Ultimate Guide: 16 Effective Strategies to Extend Your Smartphone's Battery Life

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Editorial ET

Welcome to the ultimate guide to extending your smartphone's battery life. In our constantly connected world, a reliable and long-lasting smartphone battery is more important than ever. Whether for communication, navigation, entertainment or work – we rely on our smartphones in almost all situations. In this guide you will find practical and easy-to-implement tips to get the most out of your smartphone battery.

1. Enable dark mode – Extended battery life

Dark mode is more than just a stylistic choice; it can actually improve your smartphone's battery life. This is particularly effective with OLED or AMOLED displays, as they do not require any energy to display black or dark areas. Unlike traditional LCD screens, which require constant backlighting, OLED pixels light up individually. When many pixels are turned off or dimmed, as is the case in dark mode, the display uses less energy.

Activating dark mode can lead to significant energy savings, especially on smartphones with OLED screens. Aside from saving power, dark mode also provides a more pleasant visual experience in darker environments and can reduce eye strain. You can enable dark mode in your phone's display settings. Many apps also offer a dark display option, so you can save energy even within individual applications.

2. Adjust display brightness – Extended battery life

Display brightness is one of the biggest influencing factors on battery life. A brighter screen uses significantly more energy. Therefore, it is advisable to adjust the brightness of your smartphone's display to save energy. Many smartphones offer automatic brightness settings that take ambient light into account and adjust the brightness accordingly.

This can be helpful to both save power and ensure screen readability in different lighting conditions. If you adjust the brightness manually, try to keep it as low as possible while still being able to read the screen comfortably. This is especially important if you are in an area with low lighting or are using the device for a long time. By reducing the screen brightness, you can significantly extend battery life without affecting the functionality of the device​.

3. Reduce screen resolution

Many modern smartphones offer high-resolution screens, which contribute to an improved viewing experience. However, higher resolutions consume more energy. By reducing the screen resolution, you can reduce energy consumption. This can be particularly useful for devices with Full HD or Quad HD displays. A lower resolution means there are fewer pixels to display on the screen, which in turn uses less energy.

Many smartphones allow you to adjust the screen resolution in the settings. You can choose between different resolution levels to find a compromise between image quality and battery life. A setting to HD or Full HD can make a noticeable difference. It is important to note that this option is not available on all smartphones and the impact may vary depending on device type and screen technology​​.

4. Disable unnecessary functionsn

A key aspect of extending battery life is disabling features that you don't use regularly. Many smartphones offer a variety of features such as GPS, Bluetooth, NFC (Near Field Communication) and wireless charging, which, when enabled, can continuously consume energy. For example, if you don't need GPS or don't use Bluetooth, you should turn these features off. This can be done in the settings app on your smartphone.

Additionally, many phones have features like NFC and wireless charging, which can also be disabled when not in use. It's important to be aware of your smartphone's functions and manage them consciously to avoid unnecessary energy consumption. This type of power management helps extend battery life while optimizing your smartphone's performance​.

6. Use apps sparingly– Extended battery life

Apps can have a significant impact on your smartphone's battery life. It's a good idea to close apps you're not using so they don't continue to run in the background, consuming battery life. Additionally, it's a good idea to limit the number of apps installed on your phone. A large number of apps can cause them all to compete for resources and drain your battery faster. Many apps run in the background updating data or checking for notifications, which means additional energy consumption.

Regularly checking and cleaning your app list can help reduce battery usage. Additionally, when installing new apps, you should pay attention to whether they are known to be energy intensive. Being conscious about how you use and manage your apps can make a significant difference in your smartphone's battery life.

6. Avoid extreme temperatures

Extreme temperatures, both hot and cold, can affect your smartphone's battery life and health. It's important not to leave your phone in direct sunlight, in a hot car, or in cold environments for long periods of time. High temperatures can cause the battery to overheat and wear out more quickly, while cold temperatures can reduce battery performance and efficiency.

These environments can cause chemical reactions in the battery, shortening its lifespan. To avoid this, keep your smartphone at moderate temperatures and protect it from extreme weather conditions. If you are in a very cold environment, carrying your smartphone in an inner pocket can help protect it from the cold. In hot climates, it is advisable to keep the device in the shade and avoid unnecessarily exposing it to sunlight.

7. Maintain battery charge between 20% and 80%

It is recommended to keep your smartphone battery within a charge level of 20% to 80%. This practice helps extend battery life. Full discharges and charging up to 100% can reduce battery life. The reason for this lies in the way lithium-ion batteries work. These batteries have a limited number of charge cycles and constantly fully charging or fully discharging can use up these cycles more quickly.

Keeping the battery at a medium charge range helps reduce stress on the battery and extend its life. Some newer smartphones even offer features that automatically stop charging once a certain percentage is reached. It is also advisable not to charge the smartphone overnight as this may cause excessive drain on the battery. By maintaining an optimal charge range, you can ensure that your battery stays healthy and maintains its maximum capacity for a longer period of time​.

8. Turn off always-on display

The always-on display is a feature found on many modern smartphones. It constantly displays information such as time, date and notifications even when the phone is locked. Although this feature can be convenient, it continually uses energy and can therefore reduce battery life. Even if the display is only partially lit, energy is still being consumed. If you want to maximize your smartphone's battery life, it is advisable to disable the always-on display.

