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12 Ways to Improve Your iPhone's Battery Life With iOS 8

12 Ways to Improve Your iPhone’s Battery Life With iOS 8

Making the most out of your iPhone’s battery (updated for iOS 8)

Although iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus land with better or the same battery life as their predecessors, they can’t compare to some of the other devices on the market, which can last in some cases for days at a time.

iOS 8 comes with a number of improvements but also new features that can drain your battery life even further.

These tweaks aim to extend your battery life — at times forsaking some of the new functionality — allowing you to get the best out of your new or existing iPhone.

#1

Reduce your notifications by taming your backlit display

Notifications alone don’t cause battery drainage, but simply activating the backlit display will. Applications use notifications to inform you of what’s going on in the world, such as new emails, text messages, reminders, and who is responding to you on social networks. It’s wise to set some notifications to “silent” mode, but this requires some tinkering about in the settings.

Head to Settings Notifications. Then, under each category of notifications that you would like to mute, such as low-priority features like Photos or Game Center, tap through to each setting. UnderAlert Style, simply tap None (the left-most graphic). Repeat for each setting.

 

#2

Modify Wi-Fi Calling settings, can save battery under the right conditions

Wi-Fi calling allows you to call people using a home or work Wi-Fi connection, rather than through a traditional cell tower. Even though it uses the more battery-hungry Wi-Fi chip rather than the cellular chip, some believe it may actually help prolong a device’s battery life. You may want to experiment, and see what works for you.

You can enable it or disable it (on selected carriers) by going to Settings Phone Wi-Fi Callsand selecting the option there.

 

#3

Disable cellular calls via your Mac

Thanks to a new feature, dubbed Continuity, you can now make calls through your Mac via your iPhone. You can leave your iPhone on the other side of the apartment or office, but still make calls. And if you wander off to find your phone, you can pick up the call again without missing a beat.

With a combination of Wi-Fi and cellular activity, and iCloud pinging, this feature can drain your battery life (though not as much as other features). To turn this off, go to Settings FaceTime and then disable iPhone Cellular Calls.

 

#4

Use AirDrop sparingly, and only when needed

AirDrop is now available for iPhone 5 devices and later running iOS 7 or later, allowing you to share files and photos with friends and colleagues over the air when they are in close proximity. But it can take a heavy toll on your battery, particularly when AirDrop is in “discoverable” mode.

Simply swipe up from your home screen to bring up the Control Center, then tap AirDrop. SelectOff when you’re not using it.

 

#5

Disable auto app updates; manually update at your convenience

iOS 7 (and iOS 8) lets you update your apps and music in the background. If you’re connected to Wi-Fi networks (or the cellular network), your apps will remain up to date without bugging you. But this consumes data and power, and should be restricted for when you’re free to plug in your iPhone to charge.

Go to Settings iTunes & App Store, then turn off the Updates and Apps settings. Another quick power (and data) saving tip: You can allow updates when you’re on Wi-Fi only by deselecting Use Cellular Data at the same time.

 

#6

Block persistent callers from contacting you

Calls significantly drain your battery meter, even if you don’t pick up incoming calls. If you get the same persistent person calling, you can now block them from reaching you.

To do this, head back to Settings Phone > Blocked and select the contacts you wish to automatically refuse access. While this feature blocks the call coming through, it doesn’t prevent the caller from leaving you a voicemail.

 

#7

Prevent your iPhone from ‘learning’ your frequent locations

Your iPhone running iOS 8 records where you go so it can pick out nuggets of information that may help you, particularly if you visit those places regularly. It updates the Today section in your notification center, and can give you estimated times of arrival to your destinations. While it’s a handy feature, it is far from absolutely necessary, and can be turned off to save some valuable battery.

This one is buried deep down in the device’s settings. To get there, navigate to Settings Privacy >Location Services System Services, then switch off the Frequent Locations option.

You can also delete any data already collected by tapping Clear History at the bottom of the screen.

 

#8

Disable ‘Share My Location’

Sharing locations can be handy, particularly if you’re in a busy street, or you’re inside at a large venue, like a concert hall. But this uses your GPS and available Wi-Fi networks to pinpoint your location. You can share your location through iMessage communications.

This one is also buried deep down in the device’s settings. Go to Settings Privacy Location Services Share My Location, and switch it off. You can also set other iCloud-connected devices to share a location from.

 

#9

Switch off Handoff apps from iPhone, iPad to Mac

Handoff allows you to pass over your work, a message, an email, or a browsing session to another device, so long as it’s connected to your iCloud account, such as your iPad or a Mac. Handoff doesn’t miss a beat.

Though Handoff is a useful feature, it can also add to battery drain. To disable it, go to Settings >General > Handoff & Suggested Apps,then switch it off.

Also, disable My Apps and App Store to prevent apps associated with your general location from appearing on your lock screen. This additional feature also uses your location, which churns up unnecessary amounts of battery.

 

#10

Prevent iTunes, App Store from churning up cellular data

Your iTunes collection and App Store downloads can be added to your device over-the-air. But downloading over a cellular network can rinse your battery life — especially if you have a lot of apps.

Go to Settings General iTunes & App Store and switch off the Use Cellular Data option. This means your apps will only update when you’re on a faster Wi-Fi connection, which takes less time and reduces your battery drain.

As per the previous slide, you may also want to disable the My Apps and App Store options to prevent apps associated with your general location from appearing on your lock screen. By using your location, it can churn up your battery in the background.

 

#11

Disable photos from uploading over Wi-Fi

Your iOS 8-powered device syncs your photos with iCloud over a Wi-Fi connection. Although a handy feature, if you have a lot of photos, you might want to hold off syncing your snaps until you are plugged in and charging your phone — or using iPhoto on your Mac.

To switch off photo uploading, go to Settings iCloud Photos then disable My Photo Stream. Also, if you have an option for iCloud Photo Library, you may also wish to disable this to prevent your entire photo collection from being stored in the cloud. The greater number of photos, the deeper the battery drain.

 

#12

Turn off ‘parallax’ background motion

If you slowly jiggle your iPhone in your hand, you may notice the “parallax” effect of three-dimensional icons sitting on top of your wallpaper. This effect uses internal hardware to sense the direction, speed, and motion of your movements. This, as you might expect, will drain the battery. Though flashy and visually quite cool, it’s not wholly necessary if you’re a power user.

To disable the “moving wallpaper” feature, head to Settings General Accessibility Reduce Motion, then switch this option on.

 

For even more ways to improve you phones battery life, check out this article http://www.zdnet.com/how-to-improve-your-iphones-battery-life-updated-for-ios-8_p16-7000014902/#photo

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12 Ways to Improve Your iPhone’s Battery Life With iOS 8


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