10 Ways to Extend Your New iPhone SE’s Battery Life
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The second-generation iPhone SE is probably the best smartphone around in its price range. And there's a good reason for it. For almost half the price of an iPhone 12, you get the same power and performance in a tiny package.
Unfortunately, there's a downside to the iPhone SE's compact size. Making such a small and thin device can only mean the battery is also going to be small.
And with a 1,821 mAh battery, chances are, the iPhone SE won't last you a whole day on a single charge. No matter how little you use it, you'll probably have to get creative to extend its battery life a bit more.
If you bought the iPhone SE and you're having these issues, continue reading to browse ten great tips to improve your iPhone SE's battery life.
Keep an Eye on Your Battery Usage
Sometimes, the apps you have installed on your iPhone are draining your battery faster than you'd like. Maybe it's because the apps are working in the background without you knowing it. Or maybe, you're just using them a little too much.
You could, and should disable Background App Refresh, so your apps don't keep looking for updates. But you should learn which apps are draining your battery as well.
Your iPhone SE will show you your battery usage and your activity during the last few days. You can also see which apps are using up the most battery life during this period of time. To access this information, just do the following.
- Go to the Settings app.
- Go to Battery.
- Scroll down and you'll see your Battery Usage report for the last 24 hours or the last 10 days.
Keep Your iPhone SE Updated
Keeping your iPhone SE, or any device you have, up to date is more important than you might think.
Sometimes, the developer will make improvements to the software's performance that can improve your battery life. An update can also fix a security problem you didn't even know you had.
Try to always keep the latest iOS update on your iPhone at all times. To check if you have any pending updates, here's what you need to do.
- Open the Settings app.
- Go to General.
- Tap on Software Update.
Disable Automatic Updates
Speaking of updates, your applications should also have the latest updates available. However, unlike iOS, these updates don't have to be installed automatically.
Automatically updating your apps can slowly drain your battery without you even realizing it. It's better to set it up so that you decide when it's the best time to download updates.
- Head over to the Settings app.
- Scroll down and select iTunes & App Store.
- On Automatic Downloads, disable the toggle.
- You can also disable other automatic updates for the Apple Music or Books apps.
Change Your Fetch Settings
Another thing that's draining your battery without even thinking about it is Mail data fetch. These settings make it so your iPhone is constantly looking for new information, such as emails so it can notify you as soon as you get them.
Most of the time, you don't need to know when you get an email as soon as it happens, so you can adjust it to a certain amount of time to save battery life.
- Open the Settings app.
- Scroll down and go to Passwords & Accounts.
- Click on Fetch New Data.
- On the lower part of your screen, you should see when your iPhone is fetching for new data in the background.
- Set the time to what you feel is best for you. Every 15 Minutes is an excellent option to start.
Avoid Sharing Your Location
Sharing your location all the time with every app you have is not recommended for two reasons.
First, it helps you keep your information private. And second, it helps to improve your battery life.
Some apps are constantly checking your location, even if you're not actively using it at that particular moment. It's best for you to check your apps and set them so they only see your location when you're using the app, if the app really even needs it in the first place.
To manage your Location Services do the following:
- Go to Settings.
- Go to Privacy.
- Tap on Location Services.
- You'll see a full list of all your installed apps that ask for your location.
- Go through the list and tap on the app you want to change to allow different location access.
Disable Some iCloud Settings
When it comes to iCloud, you might not want to mess it with. On one hand, sending things like pictures or contacts to the cloud helps you keep your information safe in case something happens to your iPhone. But, it also helps to drain your battery.
You should check your iPhone SE's iCloud settings and see which information is worth uploading. To check your iCloud settings, do this:
- Go to the Settings app.
- Tap on your Apple ID at the top.
- Select iCloud.
- Enable or disable the apps you want to constantly send (or download) cloud data.
Manage Your Connections
If you have the chance to choose between Wi-Fi and cellular, always go for Wi-Fi. Being connected to Wi-Fi uses less battery power than using your mobile data.
If everything else fails and you need your iPhone to last you throughout the day, you can also turn Airplane Mode on. You won't be connected to anything, but at least your iPhone will last longer for the final moment you need it.
Use Do Not Disturb
Getting constant notifications on your iPhone can kill its battery. That's mostly because of the vibration, sounds, and light the iPhone makes when you get a new notification.
You can always disable your iPhone's vibrations, but if you're used to having it on, you might miss an important call.
That's why you can try using Do Not Disturb. Not only is it a feature that lets you focus on what you're doing without getting interrupted, but it'll also help you mute unnecessary vibrations and sounds that can drain your battery.
The best part is, you can still receive calls from your favorite contacts. That way, you can still be available for family and close friends.
Adjust Your Brightness
What consumes most of the battery on any device is the screen. Having a very large screen forces any smartphone to use more battery life to power it.
Fortunately, the iPhone SE doesn't have any large-screen issues. Still, making your screen too bright when you don't need it will drain your battery faster.
Using the Control Center, you can adjust your brightness down so you consume less battery and you can still see your screen without any issues.
Disable Some Siri Features
Siri is a great personal assistant. It helps you to answer questions or can provide suggestions based on your personal preferences.
However, this comes with a price. A no, I'm not talking about your personal information. I'm talking about your battery.
Having Hey Siri or Siri Suggestions enabled makes Siri work behind the scenes to help you in the best way it can. If you don't use Siri all that often, you're wasting your battery, which is something you can't afford with your iPhone SE.
Disabling Siri will severely limit its useful features. So remember these steps to turn Siri back on later.
To disable Siri features, do the following:
- Go to Settings.
- Scroll down and select Siri & Search.
- Disable all the Ask Siri features, as well as the Siri Suggestions you don't need or want.