Solution for battery issues without "set up as new iPhone"

[braddick]

What worked for me is to restore/set up as new iPhone and then follow steps six through nine.

iPhone stays charged 100% overnight and I get about 20% better battery results during the day.

[anonjd]

After purchasing a new iPhone or updating an OS, I always just set it up as a new phone and then restore from a backup that I made in iTunes. I've been doing this since my first iPhone, the 3GS, and never had any signification battery issues. All battery issues I've had have been hardware related.

[brokenbuyer]

Originally Posted by braddick

What worked for me is to restore/set up as new iPhone and then follow steps six through nine.

iPhone stays charged 100% overnight and I get about 20% better battery results during the day.

Originally Posted by anonjd

After purchasing a new iPhone or updating an OS, I always just set it up as a new phone and then restore from a backup that I made in iTunes. I've been doing this since my first iPhone, the 3GS, and never had any signification battery issues. All battery issues I've had have been hardware related.

How do you set up as new phone and then restore from the latest backup? After it is new, you can restore from backup?

[anonjd]

Originally Posted by brokenbuyer

How do you set up as new phone and then restore from the latest backup? After it is new, you can restore from backup?

Sorry, maybe I worded it wrong. I basically set it up as a new phone after getting a new phone or doing an OS update. Then, I restore it from a old back up through iTunes. Unless I know there is some issue with the backup (corrupt files, etc).

I've been doing this for years and never experienced any issues.

I'm really not willing to set it up as a new phone, as I don't want to lose my text messages (I know I can use 3rd party software to backup/restore texts in case I do want to set it up as a new phone), saved app data, etc.

[braddick]

^
Whereas I love letting go of all the old text messages and purging my iPhone of stuff.
I actually go to preferences in iTunes and delete the backup so my only option upon a restore is to set up as a new iDevice.
Sure, it's a hassle loading everything back but I keep apps to a minimum so really, it's about 15 minutes of letting iTunes do its work once the iPhone is restored.

[Godf1st]

I would like to say the procedure provided in the op has helped my phone, I was getting maybe 6 hrs of heavy usage before the update and after the update I was getting at the most 5. I would also like to say that I have imessage turned off, didn't notice it at first, but I think that imessage is also draining the phones battery, I would suggest turning it off to see if it helps. When I turned it on just to see if it was playing a part my battery begin to decrease by the minutes, but all has restored once I turned it off. Here is some screenshots of where I am with my new found battery life. I've been downloading, browsing, phone calls, messaging, push mail, wifi, LTE, a little angry birds starwars, monopoly millionare, etc.

[frozzbite]

if the method works you, share it with others.

[Godf1st]

Originally Posted by frozzbite

if the method works you, share it with others.

It works, I also suggest turning off imessage, no need for it unless you don't have unlimited text messaging or trying to imessage someone overseas.

[stock28]

Could someone explain step by step how to do the DFU restore. Not sure I understand how to do the steps. Thanks.

[aleni]

Originally Posted by tymaster50

different strokes for different folks, I know if I wasn't using my phone for a while I would want it to save as much battery as possible, these tweaks that apple tries to do only work so far, they can't just increase the mah by 10 every year.

how the imessages, email, and push notification coming through if your iphone is turning the cellular data and wifi while the screen is off?

[Godf1st]

Originally Posted by aleni

how the imessages, email, and push notification coming through if your iphone is turning the cellular data and wifi while the screen is off?

Cellular shouldn't be cut off, I still have it cut on, but I would recommend shutting off imessage unless you really need it.

[arashb]

I haven't used this method but I really don't see the need to. Is this because I'm on LTE 24/7 instead of Wi-Fi when I'm at home?

[brokenbuyer]

I last about 8hrs usage and 1 day standby. Not sure if I should do this yet.
Will you lose any files?

However, I'm using super battery saving techniques. Almost everything off. Brightness is 0% with auto on.

