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You could be making mistakes on your iPhone that you don’t even know you’re making — innocent errors that are costing you phone battery power in the long run. We spoke with experts about the iPhone mistakes that are taking hours off your battery life. They’re simple to correct, but knowing what to look for is the first step to correcting the problem.
Siri is so helpful (sometimes) — and other times it can barely make out what you’re saying. Whether you love Siri or are constantly cursing its inability to understand your requests, the truth is that this voice service can do a number on your battery. And one of the mistakes you could be making is not turning off Siri suggestions.
“Siri is meant to be your 'digital assistant,' so she can make recommendations based on your behavior on iOS,” says Timothy Robinson, CEO of InVPN. “For example, if you order coffee every day, Siri can suggest your order around the time you usually place it. That's awesome, but she'll have to work in the background to make it happen, which will drain the battery.”
If you don't use Siri, Robinson says it will drain your battery because your iPhone will be listening for 'Hey Siri' all of the time.
“Go to Siri & Search > Settings > Siri & Search,” Robinson says. “You can allow or disable Siri Suggestions in the quest, Look Up, and on the lock screen under Siri Suggestions.”
In addition to turning off Siri, don’t forget that one of the biggest mistakes people make with their devices is charging them with substandard chargers.
“Think about it: people spend a lot of money to buy an iPhone, which is not a cheap smartphone, not at all,” says Plamen Beshkov, tech and gadget reviewer at 10Beasts.com. “Then, when they need an extra cable or charger, they decide to save a few bucks and go for the cheapest one available. A cheap charger often lacks the safety mechanisms in its circuitry. That's one of the reasons it is cheaper than the MFi certified products. The certified lightning cord contains a chip that protects the iPhone from voltage fluctuations. That could cause serious damage to your device. I am not saying that they should only use the Apple brand products, but they should make sure to use a well-known brand. Also, check for the MFi certification. MFi stands for ‘Made for iPhone, iPod, or iPad.’ It means that the component follows Apple's specs to work with their devices.”
