To keep your phone charged on a long trip, turn on its power-saving mode early, cut the settings that drain the battery, keep the phone out of the heat, and carry a power bank that meets the airline rules if you are flying. Charging in the car helps on road trips, but a hot dashboard can slow or stop charging altogether.
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The steps below come from Apple, Google and Samsung help pages, plus the International Air Transport Association (IATA) guidance for passengers carrying lithium batteries.
Turn on power-saving mode before the battery gets low
Both iPhone and Android have a mode that trims background work to stretch the remaining charge. Switching it on at the start of a long travel day, rather than at 10%, gives you more hours from the same battery.
iPhone: Low Power Mode
On iPhone 15 and later, open Settings, tap Battery, then Power Mode, and turn on Low Power Mode. On iPhone 14 and earlier it sits directly under Settings > Battery. You can also tap the battery icon in Control Center. According to Apple Support, Low Power Mode sets Auto-Lock to 30 seconds, lowers screen brightness, pauses iCloud Photos, and turns off automatic downloads, email fetch and Background App Refresh.
The battery icon turns yellow while it is on. Low Power Mode switches itself off once the phone charges to 80% or more, so turn it back on after a top-up if you still have a long way to go.
Android: Battery Saver
On Android, open Settings, tap Battery, then Battery Saver. Android Help says Battery Saver turns on Dark theme and limits or turns off background activity, so some apps and network connections may be slower to update. You can also set a schedule so it starts on its own. Menu names can differ slightly between phone makers.
Settings that drain the battery on the road
The screen and the radios use the most power on a travel day. Google’s Android tips and Apple’s battery guidance agree on most of the fixes.
- Lower the screen brightness or turn on automatic brightness, and let the screen switch off sooner.
- Use Wi-Fi rather than mobile data where you can; Apple says a Wi-Fi connection uses less power than a cellular network.
- Turn off Bluetooth and Location when you don’t need them, and check which apps use location in the background.
- In areas with weak or no signal, switch on airplane mode. Apple notes that a phone searching for a better signal uses more battery. You can’t make or receive calls in airplane mode, so switch it off when you need to.
- Limit long sessions of video streaming, gaming and live navigation, which Google lists among the heavy drains.
If you rely on maps, download offline maps before you leave. Your phone can then show your position from GPS without pulling map data over a weak connection.
Keep the phone cool
Heat is the main thing that damages a phone battery while you travel. Apple’s battery guidance says iPhone works best between 0 and 35°C, and that ambient temperatures above 35°C can permanently reduce battery capacity. Charging in high temperatures can damage it further, and software may hold charging at 80% when the battery is too warm.
Samsung gives the same warning for Galaxy phones: its charging tips say that if you charge in a hot place, such as inside a car on a hot summer day, charging may stop to protect the device. On a summer drive, keep the phone out of direct sun on the dashboard, and don’t leave it in a parked car.
Cold is less of a worry. Apple says battery life drops in very cold conditions but returns to normal once the battery warms up again.
Power banks and flying: the 2026 rules
Carry power banks in your hand luggage only, keep to two at most, and make sure each is rated at 100 Wh or less. Those limits come from IATA’s passenger guidance revised for the 2026 regulations, which followed an addendum that the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) introduced on 27 March 2026.
The reason for the cabin-only rule is simple: IATA’s passenger page explains that if a lithium battery overheats or catches fire in the cargo hold, the crew can’t reach it to put it out.
The table sums up the main points for phones, power banks and spare batteries.
| Item | Cabin bag | Checked bag | Airline approval |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone or other device (up to 100 Wh) | Yes | Yes, switched fully off, though IATA advises keeping devices with you | No |
| Power bank up to 100 Wh (two at most) | Yes | No | No |
| Power bank over 100 Wh | Forbidden | Forbidden | Not available |
| Spare battery 100 to 160 Wh (two per device) | Yes | No | Yes |
IATA’s guidance also says power banks must not be recharged from the aircraft’s power supply, should not be stored in the overhead lockers, and should not be used to charge other devices during taxi, take-off or landing. Airlines may set stricter rules on top of these, so read your airline’s own page before you fly.
How to read the rating
Look for the watt-hour (Wh) figure printed on the case. IATA says all lithium-ion batteries must have it marked on the outside, and that staff can refuse a battery if they can’t check the rating. If only milliamp-hours and volts are printed, IATA’s formula is Wh = Ah × V (divide mAh by 1,000 to get Ah).
Other packing tips from IATA
- Airlines prefer power banks and spare batteries at less than 25% charge, so avoid charging them just before boarding.
- Cover the terminals of loose batteries with tape, or keep them in their original packaging, to prevent short circuits.
- If your cabin bag is taken at the gate for the hold, take all batteries and devices out of it first.
- Tell the crew straight away if a device becomes hot, starts smoking or looks damaged.
Charging in the car
A car charger keeps your phone topped up on a road trip, as long as the phone stays cool and the charger is a decent one. Samsung recommends using a charger from the phone’s maker, because chargers from other makers vary in quality and charging capacity. It also notes that charging from a computer’s USB port is slower than from a power adapter, because the voltage is lower.
A few habits make car charging work better:
- Plug in early in the drive rather than waiting for a warning at 20%.
- Avoid heavy apps while the phone charges; Samsung says a phone may overheat if charging starts while certain apps are running.
- Keep the phone in a vent mount or shaded spot instead of on a sunny dashboard.
- Charge your power bank from the car while driving, so it is full when you reach a place with no power.
Before a long day of travel, start with a full phone and a charged power bank, then switch on Low Power Mode or Battery Saver as soon as you leave.
Sources
- Use Low Power Mode to save battery life on your iPhone or iPad, Apple Support
- Batteries: Maximizing Performance, Apple
- Battery Saver and battery tips, Android Help
- Passengers Travelling with Lithium Batteries: Guidance Document, revised for the 2026 Regulations (IATA, 31 March 2026)
- Changes Regarding Power Banks: Guidance Document for Operators (IATA, 31 March 2026)
- Safe Travel with Lithium Batteries, IATA
- Charging Tips, Samsung Galaxy Battery Support (UK)
