iPhone users warned over hidden ‘vampire’ setting that drains your battery

It seems that no matter how long our phones spend plugged into the socket, we never have enough battery.

Nowadays, loads of people are forced to trudge around with a portable charger to stop their device from dying while out and about.

iPhone users are all too familiar with this kind of thing, but it turns out there might be an unsuspecting culprit behind your constantly draining battery.

There is a so-called 'vampire setting' which could be sucking the life out of your Apple device without you having any idea.

Switching it off could save you a significant amount of juice - meaning the dreaded black screen signifying your phone's temporary death could be a distant memory soon.

But what is the pesky feature that is bleeding your battery dry?

Well, it's actually quite a handy tool which helps to maintain your internet connection when you're out and about, known as 'Wi-Fi Assist'.

Although it's meant to boost your signal, it might be proving more of a hindrance than a help.

Wi-Fi Assist essentially fills in the gaps when your wireless internet connection gets a bit slow and begins to lag, ensuring iPhone users can enjoy a smooth web surfing session wherever you are.

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Apple's website states: "For example, if you're using Safari with a poor Wi-Fi connection and a webpage doesn't load, Wi-Fi Assist will activate and automatically switch to cellular so that the webpage continues to load."

This is undoubtedly a useful feature - as let's have it right, watching a video buffer or a screen struggle to load for an eternity is torturous.

But the downside is, it significantly impacts your phone's battery life and data usage.

There is some good news though, so don't fret just yet.

Fortunately, there is a way to switch off Wi-Fi Assist if you want to prolong your phone's battery.

Of course, the trade off is that if your Wi-Fi gets patchy then you'll just have to deal with it - but you can't have it all.

Not only that, but Wi-Fi Assist can also sneakily use up a large proportion of your precious data when you think you're safely on a Wi-Fi network, so you'll probably notice your usage dwindle when you get rid of the 'vampire setting'.

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Firstly, you need to go into the main Settings app on your iPhone, where all the important bits are.

From there go into the tab marked 'Mobile Data'. Once you're there, scroll down on the page. You may have to scroll all the way down past the apps which are using data.

You should then see the switch saying 'Wi-Fi Assist'. You can then turn that off.

Bear in mind that this could mean you experience a bit more lag when your Wi-Fi has an interrupted connection. However, it will help to make your phone's battery last longer.

Not only that, but Wi-Fi Assist can also sneakily use up a large proportion of your precious data when you think you're safely on a Wi-Fi network. Turning it off can help you to use less of your data plan as when you're on Wi-Fi it won't sneakily switch on.

The more you know, eh?

Topics: Apple, Technology, iPhone, Hacks

Olivia Burke

Olivia is a journalist at LADbible Group with more than five years of experience and has worked for a number of top publishers, including News UK. She also enjoys writing food reviews (as well as the eating part). She is a stereotypical reality TV addict, but still finds time for a serious documentary.

@livburke_