You can usually find this option in Settings under the Display or Screen section. Disabling this feature can help your smartphone save energy, especially when it is not being actively used. It's a simple step that can make a significant difference in battery life without significantly affecting the functionality of the device. If you want to quickly access the time or your notifications, you can simply wake up your phone instead of leaving the always-on display constantly running​​.

9. Turn off vibration and sound – Extended battery life

Vibration and tones when typing keys can be pleasant, but they also use up extra energy. Every time your smartphone vibrates or plays a sound, energy is drained from the battery. While this may seem insignificant for individual events, it can add up over time, especially if you frequently type messages or receive a lot of notifications. Turning off key feedback functions, both vibration and sound, can help save energy.

You can find these settings in the sound and haptics settings on your smartphone. An alternative is to use quieter tones or a less intense vibration to reduce energy consumption without sacrificing feedback entirely. Keep in mind that turning off these features can be especially helpful if you're trying to conserve battery power in situations where you don't have access to a charger​.

10. Turn off unused connections

Another effective way to extend your smartphone's battery life is to turn off connections when you're not using them. Many smartphones have features such as NFC, Bluetooth, GPS and mobile data connections that run in the background and constantly search for connections even when they are not actively being used. This can lead to unnecessary energy consumption. For example, if you're at home or in the office and using a Wi-Fi connection, you can turn off the mobile data connection.

Likewise, deactivating Bluetooth and NFC can be useful if you don't need these functions. GPS should only be enabled when using navigation services or location-based apps. Disabling these features when not in use can make a significant difference in battery life and is an easy way to optimize your smartphone's energy consumption​.

11. Delete unused accounts

Many smartphone users have various accounts set up on their devices that they may not use regularly. These accounts, such as email, social media, or cloud storage services, often sync data in the background, resulting in additional energy consumption. Reviewing and removing accounts you no longer need can help you reduce battery usage.

To do this, go to your smartphone's settings and look for the “Accounts” or “Users & Accounts” section. Here you can view a list of all accounts set up on your device and remove the ones you no longer use. This prevents these accounts from syncing data in the background and thus wasting energy unnecessarily. Removing unused accounts is a simple step that can improve your smartphone's battery life while contributing to overall device management and security​​.

13. Restart occasionally and clear cache

Restarting your phone occasionally can surprisingly help with battery life. Restarting will terminate all processes and apps running in memory and clear the system cache. This can be particularly helpful when apps or processes are stuck in the background and consuming energy unnoticed. Experts recommend restarting your smartphone about once a week. Not only does this contribute to energy efficiency, but it can also improve the overall performance of the device. In addition to restarting, clearing your cache regularly can help.

The cache stores temporary data from apps and websites to speed up their loading times. However, over time, a lot of junk data can accumulate in the cache, consuming storage space and slowing down the system. Clearing cache memory in your apps' settings or system can free up storage space and improve efficiency. However, it should be noted that cleaning the cache too frequently can have the opposite effect and lead to slowdowns as the cache has to be rebuilt.

14. Minimize animations – Extended battery life

Many smartphones offer graphic animations and effects that make the user experience more visually appealing. However, these visual effects, including transition animations and live wallpapers, can affect battery life. Animations require additional processing power and energy, especially on devices with high-resolution displays. You can reduce the length or intensity of these animations or disable them completely in your phone's developer options.

This can help extend battery life by requiring less graphics power. In addition to reducing animations, choosing static instead of dynamic background images can save energy. Simple background images without movement or complex graphics are less energy intensive. These changes can improve the responsiveness of older smartphones and help optimize battery life for extended use. It's important to find a balance between an aesthetically pleasing interface and efficient battery usage.

Extending battery life
Ultimate Guide: 16 Effective Strategies to Extend Your Smartphone's Battery Life 12 Ultimate Guide: 16 Effective Strategies to Extend Your Smartphone's Battery Life

15. Use power bank as a backup

A power bank is an essential accessory that can effectively extend your smartphone's battery life. In situations where you don't have access to a power outlet, a power bank offers a convenient solution to charge your device on the go. When choosing a power bank, it is important to consider the capacity (measured in milliamp hours, mAh). A higher capacity means you can charge your smartphone multiple times before the power bank itself needs to be charged. The output current is also an important factor. Models with a higher current rating (measured in amps, A) can charge your smartphone faster.

It is advisable to choose a power bank from a trusted brand to ensure that it works efficiently and safely. Some power banks also offer additional features such as multiple ports for charging multiple devices at the same time or integrated cables. Carrying a power bank can be particularly useful on long trips, excursions or in emergency situations where you rely on your smartphone. A well-chosen power bank can be a lifesaver by ensuring that your smartphone always remains ready for use.

16. Check apps and widgets

Regularly checking and managing apps and widgets is crucial to optimizing your smartphone's battery life. Many apps, especially those that run in the background or constantly update data, can quickly drain your battery. Check battery usage in your device's settings to see which apps are using the most energy. If you notice that certain apps that you rarely use are consuming a lot of energy, consider uninstalling them or limiting their background activity.

Widgets that constantly update information such as the weather or news can also lead to increased energy consumption. Think about which widgets are really useful to you and remove the ones you don't need. By specifically managing apps and widgets, you can ensure that your smartphone only uses the resources that are important to you and avoids unnecessary energy consumption. This practice not only helps extend battery life, but can also improve the overall performance of your device by reducing the load on the processor and memory​​.

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