managing background apps on its own. Only force-quit an app when you genuinely suspect it's malfunctioning and causing a drain.
If that doesn't fix it and the app continues its power-hungry ways, the next logical step is a clean reinstall. This can clear out any corrupted data or bugged-out settings causing the issue.
- Delete the App: Just press and hold the app icon on your Home Screen, then tap 'Remove App' and confirm by tapping 'Delete App'.
- Reinstall from the App Store: Pop open the App Store, search for the app by name, and download a fresh copy.
This "turn it off and on again" approach for apps often resolves even the most stubborn battery drain issues. If you've done all this and the problem still persists, you might need to look for a more battery-friendly alternative, especially if the app has a reputation for being a power hog.
Of course, if you've tried all the software fixes and your battery life is still poor, it might be a sign of a deeper hardware issue. At that point, it might be time to investigate a professional battery check or consider an iPhone repair in Brisbane.
When to Replace Your iPhone Battery
Software fixes and reining in power-hungry apps can definitely help, but they can't reverse the physical ageing of a battery. Every lithium-ion battery has a limited number of charge cycles, and eventually, no amount of software trickery can make up for its natural chemical decline. When your iPhone battery is draining fast no matter what you do, it's time to stop looking at software and start considering the hardware.
Knowing the tell-tale signs of a failing battery is the key to getting your iPhone's performance and reliability back on track.
Decoding Battery Health and Maximum Capacity
The best place to start your investigation is right in your iPhone's settings.
Head over to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging. The number you're looking for is Maximum Capacity. This percentage shows how much charge your battery can hold compared to when it was brand new. A fresh-out-of-the-box iPhone will be at 100%, but this number inevitably drops over time with every charge.
Think of it like a water bottle that gets a tiny bit smaller every time you fill it up. You won't notice it at first, but after a few hundred refills, it's obvious it can't hold as much as it used to. That's exactly what's happening to your battery's ability to hold a full day's charge.
Apple officially considers a battery worn out once its Maximum Capacity dips below 80%. At this point, it struggles to deliver the peak power needed for demanding apps, leading to a shorter battery life and unexpected performance hits.
When the capacity drops below that crucial 80% mark, you’ll probably see iOS enable Performance Management. This is a built-in safety feature that slows down your iPhone's processor to stop it from demanding more power than the old battery can safely provide. The result? Your phone feels sluggish, apps are slow to launch, and scrolling might get a bit choppy. It's not a bug—it's your iPhone's way of telling you its power source is on its last legs.
More Than Just a Percentage
While the Maximum Capacity figure is a great indicator, it doesn't always tell the whole story. A battery can still cause major headaches even when its health is technically above 80%. You need to keep an eye out for other physical red flags that scream "it's time for a replacement."
Here are some classic symptoms of a worn-out battery:
- Unexpected Shutdowns: Does your iPhone just die on you, even with 20% or 30% battery left? This is a common sign, especially when you’re doing something intensive like playing a game or shooting 4K video. The old battery just can't keep up with the sudden power draw.
- Sluggish Performance: If your phone feels noticeably slower than it used to, and the battery health is hovering in the low 80s, performance throttling is the likely culprit.
- Feeling Unusually Warm: It's normal for your phone to get a bit warm when charging or running a heavy app. But if it feels constantly hot to the touch, even when you're not using it, that can point to internal degradation.
- Visible Swelling: In severe cases, a failing battery can physically swell, pushing the screen away from the frame. If you notice any bulging, stop using the phone immediately and get it looked at by a professional.
Here in Australia, our climate can be brutal on batteries. The intense heat of summer, especially in places like Perth and Brisbane, really speeds up this chemical ageing process. High temperatures force lithium-ion cells to degrade much faster. Sustained temperatures above 40°C can literally double the rate of capacity loss, which helps explain why you may need a battery replacement sooner than expected.
When you start seeing these hardware signs, a new battery is pretty much the only real fix. For reliable and expert iPhone Repairs Brisbane, our team at Screen Fixed can quickly diagnose the problem and get your device running like it just came out of the box.
Can I Replace My iPhone Battery Myself?
So, you’ve tried all the software tricks and your iPhone still dies before you do. It’s a classic sign that the hardware—specifically the battery—has given up the ghost. For anyone with a bit of technical confidence, a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) battery replacement can be a wallet-friendly option to breathe new life into your phone. Taking matters into your own hands is not only rewarding but also saves you a fair bit of time and money.
Of course, embarking on a DIY repair means you need the right tools for the job and a trustworthy source for your parts. A cheap battery or a flimsy tool can quickly turn a simple fix into a very expensive headache.
This guide will walk you through the entire process, from getting your kit together to firing up your newly revived phone.
Gathering Your Essential Tools and Parts
Before you even think about cracking open that iPhone, you absolutely have to get your equipment in order. Trying to wing it without the proper tools is a surefire way to damage the delicate components inside.
Here’s a checklist of what you should have laid out on your workspace:
- Pentalobe P2 Screwdriver: This is for those two tiny, specialised screws flanking the charging port.
- Tri-Point Y000 Screwdriver: Essential for many of the internal screws holding down shields and connectors, especially on newer iPhone models.
- Phillips #000 Screwdriver: Handles the rest of the common internal screws.
- Spudger: An anti-static plastic pry tool used to safely pop off delicate flex cable connectors.
- Suction Cup and Opening Picks: Used to gently create an opening between the screen and the frame.
- Tweezers: Necessary for handling minuscule screws and components with precision.
