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How to identify battery-hogging apps on iOS 8

Ever wonder what's dragging down the battery on your iOS device? Now you can check!

Jason Cipriani Contributing Writer, ZDNet
Jason Cipriani is based out of beautiful Colorado and has been covering mobile technology news and reviewing the latest gadgets for the last six years. His work can also be found on sister site CNET in the How To section, as well as across several more online publications.
Jason Cipriani

ios8batteryusage.jpg
Jason Cipriani/CNET

I hate to use the word "finally" when covering new features across any platform, but there are times when it just fits. Case in point: Apple has finally added the ability for iOS users to view battery usage by app in iOS 8.

That means you're able to quickly identify which apps are irresponsibly sucking down your battery, and either get rid of the app or adjust your usage based on the new data.

ios8batteryusage.jpg
Settings path to Battery Usage in iOS 8. Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET

Battery Usage is a bit buried in the Settings app, but easy to find nonetheless.

  • Launch the Settings app
  • Select General, then select Usage
  • Now select Battery Usage

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Along the top of the screen you'll find battery stats since your last charge, and just below that is where you'll find a treasure trove of battery information. Not only are you shown battery usage by app for the last day, but it also breaks down usage over the course of a longer time period. In testing, I believe this longer history period was capped off at a week.

The app listings also provide enough information for you to determine if the increased battery usage is due to your obsessive use of the app, or if it can be attributed to background activity.

Watch this: Save battery life in iOS 8