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Top 10 tips to maximize your iPhone’s battery life

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Top 10 tips to maximize your iPhone’s battery life

There’s nothing worse than spending a lot of money on a nice new phone only to have a shortened battery life, curtailing its usefulness. Various factors can impact your iPhone’s battery life quality and quantity.

“Hi, if your iPhone is plugged in and finishes charging, does it damage [the] phone or charger if it is left plugged in at 100% during the night? Also, does leaving the charger plugged in when not in use hurt the charger? Thank you.” — Gail, Clifton, NJ

The short answer to your question is, “Yes,” Gail. While it may not damage your iPhone, it can impact the lifespan of your phone’s battery. Leaving your phone plugged in overnight is not a bad idea, as phones are smart enough to prevent an overload. Charging stops once the internal lithium-ion battery hits 100% of its capacity. However, if you leave your phone plugged in overnight, it will use a bit of energy by constantly trickling new juice into the battery every time it falls to 99%. That is eating into your phone’s lifespan.

As for your second question, leaving your charger plugged in when not in use does not damage it. The charger will only draw power when connected to a device that needs charging, so you can leave it plugged in without worrying about damaging it.

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A person holding a phone with a dead battery. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

How do batteries work?

Most modern mobile phones are powered by lithium batteries, which are lighter, last longer, charge faster and have more power density. Battery life depends on its chemical age, based on its temperature and charge history. As the battery life chemically ages, the amount of charge the battery can hold is reduced. By staying mindful about how and how often you charge your phone, you can extend the life of your battery. Below are some ways to take care of your phone’s battery.

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How to protect your iPhone’s battery health

Maximize your iPhone’s battery life and performance with these 10 essential tips to keep it running efficiently and safely.

1. Do not let your iPhone overheat through external or internal temperature exposure. Make sure your phone isn’t overheating in its phone case while charging. If so, take it off to ensure enough ventilation around your phone.

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2. Try not to use your iPhone while it is charging. If you can wait until it is sufficiently charged, do wait because using your phone while charging can cause it to overwork, increasing the phone’s temperature and causing stress or damage.

5 WAYS TO CHARGE YOUR MOBILE DEVICE FASTER THAN EVER BEFORE

3. Avoid buying cheap wall plug chargers. While buying the ones half the price is tempting, the officially branded wall plug chargers are manufactured with circuits specially created for your phone that prevent overcharging, breaking or overheating.

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4. I recommend not downloading battery performance apps from third parties. Most phones already come with this data, and these additional apps are draining their batteries. They can also be a risk for malware, viruses and bloatware.

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5. Be sure to turn off ‘Background App Refresh for apps you don’t need running all the time or selectively when your battery life is low.

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Battery charger and iPhone. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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6. Use only official chargers and cables. If you must shop third-party brands, make sure they are Apple MFi certified for non-Apple accessories and USB-IF certified to replace Android accessories.

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7. Use the optimized battery charging option on your iPhone. It will help reduce the wear on your iPhone’s battery by lowering the time it stays fully charged. When this option is utilized, it will prevent your phone from charging past 80%. It learns your battery use habits to determine how long it takes to charge your phone. It’ll give you a scheduled time, which you can turn off if you need it charged fully sooner.

8. Check which Apps and processes drain your battery. Most mobile devices include battery-use data. Once you can determine which apps or activities eat up most of your battery life, you can close them or use them less when you need to conserve battery life.

iPhone being charged. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

9. Be careful of what portable battery chargers you use on the go. While they can be powerful and helpful in a pinch, some can cause damage. Buy from reputable Apple MFi-certified brands for non-Apple accessories and USB-IF certified to replace Android accessories.

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10. Adjust screen brightness. It is a simple way to conserve battery life by turning down the brightness on your phone.

MORE: BEST PORTABLE PHONE CHARGERS OF 2024

Kurt’s key takeaways

There are many ways to preserve your phone’s battery life. While most steps are free and straightforward, some require purchasing new gear. By following these do’s and don’ts, you can enjoy a healthier battery life.

What features do you wish to see in future mobile devices to enhance battery performance and longevity? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact

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Use this map to find the data centers in your backyard

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Use this map to find the data centers in your backyard

When Oregon resident Isabelle Reksopuro heard Google was gobbling up public land to fuel its data centers in her home state, she didn’t initially know what to believe. “There’s a lot of misinformation about data centers,” she said. “Google has denied taking that land.”

Technically, she explains, The Dalles, a city near the Washington state border, sought to reclaim that land, “and Google is just a big, unnamed power user.” The city had in fact asked for ownership of a 150-acre portion of Mount Hood National Forest, claiming it needs access to Mount Hood’s watershed to meet municipal needs as its population — 16,010 as of the 2020 census — grows. But critics, including environmentalists, say the city is trying to secure more water for Google, which has a sprawling data center campus in The Dalles that already consumes about one-third of the city’s water supply.

This controversy made Reksopuro curious about the backlash to data centers being built in other communities. So Reksopuro, a student at the University of Washington who studies the connections between tech and public policy, decided to map it out. Using information collected by Epoch AI and data scraped from legislation on data centers, she built an interactive map tracking AI policy around the world. She designed it to be simple enough for anyone to use. “I wanted it to be something that my younger sisters could play through and explore to understand what are the data centers in the area and what’s actually being done about it,” Reksopuro said. She hoped to shift their opinions that way, “instead of like, through TikTok.”

