iPhone battery issues
 

After much luddite resistance, I finally got a smartphone some months ago, and am surprised that it can be really useful if used like a Swiss Army knife. All was going well, battery usage very decent.......and then since the last month or so the battery usage has gone markedly up. On investigating battery usage, it appears that the 'Home and Lock' is using way too much power. So....I've gone through all? (most) of the things that could drain power and it has made a bit of a positive difference. I have updated the iOS to the newest version, and the processor in my phone can handle it according to received wisdom, although others have complained of their phones slowing down. I haven't had that, but am still dissatisfied with the power consumption. Any ideas ?

Within the Settings menu, there is an option to display Battery usage by various apps. This will give a hint as to what may be drawing power. Anything that relies on the GPS being active all the time, such as navigation software or fitness trackers, will suck quite a bit of power from the battery.

This should not be confused with the recent news reports about Apple deliberately slowing down the processor speed of phones with degrading batteries in order to help prolong the phone and battery life. Replacement batteries are readily available from Apple retail outlets and if a phone is more than a couple of years old, it is worth considering getting a new battery fitted. Cheaper sources of replacement batteries exist and you can do it yourself from kits available on line.

Bear in mind that you get what you pay for and there is a reasonable chance of bricking your phone if you opt for the diy method.

A visit to any Apple store and a chat with the staff can often resolve issues within a few minutes as they will generally check your phone and give you any information or tips you need to keep it running in peak condition free of charge.

If you also have a Mac, have a look at the Coconut Battery software at coconutBattery 3.6.6 - by coconut-flavour.com

I've used it to show the health of my iPhone's battery. You'll have to measure it a few times over a few days to get a good average value as just one measurement can be misleading. If the battery health has dropped below say 80%, that may be an indication of a bit of old age creeping in on the battery front. Mine's at 60-70% depending on when I measure, and that's after more than 2 years of use on an iPhone 6. Once the store's supply increases, I'm getting a new battery put in at the Apple store's reduced rate (€29 over here).

Could you let us know what model iPhone you're using, and how old it is? Did you get a new one, or a refurbished one? If it's only few months old, I wouldn't expect it to have decreased battery performance already. In that case, G0ULI's advice will be worth pursueing. Have a chat at the Apple store or give them a call.

Thanks for the replies chaps. I have a 6s Plus that's 6months old and 1 year old by manufacture data. It's more than capable for my needs so far, but this battery drain has been puzzling. I've turned off all the obvious culprits, use geo-location only when using an app. The 'Home and Lock' screen seemed to be using way too much power. I've changed the 'dynamic' screen savers to 'static' and this seems to have had an effect to the positive. I tried to make a 'genius bar' appointment, but it's always a good week ahead as all stores are so full....

At that age, that phone should still have a decent battery life left. You may have found something with that screen saver. On a phone, a screen saver isn't really necessary, just let it switch the screen off when you're not using it. I would still go and see the geniuses at the store, they can get a closer look at your phone and the settings and see what more can be done.