I also turn on airplane mode if I'm 2-3 bars/concrete walls etc.

[frozzbite]

Originally Posted by brokenbuyer

I last about 8hrs usage and 1 day standby. Not sure if I should do this yet.
Will you lose any files?
.

You won't lose any files as long as you restore from a backup. Of course you have to remember to backup before your DFU restore

[brokenbuyer]

Originally Posted by frozzbite

You won't lose any files as long as you restore from a backup. Of course you have to remember to backup before your DFU restore

So if I back it up now, set up as new, and then restore. I will have everything as it is now after I'm done with the process? Worth a shot then I guess.

What was it about people saying losing text messages and such?

[tymaster50]

Originally Posted by aleni

how the imessages, email, and push notification coming through if your iphone is turning the cellular data and wifi while the screen is off?

if you have email set to a time schedule it would turn on when it's time to check and the program is optional, like maybe you can set it to enable after a certain percent, it shouldnt be forced on anyone but it would definitely extend the iPhones battery life

----------

on 8 hours standyby and 1 hour light usage I dropped to 84%. Worse than before.

[Brad02]

Originally Posted by arashb

I haven't used this method but I really don't see the need to. Is this because I'm on LTE 24/7 instead of Wi-Fi when I'm at home?

Humble Brag? LOL. Leave your settings alone.

[bhigh8]

Originally Posted by stock28

Could someone explain step by step how to do the DFU restore. Not sure I understand how to do the steps. Thanks.

This. how do you do a DFU restore. I youtubed it and people do it different.
Thanks

[OriginalClone]

Originally Posted by frozzbite

This is for the iPhone 5. But I am quite certain it will work for the other iPhones as well

Hi everyone,
I have gotten alot of tips from different users in other battery related threads and I think I have solved my battery problem. I have gone through numerous solutions and trips to the genius bar. Done countless trial and errors. The only thing I did not want to do was to set up my phone as a new phone. I mean, whats the point of a back up if the conclusion is that a back up from your previous phone destroys your new phone. So my objective was simple, to achieve at least 9 hours and a half hours of battery life without resorting to "Set up as new iPhone".

While I am tempted to think that most of my issues were hardware issues, I found it hard to believe that I could be so unlucky to get one with a bad battery. Furthermore, my hesitation to swap for a new phone stemmed from the fact that there is a real distinct possibility that my next phone will have a good battery but some other flaw (yellow screen perhaps?).

**PS. you can just scroll to the bottom of this post for my final solution. But if you want to know how I got there or what other possibilities I eliminated, read on.**

I know for a fact that the iPhone 5 has a strong battery. My previous iPhone 5 (yes i got a swap. A few actually. More than 5) had great battery! Pushing almost 10 hours on a daily basis without breaking a sweat. This replacement phone on the other hand, was perfect in every single way but i found that the battery was really sub par.

Through my usage I found several things (also contributed by other users here):
1. BAD RECEPTION absolutely kills battery life. Whether 3G/4G/E. all the same. Anything below 3 bars is just a nightmare for battery. There are a few web articles on this. Go read up.
2. Phone calls have a massive draining effect. So don't be too concerned by that
3. Surfing the web on 3G/4G causes significant drain as well. It is definitely worse than wifi
4. Auto Brightness is crazy at times. My phone is usually on my desk under my lamp, so it causes the brightness to hit 100% the whole time.
5. System services also uses your location and not just your apps. Another hidden battery drain.
6. I finally understood the difference between Push and Fetch. Basically, Push doesn't consume as much battery as Fetch. Gmail is fetch, where the phone literally looks for email. Push is when the servers contact your phone telling you that you got an update(think along the lines of receiving an imessage). I even contacted a couple of app developers for my favourite apps to find out about whether their apps were fetching data. Apparently, its mostly push. They strongly avoid fetch. Or rather they try.
7. Messaging drains battery significantly. Regardless whatsapp/ etc
8. Software update to 6.0.1 through wireless caused my battery to go nuts. The battery would sometimes drop by 2% each time. A DFU restore solved that issue.

