How to Drain an iPhone's Battery Fast

Rev up your screen, wireless features, 3D games to consume an iPhone's battery juice quickly.

Cycling your iPhone's lithium-ion battery is like exercise to your body: it keeps your battery fit. So, like exercise, you should plan to cycle your battery regularly. Cycling requires that you charge your battery to 100 percent and then drain it completely. To deliberately and quickly zap your battery, configure your iPhone to work furiously behind the scenes -- especially on your screen and wireless services -- while you play or work on your device excessively, and listen to enhanced "iPod" playlists. When your iPhone shuts down for lack of juice, plug it into a power source to recharge.

Instructions

1. Unplug your device from a power outlet or disconnect it from your computer, if it is awake and in use. Your iPhone will recharge its battery if it is plugged into either source.

2. Maximize your screen's brightness. Tap "Settings," "Brightness" and then drag the slider to the extreme right. Also, tap the "Auto-Brightness" switch to toggle it "Off" to maintain your screen's extreme intensity regardless of the ambient light in your environment.

3. Keep your screen turned on incessantly. Tap "Settings," "General" and then choose "Never" to prevent your iPhone from sleeping or turning black when inactive.

4. Make your iPhone prowl constantly for incoming mail and data. Tap "Settings," "Mail, Contacts, Calendars," followed by "Fetch New Data." Tap the "Push" switch to toggle it "On." Also, under "Fetch," tap "Every 15 minutes," for your device to forage for data as frequently as possible.

5. Tap "Settings," "Wi-Fi" and then tap the "Wi-Fi" switch to toggle it "On." Your iPhone will invest significant battery power in your Wi-Fi antenna's relentless hunt for hotspots while you surf the Web or use various cloud-based and online services.

6. Tap "Settings," "General," "Network" and then toggle the "Enable 3G" switch to "On." This will activate your iPhone's battery-hungry 3G antenna, which aggressively searches for the cellular signals that you need to connect to the Internet and communicate via phone, text or email.

7. Press "Settings" and then "General." Tap "Location Services" and "Bluetooth" in turn. Toggle their switches to "On," regardless of whether you need them. These features will also sniff around continuously for data and devices, and use up considerable battery life in the process.

8. Tap one app after another on your home screen. On an iPhone 3GS or newer model, these apps will continue to run in the background, draining your battery, even after you've exited them. Don't use your multitasking bar to close them.

9. Press "Settings" and then "iPod." Tap "EQ" and apply an equalizer to your playlists. Tap any option except "Off." Your normally power-thrifty songs will now morph into energy gluttons when you play them with "iPod."

10. Entertain yourself with 3D games while waiting for your iPhone's battery to completely drain. These games are voracious consumers of battery power.

Tips & Warnings

• The less frequently you use your iPhone, the more frequently you should cycle its battery. Apple recommends at least one charge cycle per month.

• While it may seem obvious, don't cycle your battery without a power source nearby. A dead iPhone is no fun at all.

• Using your iPhone within environments outside the range of 32 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit will not only drain but also degrade your battery. Heat is especially damaging. Avoid leaving your iPhone in a hot car or exposing it to direct sunlight for prolonged periods.

References

• Apple: iPhone
• "iPhone: The Missing Manual"; David Pogue; August 24, 2010
• "iPhone 4 Portable Genius"; Paul McFedries; August 02, 2010