Ahead of the release of the iPhone 6s, Apple has finally unveiled the iOS 9 operating system. This latest mobile operating system from the consumer electronics giant is intended to improve upon the somewhat disappointing iOS 8. Innovations focused on ease of use are therefore central to this new software product, and Apple users are expected to download the software in huge numbers ahead of what is anticipated to be the most successful iPhone in the history of the handset.
But one issue that iPhone owners have been forced to deal with in recent years has been the relatively paltry battery life offered by the iPhone series. While Apple states that there is power saving functionality included in iOS 9, this doesn’t mean that iPhone 6s consumers won’t face problems when the smartphone is released.
So the following is a guide to troubleshooting iOS 9, and ensuring that you squeeze the maximum amount of battery life out of the software.
Testing on standby
The first thing to do if you’re encountering a low battery life with iOS 9 is to test the system that you are using it with on standby. This is really intended to ensure that the poor battery performance isn’t merely a case of perception. Often we believe that a battery is draining rapidly, when in fact we are just using our new delivery device for twice the length of time!
So note down how much battery life your device uses in 20 minutes, and if there isn’t a large change while in standby mode, you can probably assume that your battery is performing as expected.
Reboot your device
Always a tried and trusted way of fixing any problem…if you’re experiencing difficulties with battery life while running iOS 9, try resetting the device and see if it then returns to normal.
Check for software problems
If this doesn’t work then the next thing to try is to search for software problems. If your battery life is consistently poor, there are numerous potential options for you to address this.
The first of these is to check your battery usage. This option is located in the Settings > Battery section, and will inform you how much power is being used by various apps and system services. The other option is to reinstall and delete problematic applications.
If this reaps no reward, then it is usually worthwhile to check your cell signal. Often when iPhone users are operating in a region with weak signal, the battery cell in the handset will perform at a sub-optimal level. Good LTE signal is more power efficient than good 3G signal, but bad LTE signal is just as bad as bad 3G. So checking your signal quality, and adjust the iPhone settings accordingly, can often pay dividend.
Another approach to this battery problem can involve a simple form of maintenance. Even if you aren’t having battery difficulties, completely draining your device’s battery once a month is always advisable. Use all of the power until your device shuts down on its own, and then charge it back up to full. This will recalibrate the battery indicator, giving a more holistic impression of what your battery levels are.
Restore your device as new
Battery life issues with iOS devices are most frequently caused by restoring them from backup. Thus, simply restoring the device as new, rather than as a backup device, can often solve any problems. Unfortunately, this does involve setting up absolutely every aspect of the phone again, and it is important to save any important data which will also be lost. But this could have a massive impact on the efficacy of your battery.
Turn off unneeded software
Any programs running on an iPhone will use up the battery of the device. So if all other options have been exhausted, it is always worthwhile to experiment with turning off extraneous programs. Some of the most obvious options in this department are as follows.
Firstly, Location Services is an excellent place to start. GPS requires a huge amount of processor work, and this can drain your battery pretty rapidly. In order to eliminate this option on medium program, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services. From here it is possible to turn off any application and assistant service that you do not need to track your location.
Background app and content refresh can be useful, but it certainly plays a role in maximising the draining of your battery. In order to eliminate this program from your everyday iPhone usage, access Settings > General > Background App Refresh.
Another possible suggestion is to turn off Push Notifications. While it can be useful to have notifications of third-party applications forwarded to Apple devices, it nonetheless has a big impact on the potential battery life of your handset. So access Settings > Notifications, and turn off any app you don’t wish to be alerted about.
Other viable suggestions include setting Auto-Lock to one minute, turning off any extraneous sounds, such as the keyboard clicks, using headphones instead of the built-in speaker when listening to music, turning down the screen brightness, eliminating Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when not using them, and exciting all email, calendar, and contacts accounts to “Fetch”.
Low Power Mode
Low Power Mode can also have a beneficial effect on your battery life. Unfortunately, this is only available on the iPhone, so iPad and iPod Touch users will have to live without this option. Go to Settings > Battery > and flip the switch, and you also find that your iPhone unit is utilizing less power. Many graphical effects of other intensive operations will be temporarily removed, but your handset will last much longer on a single charge.
Last resort
Your absolute last resort with iOS 9 is to simply turn off your device completely. One might imagine that the iPhone would use no power at all when switched off, but this isn’t strictly true! However, the amount of power utilised will obviously be extremely negligible, and this is honestly the most effective, if slightly drastic, way of preserving your iPhone battery.
