Nowadays it seems as if it is more and more difficult to avoid chucking out irreparable smartphones for the newest upgrade. If you’ve recently purchased a new iPhone you may be wondering how to extend its life. Or maybe you’ve had one for a while, you’ve looked after it relatively well and you want to keep your iPhone’s life going.
The lifespan of iPhones depends a lot on the performance of the battery. Here are some tips and tricks to maintain a healthy battery and extend an iPhone life.
1. Update Software Regularly
Too many times we wait until the last possible moment to update the newest software. Apple software updates often include new energy-saving features. Apple is doing a lot of the work for you, you just need to make sure your phone is always updated.
Regularly go into your settings to check if there is a new software update pending.
2. Avoid Hot Temperatures
If you’ve ever seen the warning message pop up on a boiling hot iPhone that it ‘needs to cool down before you can use it,’ this is not a good thing.
Leaving your phone exposed to the sun at temperatures higher than 95° F can seriously affect your battery. Be wary of storing your phone in places with high temperatures or charging your phone in high ambient temperatures.
3. Optimize Settings
By optimizing the settings on your phone you can ensure that it functions smoothly and preserves long-term battery life. Adjust your screen brightness and use Wi-Fi as much as possible.
Cellular data drains an iPhone battery whereas Wi-Fi uses much less charge.
4. Enable Low Power Mode
This is a very simple and effective way to protect your iPhone battery life. When your battery level drops below 20%, you can easily enable Low Power Mode with a single tap. This mode works to reduce brightness, prevent apps from running in the background, and minimize system animations, among other things.
By using Low Power Mode when your battery is low, you’re not putting pressure on the battery and therefore reducing its degradation.
5. Simple Repairs
The average iPhone lifespan can be extended by keeping up with simple repairs and maintenance. For example, replacing the battery of your smartphone can extend its life significantly.
Replacing a battery can extend the life of your phone for a couple of years and it prevents technical issues that a depleted battery can cause.
6. Clean Your Phone
To keep your phone running smoothly for longer, remember to clean it every now and again. Use a toothpick to dislodge debris that collects in the charging port or compressed air for a gentle clean.
The same goes for cleaning your speaker and microphone, to prevent serious damage over the long-term. Don’t use compressed air for this as it can damage the speakers.
Give your entire phone a wipe down and clean all ports and crevices to make sure that a build-up of gunk doesn’t cause permanent damage.
7. Check for Battery Draining Apps
If you go to settings – battery, you can see an analysis of your battery usage and current performance capacity. Here you can get a breakdown of the apps that are depleting your battery or are unnecessarily running in the background.
Change settings on apps that have a lot of background activity, especially if they’re not crucial. This can help to increase the life of your battery in the long term as well as day-to-day.
Extending iPhone Life
The hard truth is that smartphones are becoming less economical to repair in a bid to have consumers upgrade to the latest model. However, by following these maintenance tips, you can extend your iPhone life.
Head over to our tech section to see more tips just like these!
Rene Bennett is a graduate of New Jersey, where he played volleyball and annoyed a lot of professors. Now as Zobuz’s Editor, he enjoys writing about delicious BBQ, outrageous style trends and all things Buzz worthy.