Four times a day, the map searches for new sources and checks them against the existing database Reksopuro built out. “Once it does that, it will write a new summary, add it to the news feed, and populate it on the sidebar,” she said. “I wanted it to be self-updating, since I’m also a student.”

Reksopuro isn’t against data centers, but she thinks tech giants benefit from a lack of transparency around data center policies. “Right now, it’s this really opaque thing — and all of a sudden, there’s a facility,” she said. “I think that if people knew about data centers beforehand, it would give them leverage. They would be able to negotiate: ask for job training programs, tax revenue, environmental monitoring, things to improve their community.”

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Fox News AI Newsletter: Graduation speaker praises AI, gets instantly booed

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Fox News AI Newsletter: Graduation speaker praises AI, gets instantly booed

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

 

Welcome to Fox News’ Artificial Intelligence newsletter with the latest AI technology advancements.

IN TODAY’S NEWSLETTER:

– UCF graduates clobber commencement speaker with boos after she says AI is the ‘next Industrial Revolution’

– OPINION: DIRECTOR KASH PATEL: We brought the FBI out of the past and into the AI age

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– OpenAI backs creation of global AI governance body led by the U.S. that would include China as a member

TOUGH CROWD: During a recent commencement ceremony at the University of Central Florida, a speaker was met with loud boos from the graduating class after declaring that artificial intelligence represents the next industrial revolution. Fox News Digital reporting captures this tense cultural moment, illustrating the mixed public sentiment and skepticism surrounding AI’s growing footprint in daily life.

A statue on the campus of the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida. (iStock)

BADGE MEETS BYTE: Reflecting on the modernization of national security in a Fox News op-ed, FBI Director Kash Patel explores how the bureau must adapt its strategies to address modern threats and advance beyond the artificial intelligence age.

TECH DIPLOMACY: OpenAI is throwing its support behind the establishment of a new global artificial intelligence governance organization that would be led by the United States while notably including China as a member. Fox News Digital reporting examines the geopolitical dynamics and regulatory implications of this proposed framework as global powers race to set the standards for AI development.

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EQUITY ELEVATION: The massive wave of wealth generated by the explosive growth of ChatGPT and the broader AI industry is driving a sudden surge in the San Francisco Bay Area’s luxury real estate market. Fox News Digital reporting breaks down how the influx of new tech capital is reshaping local housing dynamics and fueling a high-end property frenzy.

FBI Director Kash Patel listened as Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche spoke during a press conference at the Department of Justice on April 28, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

STRATEGY RESET: Tech giant Cisco is planning to eliminate thousands of jobs as the company shifts its primary focus to accelerate its artificial intelligence initiatives, a move that comes despite the company beating earnings expectations. Fox News Digital reporting details the corporate restructuring and broader economic trends pushing legacy tech firms to aggressively pivot toward AI.

ROAD HAZARD: Waymo is issuing a sweeping recall of its autonomous vehicle fleet following a concerning incident that highlighted significant safety issues with the self-driving technology. Fox News Digital reporting outlines the specifics of the recall, the nature of the safety flaw, and what this setback means for the future of fully autonomous transportation on public roads.

BOTS IN THE BAY: A newly developed, artificial intelligence-powered robot has been engineered to seamlessly change and balance vehicle tires without human intervention. Fox News Digital reporting showcases this latest innovation, exploring how automation and AI mechanics could soon revolutionize the automotive service and repair industry.

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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks during the 2026 Infrastructure Summit in Washington, D.C., on March 11, 2026. (Kylie Cooper/Reuters)

 

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Microsoft’s Edge Copilot update uses AI to pull information from across your tabs

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Microsoft’s Edge Copilot update uses AI to pull information from across your tabs

Microsoft Edge is adding a new feature that will allow its Copilot AI chatbot to gather information from all of your open tabs. When you start a conversation with Copilot, you can ask the chatbot questions about what’s in your tabs, compare the products you’re looking at, summarize your open articles, and more.

In its announcement, Microsoft says you can “select which experiences you want or leave off the ones you don’t.” The company is retiring Copilot Mode as well, which could similarly draw information from your tabs but offered some agentic features, like the ability to book a reservation on your behalf. Microsoft has since folded these agentic capabilities into its “Browse with Copilot” tool.

Several other AI features are coming to Edge, including an AI-powered “Study and Learn” mode that can turn the article you’re looking at into a study session or interactive quiz. There’s a new tool that turns your tabs into AI-powered podcasts as well, similar to what you’d find on NotebookLM, and an AI writing assistant that will pop up when you start entering text on a webpage.

You can also give Copilot permission to access your browsing history to provide more “relevant, high-quality answers,” according to Microsoft. Copilot in Edge on desktop and mobile will come with “long-term memory” as well, which can tailor its responses based on your previous conversations. And, when you open up a new tab, you’ll see a redesigned page that combines chat, search, and web navigation, along with the Journeys feature, which uses AI to organize your browsing history into categories that you can revisit.

Meanwhile, an update to Edge’s mobile app will allow you to share your screen with Copilot and talk through the questions about what you’re seeing. Microsoft says you’ll see “clear visual cues” when Copilot is active, “so you know when it’s taking an action, helping, listening, or viewing.”

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