Battery dropping too fast? There are several methods for conserving battery life. If your phone is struggling to keep up with your work schedule, here are a few ways to keep the device powered all day, and then some. The following list highlights the most effective, easiest, and quickest tweaks to improve device longevity. 

Performance Tips 

Turn off the always-on display 

One of the biggest battery drainers for any smartphone is the always-on display. Companies regularly say that this display setting only drains about 1% to 2% an hour, it’s always way more. It may be nice to glance at your phone while it sits on a table to check the time, but it’s probably not worth sacrificing battery life. 

Open the Settings app and locate the Lock Screen portion. You’ll likely find this portion in the main Settings list or under “Display.” From there, locate the option to “always show info” or a simple toggle to enable the Always on Display. Either way, turn the option off and check to make sure your screen goes completely blank when you lock it. 

Activate Battery Saver 

The feature makes sweeping changes across your device’s software, like limiting visual effects, restricting apps in the background, and turning on dark mode if it isn’t already on.  

Android phones come with a Battery Saver function, although it may be referred to by different names. On Galaxy phones, for example, it’s called Power Saving mode. Others may refer to it as low-power mode. Be sure to visit your phone manufacturer’s support website for help on your model. 

On Pixel phones, go to Settings > Battery > Battery Saver. You can also choose a schedule for when the feature will activate or turn off automatically. On Galaxy phones, go to Settings > Battery and Device Care > Battery. Flip the toggle switch next to Power Saving to activate the feature. 

Enable Adaptive Battery 

There’s a handy feature built into Androids called Adaptive Battery, and it’s available on most devices. Adaptive Battery can automatically manage your phone’s performance and efficiency in the background using special processes to extend your battery life. 

Go to Settings > Battery > Adaptive preferences and check to ensure “Adaptive battery” is enabled. 

Adjust your display brightness and sleep time 

Modern phones have plenty of brightness, and it’s sometimes unnecessary to have the brightness level so high when you are only scrolling Instagram or checking your email.  

Swipe down once or twice from the top of your phone’s display to visit the quick settings menu. You’ll see a slider with a picture of a sun or other source of light next to it. Drag the slider to the left to decrease your brightness. To reduce the time it takes for your phone to sleep, go to Settings > Display and change “Screen timeout” to anything below a minute. 

Switch to dark mode 

Over the past few years, many midrange and budget Android phones have followed their flagship brethren by adopting OLED displays. The technology allows individual pixels to dim or completely shut off when not in use. This feature is far more beneficial for battery life than traditional LCD screens with one big backlight. 

Go to Settings > Display on your Android phone. There, you’ll find the option to switch between a light and dark theme and to have dark mode turn on automatically at a certain time of day. It is advised to keep dark mode turned on all the time to maximize battery life. 

Turn off keyboard sounds and haptics 

If you have sound and haptic feedback enabled, your battery may suffer because your phone needs to make a series of vibrations and noises every time you tap a letter.  

Open the Settings app and locate “Language and input.” This section is where your keyboard settings live. Find the section where you get to choose your default keyboard, then tap the gear icon next to it to manage settings. If you’re a Gboard user (like most people), you’ll then go to Preferences > Keypress and disable “Sound on Keypress” and “Haptic feedback on Keypress.” 

Turn off “Hey Google” detection 

If your phone is constantly listening to you to say, “Hey, Google,” chances are your battery is draining away. Your microphone is active, waiting to hear you say those two magic words that trigger the digital assistant, and it takes a fair amount of energy to run that process all day. 

Open the Google app on your phone and tap your profile picture in the top-right corner. Then, visit Settings > Google Assistant > Hey Google & Voice Match and flick off “Hey Google.” Now your phone will only trigger the Assistant if you hold down the power button or via another method. 

Reduce your screen’s refresh rate 

Phone screens have gotten really good over the past few years, thanks partly to the faster refresh rates manufacturers have implemented. Whether it’s 90Hz, 120Hz, or even faster, increasing the times a screen refreshes helps make animations, scrolling social media, and everyday interactions feel smoother and more responsive. Unfortunately, a high refresh rate also means increased battery usage. 

Open the Settings app and navigate to the Display section. Here, you will find the settings to configure your refresh rate. Most smartphones call the feature something different; Google labels it “Smooth Display,” while Samsung calls it “Motion smoothness.” Find the setting associated with the refresh rate and revert to the standard rate. Your screen will likely seem a bit choppier as a result, but that’s completely normal. It simply means it is operating at 60Hz, the speed at which even the best phones used to run a few years ago. 

Use low-power mode 

Low-power mode can vary slightly from one Android phone to another, but the general premise remains the same. This mode disables certain features in the background, limits app refreshes, lowers your screen brightness, reduces the refresh rate, and more to conserve battery life in a pinch. 

There are several ways to enable low-power mode on your Android phone, but the most common method is to swipe down twice from the top of your screen to access quick settings and then tap the battery shortcut. The shortcut should resemble a battery with a plus sign or a similar symbol. You will then receive a notification that low-power mode (or whatever it’s called on your phone) has been enabled. You can follow the same steps to disable this mode. 

Avoid bright sunlight 

Mobiles use lithium-ion batteries, which work best at just below room temperature. Bright sunlight will not only warm up your phone and make the battery less efficient but also increase the screen brightness to make it easier to see. Both sap the battery. Do yourself a favour and find some shade. 

Charging Habits 

Don’t charge your phone all the way up 

Most of us leave our phones charging overnight, but this could actually harm their batteries. That’s because if you always leave your phone plugged in once it reaches 100 per cent charge, the battery will diminish over time. You won’t notice any difference in the short term. But after years or even just months, its lifespan will be shortened considerably. Experts recommend somewhere between 40% and 80% if you want the battery to stay in good condition for the duration of your phone’s life. 

Buy a portable charger 

If you are going to be charging little and often, or you’re taking a trip somewhere away from mains plugs, it pays to take a portable charger with you. 

Final Thoughts  

Unless you use your phone as an alarm clock, turn it off when you go to sleep. Switch it off when you’re underground as well, as trying to find a signal eats through battery life.  

If your phone feels hot to the touch, the battery could be on its way out. Swapping in a new one could add years to its life and make your phone last much longer between charges. Improving a smartphone’s battery can significantly boost its performance. 

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