How to Extend Battery Life – Mac and iPhone/iPad
Tips for extending the battery life of your Mac and your iPhone can fall into several categories, from the obvious to the elusive. Sometimes the obvious is what eludes us the most.
Powering Your Mac
Obvious Tip: Turn off what you’re not using.
You probably already know that turning off wifi and Bluetooth can save battery life, but do you actually do it? You’d be surprised at what a difference this simple action can make. If you need to connect to a wireless network to get internet access, then wifi has to be on. Bluetooth is different. If you don’t connect Bluetooth devices to your Mac, you can turn off Bluetooth, save battery and not be inconvenienced.
Slightly Less Obvious Tip #1: Whoa! We’re not landing a plane here. Turn down your screen brightness.
While you might enjoy the warm glow of a well lit screen, your battery has to work harder when it’s serving as your own personal ray of sunshine. Try adjusting your screen’s brightness in increments of 10% and see how low you can go without causing eye strain. If you can reduce brightness from 100% to 50%, you’ll be doing your battery a big favor.
Slightly Less Obvious Tip #2: Put the brakes on runaway apps.
Apps are kind of like dictators. They can let all that power go to their head and pretty soon they’re hogging all the resources for themselves. You probably won’t even know it when they’re doing it. Conserve battery strain caused by apps by opening the Applications folder > Utilities folder. Click on Activity Monitor and select the CPU tab. Select All Processes in the drop-down menu then sort the apps by CPU percentage. Look for the apps that are using a large percentage. Quitting these apps if you are not actively using them will save power. Note: There are lots of processes listed here that have to be running for your computer to run properly. You should only be concerned about the processes with the names of 3rd party apps.
Elusive Tip #1: Stop, drop and don’t scroll.
All that trackpad scrolling adds up to major power usage. Though less convenient, using your Up and Down cursor keys, instead of the trackpad, can help maximize battery life.
Elusive Tip #2: Go on a Safari.
It makes sense that the browser built for Macs uses less power than other browsers. Considerably so. If you’re running on battery only without easy access to a power source, use Safari when browsing online.
Powering Your iPhone / iPad
Obvious Tip #1: Pretend you’re on a plane.
We all know we’re required to put our phones in airplane mode during a flight. This prevents your phone from sending and receiving signals that might interfere with the airline’s communications system. It can also help preserve battery life when you know it’s going to be a while before you can plug in and don’t want your phone to go dead in the meantime. You’ll still be able to play games and listen to music, but the strain on your battery will be reduced.
Obvious Tip #2: Stay up to date.
Typically, when something is causing excessive battery strain, Apple is aware of the problem and is working to fix it. This fix is often implemented in the latest software update. Make sure you’re running the newest iOS version (currently iOS 9) to help eliminate bugs that may be zapping the life of your battery.
Slightly Less Obvious Tip #1: Go incognito and let your phone wonder where you are.
Sometimes you just need a little personal space. iPhone’s location service is handy when you need directions or restaurant recommendations, but if you’re short on battery time, its constant tracking of your location can power down your device quickly. To turn off Location Service, go to your Setting App, scroll down and tap Privacy. Click Location Services and tap on its options to close it. Alternatively, you can scroll through the list of Apps listed in Location Services and turn off location services for Apps that you don’t need tracking your every move. Some apps give you the option to only track your location when you are using the app. Others want to track your location all the time. These apps cause the biggest drain on your battery.
Slightly Less Obvious Tip #2: Make the trip to the mailbox on foot.
Boost your electronic fitness level by manually checking your mailbox instead of allowing your phone to automatically check it for you. While you won’t get that little thrill from seeing a mail icon pop up in your notifications bar, you’ll save precious battery time. You can check these settings under Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Fetch New Data
The options available to check for new Mail depend on how your email server works. If you use iCloud or an email account that supports ActiveSync, you will have the option to have emails “Pushed” to your device. This means your phone gets a notification when the server has new email and only then does your phone check for messages. Push notifications are handy because you are alerted instantly when you get new mail. These Push notifications do use battery, but less than the scheduled “Fetch” option explained below.
If your email server only supports IMAP or POP, the Push option won’t be available and the device will need to check the server for new messages. The more frequently the device has to check the server, the more it will use battery. Decreasing the frequency in which the device checks for mail will increase battery life.
For maximum battery efficiency, turn off Push and set “Fetch” to manual. With this setting, the phone only checks for mail when you open the Mail app. If being alerted to new emails is not important to you, this is a great way to save battery.
Elusive Tip #1: Good vibrations gone bad.
The Beach Boys might have been picking up good vibrations, but if you do, you’ll just be wearing out your battery. When set to vibrate anytime you receive push notifications, your phone’s battery can quickly vibrate itself into a comatose state. Turn off vibrations by going to Settings > Sounds, then tap on Vibrate on Rings and Vibrate on Silent to close these options.
Elusive Tip #2: Push notifications out the door.
Working hand in hand with vibrations, push notifications can eat up battery life when set to constantly check for updates. Facebook is an app that’s notorious for being a battery hog due to notifications (and location services). Turn off an app’s ability to push notifications by going to Settings > Notifications. For Apps that you don’t need to notifications from, Tap on the App(s) under Notification Style and then toggle “Allow Notifications” to off.
