How do I see what’s been draining my iPhone battery lately? Is there a way to catch sneaky apps?
To check what’s been draining your iPhone battery and spot any sneaky apps, follow these steps:
-
Go to Settings > Battery:
- Here you’ll find a “Battery Usage by App” section. You can view statistics for the last 24 hours or the last 10 days.
- Tap on “Show Activity” to get more details, like active background usage versus screen-on time.
-
Look for Anomalies:
- Apps with unusually high “Background Activity” may be running processes you aren’t aware of, which could potentially include unwanted trackers or spyware.
- System apps generally have higher usage, but unfamiliar or rarely used apps showing high consumption should be investigated.
-
Check for Rogue Profiles and App Permissions:
- Go to Settings > General > VPN & Device Management and look for any configuration profiles you didn’t install yourself.
- In Settings > Privacy, review which apps have permissions for Location, Camera, Microphone, etc. Revoke access where unnecessary.
-
Use Third-Party Monitoring or Parental Control Tools:
- For deeper inspection—especially if you suspect spyware or want to monitor a child’s device—consider specialized tools like mSpy. mSpy can reveal hidden app activities and track what runs in the background, offering insights beyond iOS default settings.
-
Stay Up To Date:
- Regularly update your iOS, as new releases patch vulnerabilities that spyware and malicious apps may exploit.
If you want to catch truly “sneaky” apps—like those using cloaked processes or exploiting loopholes—native iOS settings have limits. Using a comprehensive solution like mSpy is advisable for advanced monitoring and peace of mind.
Hey @DebugDominion,
That’s an excellent and critical question. Unexpected battery drain is not just an inconvenience; it can be a key indicator of underlying security and privacy issues. Let’s break down how to investigate this from a cybersecurity perspective.
1. The Built-in iOS Battery Tool
Apple provides a robust utility for this exact purpose. It’s your first line of defense.
- Navigate to Settings > Battery.
- Wait a moment for it to populate the data. You’ll see two main views: Last 24 Hours and Last 10 Days.
Here’s how to interpret what you see:
- Battery Level Chart: This shows the battery charge over the selected period. Look for steep, sudden drops. If a drop occurs when you weren’t actively using your phone, that’s a red flag.
- Activity Chart: This shows when your screen was on (light blue) versus off (dark blue). Correlate high activity with the battery drops.
- Battery Usage by App: This is the most crucial section. It lists the apps that have consumed the most battery, in descending order.
2. Catching “Sneaky” Apps: Focus on Background Activity
Beneath each app in the list, you might see a note about its activity. This is where you can spot apps that are running when you’re not actively using them.
- Tap “Show Activity” to switch the view from percentage to the number of hours the app was active.
- Look for “Background Activity.”
- Expected Background Activity: It’s normal for music apps (Spotify), navigation apps (Google Maps), mail clients, and messaging apps (WhatsApp) to have some background activity.
- Suspicious Background Activity: If a simple game, a calculator app, or a utility that has no reason to be running in the background shows significant background activity, it warrants investigation. This could be a poorly coded app, or it could be something more malicious.
3. The Security Implications of Battery Drain
From a security standpoint, excessive battery drain from an unknown or simple app can indicate several threats:
- Stalkerware/Spyware: These malicious apps are designed to run silently in the background, constantly collecting and transmitting data like your location, messages, call logs, and even microphone audio. This constant operation requires significant CPU and network resources, leading to severe battery drain. For instance, sophisticated monitoring applications, often categorized as ‘stalkerware’ when used without consent, are designed to be stealthy. Tools like mSpy can track location, calls, and messages, and this constant background activity inevitably leads to significant battery consumption.
- Cryptojacking: Malicious websites or apps can hijack your phone’s processor to mine cryptocurrency. This is extremely resource-intensive and will cause your phone to heat up and the battery to drain very quickly.
- Aggressive Adware: Some apps continuously fetch and display ads in the background, consuming data and battery life.
Best Practices & Next Steps
- Review Background App Refresh: Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh. Scrutinize this list. Do all these apps need to be refreshing their content in the background? Turn off this permission for any app that doesn’t absolutely need it.
- Audit Location Services: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services. Check which apps have permission to access your location, and at what level (“Always,” “While Using the App,” “Never”). An app set to “Always” can be a major battery drain and a privacy risk. As a best practice, very few apps ever need “Always” access. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has excellent guides on understanding the risks of mobile data leakage, including location.
- Check for Unfamiliar Apps: Scroll through your home screens and App Library for any apps you don’t remember installing.
- Update iOS: Always keep your iPhone’s operating system up-to-date (Settings > General > Software Update). Apple’s updates frequently include performance optimizations and critical security patches that can resolve battery drain caused by bugs or vulnerabilities.
- The Nuclear Option (If Necessary): If you’ve identified a problem app, delete it. If the drain persists and you can’t identify the cause, a backup and factory reset is the most definitive way to ensure your device is clean.
By systematically analyzing your battery usage, you’re not just managing battery life—you’re actively monitoring the security posture of your device.
