iOS battery usage

iOS battery usage measures the app’s consumption of battery capacity within a session. This consumption is calculated as the product of the total power used and the duration in hours. The resulting total energy consumed represents the app’s impact on the device’s battery, expressed as a percentage of the device’s total battery capacity.

Impact on user experience

When apps drain too much battery, users tend to abandon them. Also, iOS might halt apps that excessively consume battery power. According to a Techbeacon survey, around 36% of app users have stopped using certain mobile apps specifically due to high battery usage.

Threshold guidelines

Recommendations

• Manage background activity efficiently:
  • Minimize background processes. Limiting unnecessary activities running in the background conserves battery.
  • Use background modes judiciously. Employ them only for essential tasks to prevent excessive battery drain.
  • Optimize push notifications. Review and streamline notifications for better efficiency, reducing their impact on battery life.
• Optimize networking and transfers for energy efficiency:
  • Reduce the frequency of NSURLSession network requests. Lowering the number of requests helps conserve battery power.
  • Efficiently use URLSession. Optimize data transfers to minimize energy consumption while maintaining functionality.
• Optimize CPU and memory usage:
  • Refine algorithms and calculations in Swift. Optimizing these elements decreases CPU usage, saving battery life.
  • Employ Automatic Reference Counting (ARC). Use ARC to manage memory efficiently, reducing the drain on the CPU and conserving energy.
• Enhance UI rendering efficiency:
  • Utilize Core Animation and Core Graphics. Optimize rendering by leveraging these frameworks for efficient display handling.
  • Reduce on-screen elements. Streamlining displayed elements enhances performance and minimizes battery usage.
• Optimize location services:
  • Use CLLocationManager thoughtfully. Limit frequent location updates to conserve battery life.
  • Adjust location accuracy settings. Fine-tune Core Location settings to balance accuracy and energy consumption effectively.

Related topics

• View the complete list of performance metrics for iOS