Smartphones continue to get faster, and every update comes with a host of new features that promise to make your life easier. But this technology can also sap your battery life, causing you frustration.
Battery life is going to massively differ between people due to what apps are being used – something as simple as browsing the internet can hit the battery more than video consumption, and any kind of gaming will kill the battery even quicker.
If your Android is draining faster than normal, don’t panic.This post is here giving a detailed list of what can be changed to improve battery life.
Software Updates
Keeping up-to-date is always a good idea for features, security fixes and bug fixes, and if you’re having battery problems, it could be because you’re on an older firmware. To see if you have the latest version:
- TapSettings > Software update > Check for new update(on some Android devices, this will appear asSettings > System > System update > Check for update).
- TapOK.
- If your operating system is up to date, “Current software is up to date” will display. If a new update is available, follow the instructions to install.
Settings to Help Battery Life
All of these settings can be found in the Settings app (from app draw or from notifications panel). Disabling these settings helps battery life unless stated otherwise.
Switch to mobile data
Your device periodically checks if Wi-Fi can be found, and if it can’t, mobile data is turned on. With this disabled, mobile data will need to be manually turned on when your Wi-Fi slows/drops.
Wi-Fi power saving mode
Looks for patterns in Wi-Fi usage to learn when it’s best to turn on Wi-Fi power saving. I’d suggest trying this yourself and seeing if it affects your everday usage (as it can in some cases).
Bluetooth
Bluetooth can use a large amount of energy, especially when it’s constantly syncing to devices like watches, earphones and speakers that trade large amounts of data. Disable this if you don’t use Bluetooth devices, and if you do, it isn’t a large enough battery sink to worry about.
NFC
This will check for NFC/contactless payment points whenever the screen is on. Leaving this turned off, and simply turning it on when needed is simple and can save a tiny amount of energy.
5G
5G can be very power-hungry – under the right circumstances it can drain 20% more than other bands. Below is a detailed explanation of 5G and why it can be a battery drain under certain conditions. If you do not use 5G at all, disable it – set your network mode to LTE/3G/2G if possible – this will not change your data speeds and may help with battery life. If you do use 5G, please read below!
- There are two deployment types of 5G – Stand Alone (SA) and Non-Stand Alone (NSA). SA deployments handle calls, texts and data single-handedly without needing any other network band active. NSA deployments cannot handle calls, texts and data without another network band being active at the same time. NSA 5G therefore needs to maintain a 4G/LTE/3G connection alongside the 5G connection for higher data speeds. As of writing, there are no large-scale SA deployments. The vast, vast majority of currently avalaible 5G is NSA. In use, this will drain your battery ~20% faster than when just using 4G/LTE/3G.
- Connection strength and reliability also play a large role with battery life. As 5G is still an emerging technology, overall coverage is far worse than other bands, which can cause your data connection to constantly switch between multiple bands while also always seeking 4G/LTE/3G for a stronger connection. This can play a large role in 5G killing your battery quicker.
Wireless emergency alerts
These are sent out about severe weather warnings and amber alerts, as well as also being used to send location information to emergency services. This is an important service that should be left on if supported in your area. If it isn’t used in your country, or your country uses SMS instead, you can disable this feature for an imperceptible battery save.
Dark mode
Dark mode changes all Android menus and supporting apps to a dark version – meaning mostly white backgrounds change to black/grey backgrounds. OLED screens turn off pixels completely when black – meaning little to no power draw from these pixels – whereas pixels showing white is a large battery draw over the same period of time.
Additionally:Most browsers support a dark mode independently of OS settings and therefore need changing in their respective settings to be turned on/off. Browser dark modes can save massive amounts of battery at the cost of making most webpages look… strange.
Motion Smoothness and Eye Comfort Shield
Motion smoothness:Most Smartphones supports 120Hz displays which can be a large battery drainer. Although it’s adaptive (meaning it can change based on what is needed – from 120Hz all the way down to 10Hz), it still drains more power than in standard mode (60Hz). I spoke earlier about striking a good balance between battery and features – and in my opinion, 120Hz is well worth the extra battery usage.
Eye comfort shield:Eye Comfort Shield isn’t for everyone as it both limits blue light and uses warmer colours. Setting this can make things look yellow-tinted, but can help with eye fatigue, sleep, and most importantly for this list, battery life.
Power saving mode
As mentioned above, this is the power saving mode that often gets confused with adaptive power saving. This will automatically be turned on and off when adaptive power saving finds it best, or this setting instead can be left on at all times if preferred.
Protect your phone from extreme temperatures
Whether you’re on the go or staying in, make sure to avoid leaving your phone in very hot or cold environments. Being in extreme temperatures can not only drain your phone battery but also cause it to overheat and explode, putting your safety at risk. Try to store your phone in an area between 68° and 86° Fahrenheit.
Make sure your phone has service
While this may seem like a no-brainer, double-check to make sure your phone has service. If your Android is constantly searching for a signal, it can drain your battery quickly.
Check whether your battery is at the end of its life cycle
If none of the above steps works, it could be because your Android phone’s battery is on its way out. Get the best batteries for your business and professional needs here atBatteryone.co. Get in touch with us today for all your battery needs.