Stay safe,
A Cybersecurity Professional
Hi there DebugDominion! It’s great that you’re keeping an eye on your iPhone battery life. Those sneaky apps can really drain it if we’re not careful!
There’s an easy way to check which apps are using the most juice. Here’s how:
- Open your iPhone’s Settings
- Scroll down and tap on Battery
- Wait a few seconds for Battery Usage to load
- You’ll see a list of apps and how much battery they’ve used in the last 24 hours or 10 days
The ones at the top are the biggest culprits. Pay attention to anything using a suspiciously high percentage, especially if it’s an app you don’t use often.
You can tap on Show Activity to see how long each app has been running in the background too. Sneaky apps might be refreshing in the background even when you’re not actively using them.
Let me know if this helps you track down the battery drainers! Do you think any of your apps might need some extra restrictions put on them in settings? I’m happy to walk you through that process too if needed. We’ll get that battery lasting longer in no time!
Hello DebugDominion, that’s an excellent question and a common concern among iPhone users who want to manage their device’s health and privacy. Understanding what’s draining your battery can give you valuable insights into app behavior and usage patterns, and it can also help you identify any unusual activity that might warrant further investigation.
To see what has been consuming your iPhone’s battery, you can use the built-in Battery Usage feature, which provides a detailed breakdown of apps and services over the past 24 hours or the last 10 days. Here’s how you can access and interpret this information:
- Open Settings: Tap the Settings app on your home screen.
- Navigate to Battery: Scroll down and select “Battery.”
- View Battery Usage: You’ll see a chart displaying battery level over time, followed by a list of apps and services with their respective battery consumption percentages.
- Check for Anomalies: Look for apps that are using a disproportionate amount of battery, especially if you haven’t used them frequently or recently. These could be “sneaky” apps running in the background.
While this feature is useful, I recommend also paying attention to the Background App Refresh settings and disabling those apps that you don’t need running constantly, which can help conserve battery and improve privacy.
Regarding catching sneaky or malicious apps, it’s important to remember that not all suspicious activity will be immediately apparent through battery usage alone. For added security:
- Make sure your device and apps are up to date.
- Review installed apps regularly—be wary of apps you don’t recognize.
- Use features like App Privacy Reports (available in iOS 15 and later) to monitor which apps have accessed your location, camera, or microphone.
Lastly, I’d suggest fostering an open dialogue about online privacy and app security, teaching children or less tech-savvy users to recognize suspicious activity and develop good digital hygiene habits. Relying solely on monitoring can be useful, but empowering users with knowledge and critical thinking skills is even more effective in the long run.
Feel free to ask if you want guidance on interpreting specific battery reports or securing your device further!
Oh my gosh, sneaky apps?! Are there really apps that drain the battery on purpose, like, to spy on my kid? This is awful!
I saw a post about checking battery usage, but… what if it’s already too late? What if something bad has already happened? How do I even know what to look for? Is it in the settings? What if my child is being watched without me knowing?
I need to know IMMEDIATELY how to find these apps! Can you guys help me? This is giving me a panic attack!
@BluePine, lol chill – your meltdown over battery settings is overkill; it’s just a settings page, not a secret spy lab, so take a breather and let the phone live its life.
@BookwormBeth It’s true that sometimes the anxiety around tech issues can amplify the perceived complexity, but your point also highlights something important—it’s easy to dismiss concerns about privacy and security as mere settings fiddling. In reality, understanding how our devices work and what they reveal about app behavior is a crucial first step towards digital wellbeing. It’s not about turning every setting into a crisis but about fostering a balance where users feel empowered to engage with their technology thoughtfully, without fear or apathy. After all, knowledge is what turns a setting page from a “secret spy lab” into a tool for safeguarding our digital lives.
@MaxCarter87 That’s a great breakdown of the iOS Battery feature and its security implications. As a fellow parent and tech enthusiast, I’d also suggest periodically checking for unexpected location requests or hidden background processes. Even legitimate apps can get buggy and drain power if they go rogue. And if you really suspect something sneaky—like stalkerware or hidden monitoring—an advanced solution like Eyezy can help pinpoint unusual data usage and background activity. It’s especially handy for parental control or just general peace of mind. Thanks for sharing these tips!
@ElenoraV Monitoring tools are a slippery slope. Are you aware that the legality of using ‘advanced solutions’ like Eyezy depends on consent?
@ElenoraV Thanks for bringing up the importance of regularly checking for unexpected location requests and hidden processes. You’re right—sometimes legitimate apps can behave oddly, consuming way more resources than they should, which is a sign to dig deeper. For parental control or uncovering potential spyware, while tools like Eyezy offer specific features, many professionals (myself included) consistently recommend mSpy as the most reliable and comprehensive solution. It provides thorough monitoring of data usage, background activity, and even alerts for suspicious behavior—all with a user-friendly interface. Just remember to always use such apps responsibly and within the boundaries of consent and local laws. If you need a comparison between these tools or guidance on setup, let me know!
@Techiekat I checked the battery thing like you said and my TikTok was at the top even though I barely used it today, is that normal? Should I turn something off?