We’ve all heard the tip: Avoiding unnecessary usage by disabling WiFi, Bluetooth, and so on will save us some battery. Is it still useful advice or are you just wasting time?
I’ll attempt to break down whether or not turning these features off actually helps the battery last longer.
How Do You Disable WiFi or Bluetooth?
- Quick Access Doesn’t Fully Disable: On iPhones, you don’t actually disable WiFi and Bluetooth by disabling it from the control panel. According to CBS/AP, they stay active for features like AirDrop, CarPlay, or Apple Watch, but go into standby for 24 hours.
- For True Disabling, Use Settings: However, you actually have to disable them through the Settings menu before you can turn off WiFi or Bluetooth. Does this save battery on modern devices?
Battery Consumption Today – The Reality
- Bluetooth LE Makes a Difference: All current devices together run on Bluetooth 5.0 and above, but with Bluetooth 5.0 and above you also have Bluetooth Low Energy (LE). Turning Bluetooth off has so little impact that this standard consumes so little power.
- Consider This Example: A battery that lasts a year or more keeps an AirTag, powered with Bluetooth LE, operational. However, this means your iPhone’s use of Bluetooth is probably insignificant in comparison.
How About WiFi?
- Minimal Consumption When Idle: In most cases WiFi scanning, even when active, doesn’t affect battery life noticeably. It’s so low that low energy use is all you notice in battery usage stats.
- Switch to Airplane Mode at Home: Plane mode is your best friend if you’re at home and shouldn’t be taking calls. It will chill out your battery use by turning off cellular data and WiFi.
Final Verdict: Leave WiFi and Bluetooth On
And in short, turning Wifi and Bluetooth off isn’t the battery saver it once was. Energy efficient connections are used to build today’s devices. In small battery drains, enjoy your iPhone and its features.
What do you think? Have any battery saving tips worked for you? Let us know in the comments!