Mental Floss

Closing Apps Won't Improve Your iPhone's Battery Life—But These Tricks Will

By Kirstin Fawcett

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Trying to prolong your iPhone’s battery life? According to Business Insider, one popular power-saving hack doesn’t actually work. Apple’s head of software development, Craig Federighi, recently replied to an email a fan sent to CEO Tim Cook, debunking the common belief that you can save power by opening up a phone’s multitasking window and closing unused apps.

In fact, force-quitting and re-opening your iOS apps can actually diminish your phone’s battery life, former Apple technician and MartianCraft CEO Kyle Richter explains on his website. “The only time you need to force-quit an app is if it is frozen, or otherwise misbehaving—beyond that the best battery life can be attained by not force-quitting any apps,” he writes. Bottom line? You’re better off leaving them open.

This news gives your swiping finger a much-needed rest, but it also begs the question: What are some proven ways you can conserve your phone’s power? TechRadar has a ton of tips, including turning your phone onto Airplane mode when you’re in an area with a weak signal. This curbs your phone’s fruitless—and battery-draining—search for a connection.

MacWorld also has plenty of suggestions, like choosing to switch your iPhone over to Low Power Mode when you hit 20 percent remaining power. This reportedly extends your phone’s life for three extra hours. Meanwhile, The Guardian points out that you might want to delete your Facebook app and switch to using the mobile version of the site within Safari, as the social networking app reportedly drains a lot of power from your phone. Furthermore, The New York Times recently teamed up with the Wirecutter, a product recommendations website, to gauge the best way to conserve your smartphone’s juice. They found a lot of great solutions, including this one: Since an iPhone’s screen consumes a ton of energy, switch over to auto-brightness mode for the screen. This adjusts the screen’s brightness based on natural light.

At the end of the day, however, it’s undeniable that we’re a phone-obsessed society—so much that one recent study revealed that 42 percent of Americans check their emails in the bathroom. A less popular—but equally powerful—energy-saving tip? Stop using your phone as much, and enjoy the myriad scientific benefits of unplugging for a few hours. 

[h/t Business Insider]