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Turn Off Automatic Downloads
Automatic Downloads is another feature that consumes battery life and network bandwidth. It could also potentially update an app with a version that’s buggy. I prefer to update critical apps only when I know the new version works well. You can turn off Automatic Downloads from Settings > iTunes & App Store.
Tune Privacy and Location Settings
Many people have concerns about privacy. Location tracking also drains the battery. While these features may make life easier, you can tune these to fit your needs, improving both battery life and privacy. Tap on Settings > Privacy > Location Services to adjust the settings. Make sure to drill down into System Services and consider disabling “Frequent Locations”. This will save a lot of battery life, at the expense of some useful features such as estimated commute times and location-specific notifications. I would actually keep this one on, unless you really need to preserve battery life. It makes your iPhone much more aware of where you go, which can be quite useful. Check out this article for more information on protecting your privacy.
Use A Still Wallpaper
iOS 7 introduced dynamic wallpaper. Using the iPhone’s sensor, the wallpaper moves along with the device. This is a neat feature, but it’s not necessary. I find that the parallax effect seems to work better with static wallpaper. To select a different wallpaper, go to Settings > Wallpapers & Brightness, then tap your existing wallpaper. Choose one of the provided stills or any image from the camera roll.
Activate Airplane Mode
Airplane Mode is great for complying with FAA regulations. It’s also a great way to preserve battery life. If you need to use your iPhone, but don’t need to use wireless services, simply switch to Airplane mode. Keep in mind, Airplane Mode disables Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, location services, and cellular (voice and data). Every wireless service is disabled. If you get a phone call, it will roll over to voice mail. You can manually enable Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Airplane Mode is great if you just want to watch a downloaded movie, listen to downloaded music, create music with GarageBand or play a video game.
Turn Off 4G
4G uses more energy than 3G. You can save battery life by switching off 4G. I would only recommend this if you are desperate to save battery life. 4G is a great feature and usually offers greater network bandwidth than 3G. My iPhone runs on Verizon 3G and my home Internet runs on Sprint 4G. Verizon 3G is often faster. Since your iPhone is serviced by the same company, however, 4G will likely be faster than 3G. You can test this using Speedtest.net. If 3G is close enough or faster, switching off 4G/LTE may be a viable option.
If you choose to turn off 4G, navigate to Settings > Cellular. Then switch off Enable 4G or Enable LTE, depending on your model and carrier. (continue…)