Remember, any changes you make to the settings on your Mac or iPhone/iPad do not have to be permanent. If you find that your new lower screen brightness causes a sleep inducing affect, adjust it to a brighter setting. Miss seeing a notification every time you receive a new email? Change your mail setting back to automatic. Saving battery life is an exercise in learning what compromises you can live with and those you cannot. For help understanding battery life and all the ins and outs of your Mac and Apple devices, contact Cranston IT at 888-813-5558 or support@cranstonit.com. You won’t have to make compromises when you work with us.
While you might enjoy the warm glow of a well lit screen, your battery has to work harder when it’s serving as your own personal ray of sunshine. Try adjusting your screen’s brightness in increments of 10% and see how low you can go without causing eye strain. If you can reduce brightness from 100% to 50%, you’ll be doing your battery a big favor.
Slightly Less Obvious Tip #2: Put the brakes on runaway apps.
Apps are kind of like dictators. They can let all that power go to their head and pretty soon they’re hogging all the resources for themselves. You probably won’t even know it when they’re doing it. Conserve battery strain caused by apps by opening the Applications folder > Utilities folder. Click on Activity Monitor and select the CPU tab. Select All Processes in the drop-down menu then sort the apps by CPU percentage. Look for the apps that are using a large percentage. Quitting these apps if you are not actively using them will save power. Note: There are lots of processes listed here that have to be running for your computer to run properly. You should only be concerned about the processes with the names of 3rd party apps.
Elusive Tip #1: Stop, drop and don’t scroll.
All that trackpad scrolling adds up to major power usage. Though less convenient, using your Up and Down cursor keys, instead of the trackpad, can help maximize battery life.
Elusive Tip #2: Go on a Safari.
It makes sense that the browser built for Macs uses less power than other browsers. Considerably so. If you’re running on battery only without easy access to a power source, use Safari when browsing online.
Powering Your iPhone / iPad
Obvious Tip #1: Pretend you’re on a plane.
We all know we’re required to put our phones in airplane mode during a flight. This prevents your phone from sending and receiving signals that might interfere with the airline’s communications system. It can also help preserve battery life when you know it’s going to be a while before you can plug in and don’t want your phone to go dead in the meantime. You’ll still be able to play games and listen to music, but the strain on your battery will be reduced.
Obvious Tip #2: Stay up to date.
Typically, when something is causing excessive battery strain, Apple is aware of the problem and is working to fix it. This fix is often implemented in the latest software update. Make sure you’re running the newest iOS version (currently iOS 9) to help eliminate bugs that may be zapping the life of your battery.
Slightly Less Obvious Tip #1: Go incognito and let your phone wonder where you are.
Sometimes you just need a little personal space. iPhone’s location service is handy when you need directions or restaurant recommendations, but if you’re short on battery time, its constant tracking of your location can power down your device quickly. To turn off Location Service, go to your Setting App, scroll down and tap Privacy. Click Location Services and tap on its options to close it. Alternatively, you can scroll through the list of Apps listed in Location Services and turn off location services for Apps that you don’t need tracking your every move. Some apps give you the option to only track your location when you are using the app. Others want to track your location all the time. These apps cause the biggest drain on your battery.
Slightly Less Obvious Tip #2: Make the trip to the mailbox on foot.
Boost your electronic fitness level by manually checking your mailbox instead of allowing your phone to automatically check it for you. While you won’t get that little thrill from seeing a mail icon pop up in your notifications bar, you’ll save precious battery time. You can check these settings under Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Fetch New Data
The options available to check for new Mail depend on how your email server works. If you use iCloud or an email account that supports ActiveSync, you will have the option to have emails “Pushed” to your device. This means your phone gets a notification when the server has new email and only then does your phone check for messages. Push notifications are handy because you are alerted instantly when you get new mail. These Push notifications do use battery, but less than the scheduled “Fetch” option explained below.
If your email server only supports IMAP or POP, the Push option won’t be available and the device will need to check the server for new messages. The more frequently the device has to check the server, the more it will use battery. Decreasing the frequency in which the device checks for mail will increase battery life.
For maximum battery efficiency, turn off Push and set “Fetch” to manual. With this setting, the phone only checks for mail when you open the Mail app. If being alerted to new emails is not important to you, this is a great way to save battery.
Elusive Tip #1: Good vibrations gone bad.
The Beach Boys might have been picking up good vibrations, but if you do, you’ll just be wearing out your battery. When set to vibrate anytime you receive push notifications, your phone’s battery can quickly vibrate itself into a comatose state. Turn off vibrations by going to Settings > Sounds, then tap on Vibrate on Rings and Vibrate on Silent to close these options.
Elusive Tip #2: Push notifications out the door.
Working hand in hand with vibrations, push notifications can eat up battery life when set to constantly check for updates. Facebook is an app that’s notorious for being a battery hog due to notifications (and location services). Turn off an app’s ability to push notifications by going to Settings > Notifications. For Apps that you don’t need to notifications from, Tap on the App(s) under Notification Style and then toggle “Allow Notifications” to off.
Remember, any changes you make to the settings on your Mac or iPhone/iPad do not have to be permanent. If you find that your new lower screen brightness causes a sleep inducing affect, adjust it to a brighter setting. Miss seeing a notification every time you receive a new email? Change your mail setting back to automatic. Saving battery life is an exercise in learning what compromises you can live with and those you cannot. For help understanding battery life and all the ins and outs of your Mac and Apple devices, contact Cranston IT at 888-813-5558 or support@cranstonit.com. You won’t have to make compromises when you work with us.