For years we’ve recommended that iPhone users turn on Dark Mode to save their battery life. If you’re new to that tip, the reasoning is because most modern iPhone models have upgraded from LCD to OLED displays – and with OLED displays, true black actually draws no power at all as the light-emitting diodes are switched off entirely.
You can easily see how turning almost everything on your screen black would save battery life with an OLED display, but what wasn’t so obvious is how much battery life Dark Mode actually saves. Thanks to researchers at Purdue University, we now have the answer.
The researchers tested quite a few commonly used apps in Dark Mode on popular Android devices like the Pixel 5 and Moto Z3. Those apps included YouTube, Google News, Google Phone, Google Maps, Google Calendar, and the ever-useful Calculator app.
After successfully running their tests, what the researchers found was astonishing.
How Much Battery Life Does Dark Mode Save?
- At normal brightness levels, between 30% and 50%, power savings were apparent, but negligible, with 9% battery life savings over Light Mode.
- At full brightness, however, Dark Mode saves a shocking amount of battery life with an incredible 47% reduction in battery draw.
How to Save Your iPhone’s Battery Life
On a sunny day (if you happen to have your brightness turned all the way up), you could nearly double your smartphone’s battery life just by choosing to use Dark Mode. We’d say that’s a pretty easy decision to make while you’re heading to the beach or the local park.
- Turning on Dark Mode is easy, just follow these simple steps.
- If you want to increase your iPhone’s battery life even more, be sure to read our other handy battery-saving tips.
- You can also order a portable battery like this awesome Qi-Enabled Wireless Charger & Power Bank with USB-C that’s less than $40.