- Battery Adhesive Strips: New, pre-cut adhesive is critical for securing the new battery.
Having all this organised and within easy reach will make the process much smoother and dramatically lower the risk of mistakes.
The Replacement Process Step by Step
Alright, with your tools and new battery at the ready, it's time to get started. The two most important things to bring to this party are patience and a methodical approach. Rushing leads to stripped screws and, even worse, torn cables.
The first big challenge is just getting the phone open safely. After you’ve taken out the two pentalobe screws, you’ll use a suction cup to gently lift the screen while working an opening pick around the edge to slice through the waterproof adhesive. You have to be incredibly careful not to pull the screen too far away from the body—it’s still attached to the logic board by several very fragile flex cables.
Once you’re inside, the next thing you do is disconnect the old battery. This should always be your first step after opening the phone. It de-energises the device and prevents any accidental short circuits while you work.
This flowchart shows the key signs that it’s time to swap out the battery.
alt text: Flowchart showing that low capacity, poor performance, and shutdowns mean you should replace an iPhone battery that is draining fast.
As it clearly shows, once your battery capacity drops below 80% and you're noticing performance issues, a replacement is really your only effective solution.
With the old battery safely disconnected, you can get to work removing it. It's held down by some seriously strong adhesive pull-tabs. The trick here is to pull these tabs slowly and at a very low, flat angle to stretch them out from underneath the battery.
Crucial Safety Warning: A lithium-ion battery is no joke. If you puncture or bend it, it can release toxic fumes, catch fire, or even explode. Never use metal tools to pry at a battery. If it's stuck solid, a small amount of isopropyl alcohol dripped around the edges can help dissolve the adhesive.
Once the old battery is out, you can position the new one, apply fresh adhesive strips, and reconnect it. From there, it’s just a matter of carefully putting everything back together in the reverse order. Pay close attention to where each screw goes—mixing them up can permanently damage the logic board. For a more detailed walkthrough, you can check out our guide on how to replace an iPhone battery, which has instructions for specific models.
Pro Tips to Avoid Common Mistakes
Having seen plenty of DIY repairs go wrong, most first-timers run into the same avoidable problems. Keep these tips in mind to sidestep common traps.
One of the biggest mistakes is damaging the display or Face ID cables when opening the phone. They are incredibly delicate. You need to open the screen like a book, being mindful of which side the cables are on for your particular model, and never, ever force it open.
Another classic error is losing track of screws. An easy fix is to use a magnetic mat or even just a sheet of paper where you can sketch the phone’s layout and tape the screws down in the exact pattern you removed them. Problem solved.
Finally, make sure every connector is properly seated before you close the phone up. A display cable that’s not fully connected can cause a black screen or weird "ghost touch" issues. You should feel a satisfying little "click" as each connector snaps securely into place.
Common Questions About iPhone Battery Drain
Even after trying every trick in the book, you might still have a few questions. When your iPhone's battery is draining fast, it’s easy to fall down a rabbit hole of myths and conflicting advice online. We'll cut through the noise and give you clear, straightforward answers to the queries we hear all the time.
Does Using 5G Drain My iPhone Battery Faster?
Yes, it certainly can. While 5G offers incredible speeds, it often needs more power than 4G or Wi-Fi. This is especially true if you're in an area with a spotty 5G signal, as your iPhone has to work much harder to find and maintain that connection.
Thankfully, Apple has built in a clever solution. You can manage this by heading to Settings > Mobile > Mobile Data Options > Voice & Data and selecting '5G Auto'. This smart setting lets your iPhone automatically drop back to 4G when the blazing speeds of 5G aren't needed, giving you a great balance of performance and battery life.
Is It Bad to Leave My iPhone Charging Overnight?
This is a classic worry, but you can rest easy. Modern iPhones have a feature called Optimised Battery Charging, which you can find in Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging. This setting is a game-changer for your battery's long-term health.
Your iPhone learns your daily routine—like when you usually wake up—and will hold the charge at 80% for most of the night. It then cleverly resumes, timing it perfectly to hit 100% just before your alarm goes off. This simple process dramatically reduces the time your battery spends at full charge, which is a key factor in slowing down its chemical ageing. So go ahead, leave it plugged in.
Will My Battery Health Show 100% After a Replacement?
Absolutely. When a new, high-quality battery is installed, your iPhone's Maximum Capacity in the Battery Health settings will reset to a fresh 100%. This means it can hold a charge just like it did straight out of the box.
It's worth noting that on iPhone XS models and newer, you might see a service message after a non-Apple battery is installed. This is just a standard notification from iOS; it doesn't affect the actual performance, safety, or longevity of a premium replacement battery from a trusted supplier. The battery will still function perfectly and deliver the performance you expect.
Should I Force-Quit Apps to Save Battery Life?
This is one of the most persistent iPhone myths out there, and the short answer is no. Swiping apps away from the app switcher is actually counterproductive. iOS is designed to be incredibly efficient at freezing apps in the background, where they use almost no power.
When you force-quit an an app, you're kicking it out of the phone's memory. The next time you open it, your iPhone has to use more energy to load it back up from scratch. The only time you should ever force-quit an app is if it’s frozen, crashed, or completely unresponsive. Otherwise, it's best to just leave them be and let iOS do its job.
If you've tried everything and are still dealing with a battery that just won't last, it’s probably time for a professional touch. At Screen Fixed, our expert technicians in Brisbane can diagnose your battery issues and perform a fast, reliable replacement to get your iPhone running like new. Book your repair with Screen Fixed Brisbane today and say goodbye to battery anxiety.
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