Objective: hit at least 9 and a half hours of usage. Without setting up as new iPhone
***SOLUTION***
1. DFU restore your iPhone 5 to 6.0.1. You HAVE to do a DFU restore. This is especially so if you updated through the wireless updater in ios. (Don't be lazy)
2. Restore from your favourite back up
3. In Settings>General>Reset, Erase Network Settings. Phone will reboot.
4. In Settings>General>Reset, Erase All Settings. Phone will reboot.
5. Set email notifications to every Hour
6. Turn off auto brightness and set to 25% to 35%. *I doubt anything more will be comfortable, but its really up to you. Just try to keep it as low as possible*
7. In Settings>Privacy>Location Services>System Services, turn off "genius for apps" & "location based iAds"
8. In Settings>General>Date & Time, turn off "Set Automatically"
9. In iCloud, turn passbook off. *optional if you actually use passbook*
10. It is important that you maintain these settings in the first use immediately after these changes. After the first 100% to 0% use to see if the changes actually worked, you can just use your phone and find out which app/perferred setting actually drains battery.

For my result,
- I spent about 3/4 of the day on wifi.
- Had 2 seven minute calls and quite abit of 2D gaming like lemonade tycoon.
- A lot of flipboard and Facebook.
- Constant checking of usage times in settings.
- 5 to 10 mins of apple maps navigation.
*I think I could have hit ten hours if I didn't use my gps for navigation during the day.

Alright guys, thats it. I hope this works for you. If you have more questions, just message me.

Below is my Before and After screenshots

If that's what it has become to get acceptable battery life from the iPhone Apple is doing something wrong..I guess it doesn't "just work". I've been an Apple user for a long time, but this is becoming unacceptable. What's even more unacceptable is some of the crazy fixes for the problems. If I have to do all that to get proper battery life then something is seriously wrong that Apple needs to fix.

Edit: Not jumping on you or anything, just making a general statement.

[Godf1st]

Originally Posted by originalclone

if that's what it has become to get acceptable battery life from the iphone apple is doing something wrong..i guess it doesn't "just work". I've been an apple user for a long time, but this is becoming unacceptable. What's even more unacceptable is some of the crazy fixes for the problems. If i have to do all that to get proper battery life then something is seriously wrong that apple needs to fix.

You should see some of the things android users go through because battery life sucks with most of the phones out the box, ex. Sgs3, htc one x, galaxy note, I've had all of them and being on their forums every phone and os has its issues, nothing's perfect.

[OriginalClone]

Originally Posted by Godf1st

You should see some of the things android users go through because battery life sucks with most of the phones out the box, ex. Sgs3, htc one x, galaxy note, I've had all of them and being on their forums every phone and os has its issues, nothing's perfect.

Yea nothing is perfect, but I shouldn't have to waste time constantly restoring my phone to get it to work properly. That being said I have had better battery life since the 6.0.1 update and the OP made some very good points about factors decreasing battery life.

[arashb]

@OriginalClone, this is nothing... you should see the Blackberry bolds, everytime a new update to the OS comes out that constantly breaks the reception quality/battery/application support/messenger... it's crazy.

Originally Posted by Brad02

Humble Brag? LOL. Leave your settings alone.

Brag :P but partly serious, does LTE use less energy than WiFi..?

[pcubed18]

Followed op's steps. Got 7hrs 10 minutes usage 1 day 10 hrs standby.
Icloud on 2 exchange accounts and most things on.
Best battery life yet for me.

[akkkmed]

I followed these steps and it hasn't helped at all. Compared to my 4S, the battery life on the 5 was amazing, but that only lasted a few weeks. The past few weeks it has been bad. Disappointing, to say the least. I wish these steps would've helped. Thanks anyway, OP.

[alexander25]

did this just now. will post results in a few days.