Stop Turning Off Bluetooth To Save Battery – It Barely Makes A Difference

In the early 2000s, Bluetooth technology was still brand new, having made its debut for regular customers by 1999. At that time, the technology demanded a lot from the devices, and having it on all the time would greatly reduce the battery life of phones, computers, and other devices. As the technology evolved, however, Bluetooth not only became an essential functionality of every gadget, but it also became so energy efficient that keeping it on all the time doesn't impact battery life at all.

The organization behind Bluetooth continues to improve aspects of the standard (v6.3 released on May 6, 2026), including latency, the number of devices that can be connected to the same network simultaneously, and power efficiency to make this wireless connectivity as reliable as possible. Still, even if you have a device with Bluetooth 5 or older, you can rest assured that this is not what's killing your battery. Bluetooth even has a Low Energy mode (introduced with version 4.0) that makes using it ideal not only for devices with bigger batteries, but even products like item trackers or other beacons that just need to interact with devices that pass by.

Tests conducted Android Authority show how little Bluetooth impacts the battery of your phone. The study was originally conducted in 2020, so it used five different smartphones from then, including the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus, Huawei P40 Pro, ZTE Azon 11, Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro, and Realme X3 Superzoom, and ran them through various scenarios for accuracy. On average, Bluetooth consumption was 1.8% more than when the technology was powered off.

When the reviewer used Bluetooth on the Galaxy S20 Plus, consumption wasn't much different with Bluetooth off. The most affected phone, the Realme X3 Superzoom, only used 4% more of its battery life. In the case of the iPhone and iPad, Apple has a specific support page saying that users should leave Bluetooth on. "For the best experience on your iOS or iPadOS device, try to keep Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on," the company writes.

After all, these technologies are responsible for AirDrop, getting your Apple Watch and AirPods connected, and even helping you stay in sync with the rest of your smart home devices. The company has even started to deploy its own connectivity chips to its products, making the experience of using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and even 5G a lot more power efficient thanks to the N and C chip series.

In general, leaving Bluetooth on brings several perks for users. The most obvious one is convenience and connectivity, as it's easier to connect to wireless headphones, speakers, earbuds, and more without having to toggle on this functionality every time. In the case of Apple devices, you can take advantage of automatic handoff, like automatically switching your AirPods from your iPhone to the Mac, or even copying from one device and pasting into the other.

Then, if you have an Apple Watch or another smartwatch, leaving Bluetooth on gives you up-to-date information regarding your heart rate, steps, and even sleep analysis as soon as you pick up your phone. For people who can't hear well, hearing aids and other medical devices require a persistent Bluetooth connection to work. If you have a smart home, then having Bluetooth on is more than necessary, as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi let you connect to smart locks, lights, smart TVs, security cameras, and more. In a more work-from-home approach, you can ensure that you're enjoying your computer with wireless keyboards, movies, and other accessories without dongles.

Last but not least, Bluetooth plays a big part in helping you locate and track devices. With Apple's Find My network and other services, users can locate misplaced devices or even lost ones. In moments like the pandemic, Bluetooth also played a big role with contact tracing, as Bluetooth would work in the background and let you know if someone with COVID has been around you.