Apple’s got a built-in way to see which apps are eating up your iPhone’s battery — no need for third-party apps or anything complicated. But sometimes, even knowing which apps are the biggest offenders isn’t enough if you’re trying to actually make that battery last longer. You might notice your battery draining super fast, especially when certain apps keep running in the background without you realizing it. So, not only do you get a look at what’s hogging power, but you can also take action to cut down on unnecessary drain. It’s kinda weird how simple it is, but knowing what’s behind the scenes helps you save some juice at just the right moments.
Can you view apps by battery usage on an iPhone?
Yep, Apple has your back here. The iPhone lets you see which apps are using the most battery in the Settings menu. And on top of that, there’s a handy option to stop those apps from draining power in the background, which can be a real relief if you’re trying to squeeze out every last bit of battery. You don’t need to install anything extra; this feature is built-in, straightforward, and live on your device.
How to View Apps by Battery Usage on iPhone
Honestly, it’s pretty simple. You just need to jump into the Battery section of your Settings app and look around. Here’s what to do, step by step. Be aware that some steps seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many overlook the details or get stuck because of tiny UI changes in iOS updates.
Check your battery usage to see what’s draining
- Open the Settings app — find it on your home screen or pull down and search for it.
- Tap on Battery. If it’s not right there, it’s usually under the main Settings menu.
- Look for the Battery Usage by App section at the bottom or somewhere near the top, depending on your iOS version.
- This’ll list all your apps, ranked by how much battery they used in the last 24 hours or last 10 days, if you swipe to the right.
- For a more detailed look at specific app activity, tap Show Activity. On some setups, this option might be tucked away — but it’s usually right there.
- Here, you’ll see how long each app has been actively running and how much power it’s consuming — perfect for spotting the worst offenders.
How to Preserve Battery Power on iPhone?
Once you’ve identified battery-hungry apps, it’s time to cut back. The easiest way is to disable background refresh for apps that don’t need to keep running around in the background — especially apps like Chrome or social media apps that love to update constantly. This can really save some juice and prevent apps from sneaking in extra activity without your knowledge.
Here’s how to do it — it’s pretty straightforward but involves some digging into the Settings. Be aware that turning off background refresh might temporarily make some apps feel sluggish if you switch back to them later, but the tradeoff can be worth it if your battery is slipping away too fast.
Turn off background app refresh for battery-hungry apps
- Start by opening Settings.
- Go to General.
- Tap on Background App Refresh.
- Either toggle it all off (if you want total control) or turn off for individual apps — like Chrome, Facebook, etc.— by flipping their switches.
- Note: On some iOS versions, you can also set Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi only, which cuts down data use and battery drain, especially if you’re not on Wi-Fi 24/7.
This should help you make your iPhone last longer without hunting for external tools. Keep in mind, some apps are necessary to run in the background (like messaging or email) so don’t turn everything off blindly. Experiment a bit and see what gives the best results for your daily use.
On one setup it actually helped quite a bit, but on another, I guess because of all the background processes, it wasn’t enough. The key is to target the biggest power drainers first, then see if that leg of your battery life gets better. Because, of course, Apple has to make it kinda tricky sometimes.