Here is how to calibrate & maximise your Mac, Apple Watch, iPhone, iPad or iPod touch battery life & performance

Introduction:

What is the Battery life?
Battery life is the time your device runs before it needs to be recharged.

What is Battery lifespan?
Battery lifespan is when your battery lasts until it needs replacement.

General Performance Tips & Solutions

  • Update your Apple device to the latest software updates & operating system: Apple software updates often include advanced energy-saving technologies, so always ensure your device runs with the latest iOS, OS X, or watchOS.
  • Avoid extreme ambient temperatures: Your device is designed to perform well in a wide range of ambient temperatures, with 62° to 72° F (16° to 22° C) as the ideal comfort zone. However, avoid exposing your device to ambient temperatures higher than 95° F (35° C), which can permanently damage battery capacity.
Apple Device iPhone iPad iPod touch Temprature Comfort Zone
  • Remove certain cases during charging: Charging your device when it’s inside certain styles of cases may generate excess heat, which can affect battery capacity.
  • Store it half-charged (50% Charged) when you store it long-term.
  • Power down the device to avoid additional battery use.
  • Place your device in a cool/moisture-free environment less than 90° F (32° C).
  • If you plan to store your device for over six months, charge it 50% every six months.

There are two simple ways you can preserve battery life:

  • Adjust your screen brightness and use Wi-Fi.
  • Dim the screen or turn on Auto-Brightness to extend battery life.
  • When you use your device to access data, a Wi-Fi connection uses less power than a cellular network — so keep Wi-Fi on at all times.
  • Enable Low Power Mode on your iOS device by going to Settings > Battery. Low Power Mode reduces display brightness, optimises device performance, and minimises system animations. Apps, including Mail, will not download content in the background and features like AirDrop, iCloud sync, and Continuity will be disabled. You can still use essential functions like making and receiving phone calls, emails, and messages, accessing the Internet, and more. And when your phone charges up again, Low Power Mode automatically switches off.
  • Turn off the feature that allows apps to refresh in the background. Instead, go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and set the switch to Off.
  • By turning off Location Services for the app. Please turn it off in Settings > Privacy > Location Services.
  • Turn off push notifications for the app in Settings > Notifications. Tap the app and set Allow Notifications to Off.
  • You can optimise your battery life by turning on Airplane mode. Swipe up to open Control Centre and tap the Airplane mode icon. Note that you cannot make or receive calls while in Airplane mode.

Additional Tips for iOS Devices including iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

Additional Tips for Apple Watch

  • During running and walking workouts, turn on Power Saving Mode to disable the heart rate sensor. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, go to My Watch > Workout, and turn on Power Saving Mode. Note that calorie burn calculations may not be as accurate when the heart rate sensor is off.
  • You can use a Bluetooth chest strap instead of the built-in heart rate sensor for longer workouts. To pair the Bluetooth chest strap with your watch, make sure the strap is in pairing mode, then open Settings on Apple Watch, select Bluetooth, and choose from the list of Health Devices.
  • If you’re very active with your hands and your watch display turns on more than you think it should, you can turn off the Activate on Wrist Raise feature. Open Settings on Apple Watch, select General and turn Activate on Wrist Raise off. When you want to turn on the display, tap it.
  • Disabling Bluetooth on your iPhone increases the battery drain on your Apple Watch. For more power-efficient communication between the devices, keep Bluetooth enabled on iPhone.

Additional Tips for iPod Shuffle, iPod Nano and iPod Classic

  • Set the Hold switch when you’re not using your iPod. This will prevent iPod from accidentally waking up and using unnecessary power. If you’re not listening to your iPod, pause it, or turn it off by pressing the Play button for two seconds.
  • Equalizer (EQ). Adding EQ to playback increases the use of your iPod processor since EQ isn’t encoded in the song. Turn EQ off if you don’t use it.
  • Backlight. Setting the backlight to “always on” will significantly reduce battery life. Use the backlight only when necessary.

Additional Tips for MacBook Air and Macbook Pro

  • Disconnect peripherals and quit applications not in use. Eject an SD card if you’re not currently accessing it.

Hope it Helps,

Thanks & Regards
Mandar Apte

Published by Mandar Apte

Mandar is a Mumbai-based multi-disciplinary designer with UX/UI, Logo, Symbol, and Brand Identity design expertise. He currently runs his Mudrkashar Linguistic Apple iPhone, iPad, and Mac app business in the heart of Mumbai city.

Leave a comment

Leave a Reply