Some phones are known for long-lasting batteries, while others seem to drain in an instant. Yet whether you prefer Android or iPhone, if your smartphone seems to constantly be running on empty, try following these six steps to boost the juice and keep it lasting longer in between charging sessions.
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1. Avoid location services.
Even though many apps don’t really need to know your location in order to function, a high percentage use location services anyways. This can work out in your favour, if you want to tag yourself at a specific location or find the best deals in your area. However, GPS services drain your battery quickly. If you use iOS, you can disable this function on individual apps or for the entire phone, but on Android you can only disable this setting as a whole. Go to your Settings and turn Location “off” when you’re not in need of this service.
2. Turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when not in use.
Similarly, if you’re not using your phone to access a wireless internet network, don’t forget to go into the settings to turn it off. Otherwise, your phone will keep searching for the nearest network whether you want it or not.
3. Dim the screen.
Phones that use an AMOLED display use battery power for bright pixels. You can reduce the battery drain by either setting your background wallpaper to black, or the darkest wallpaper possible. Use the dimming slider in your phone’s Control Centre to turn off auto-brightness and choose a dimmer setting, and you could potentially save hours of battery life. Some Android phones also let you maintain the automatic adjustment feature while increasing or decreasing brightness.
4. Use airplane mode.
Do you only use airplane mode when you’re ready for take-off? Try using this minimal function mode at other times. Going into airplane mode in your Settings will stop your device from always trying to connect to the nearest cellular network. It’s important to note that you can still keep your Wi-Fi turned on, allowing you to avoid a mobile connection but still benefit from internet access.
5. Download battery-maximizing apps.
Smartphones and their corresponding networks are becoming smarter every day. Like Liquid Net can adapt to broadband user demand, apps including BatteryGuru can adjust features on your phone according to your usage habits. This allows you to automatically optimize your battery life. BatteryGuru is only available for Android, but there are a number of other apps that help you save power based on your individualized phone habits.
6. Turn off push notifications.
Do you receive automatic messages or notifications from the apps you’ve downloaded? These are known as push notifications, and they can quickly deplete your batter life. If you have an iPhone, you can turn off push updates in your email settings, as well as push data from other apps in your notifications centre. For Android users, you may have to change the push notification options within each app to remove everything except the essentials.
You can disable certain functions without impeding your smartphone experience. Many users don’t take the time to stop and think about what data they really need, and what is simply being forced upon them automatically. And small actions like dimming the screen can make a world of difference in your battery life!
