How To Extend the Life Of Your iPhone Battery

Keep your iPhone up-to-date. Software upgrades keep your battery performing at the highest level.

Turn off Wi-Fi and the 3G cellular networks unless you need to browse the internet. You can switch off Wi-Fi in Settings and 3G options are under the Network tab in Settings. When it’s time to browse, choose one or the other – you don’t need both.

Limit interactive maps and GPS tracking. Turn off location services in General Settings and use mapping applications only when needed. Also limit 3-D video-game playing, which rapidly consumes battery power.

Use Airplane Mode – found in General Settings – when you’re in an area with minimal cellular coverage. This turns off the automatic search for a connection, but allows you to use all nonwireless features.

Manually check your mail. Automatic message retrieval eats battery power. In Settings, access Fetch New Data and choose “Manually.” Also turn off any unnecessary additional mail accounts.

Dim the brightness of your iPhone screen. In Settings under Brightness, manually drag the slider to the left to dim the screen as much as your eyes desire.

Run your iPhone through a full charge cycle at least once a month to sync the battery’s fuel gauge with its state-of-charge – essentially “reminding” the battery of its full capacity. To do this, charge the battery to 100 percent. Then, use the phone until the battery’s completely drained.

If you’re willing to shell out the extra dough, buy an external battery extender. Most slide onto the back of your iPhone and run around $100.