How To Extend the Battery Life of Your Smartphone
Yes, we love our smartphones. Whether it’s texting, checking e-mail, playing Temple Run, or even making the occasional phone call, our smartphones have become constant companions, and our lifelines to family, friends and the outside world.
But while they may be our favorite gadgets, they can also be the source of intense frustration. And I’m not talking about dropped calls and poor reception. I am talking about battery life – or what perhaps should more accurately be described as battery death.
It doesn’t seem to matter how much battery life we have when we leave home in the morning, by lunchtime that happy green bar has turned a nasty red, and we are desperately trying to squeeze in one last e-mail before we are cut off in mid-sentence. While we have a half-day’s work left ahead of us, our smartphone has decided it has had enough, leaving us scrambling for a charger and a nearby power outlet.
But while more complex features and apps undoubtedly put a strain on the too-small batteries that are found in most smartphones, there are certain things that we can do to make the overnight charge last a little longer. Here are some suggestions:
Adjust the screen settings
One of the biggest drains on battery life is the smartphone screen. If you use your phone indoors most of the time, then you don’t need a bright screen or the auto-brightness setting that most smartphones default to. Use your display settings to take down the brightness a few notches and you will immediately notice the difference.
Similarly, most smartphones give you the option of adjusting the screen timeout length – the amount of time the screen stays bright after you stop using it. Make sure you adjust it to the shortest setting, so it quickly dims or blanks out when not in use.
Turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
While it may make sense to use your own Wi-Fi network when you are at home, you should switch off Wi-Fi and rely on your wireless carrier as soon as you leave your house. If Wi-Fi is left on, your smartphone will constantly be searching for networks – and draining battery – as you move from place to place.
Similarly, if you no longer have a need to connect to a Bluetooth headset or speaker turn off the Bluetooth pairing app. It will save the phone from constantly scanning for other Bluetooth-enabled devices.
Use GPS apps sparingly
Similarly, apps such as Maps or Facebook Places, which constantly use GPS technology to fix your whereabouts, will also quickly drain your battery. If you use these apps, make sure you properly exit or disable the app when you have finished using it.
Be wary of downloading non-essential apps that ask permission to track your location. Most of the time, they will just use that knowledge to serve local advertising – and drain your battery at the same time.
Limit multi-tasking
Although multi-tasking is a welcome and highly-promoted feature of many smartphones, keeping numerous apps open at the same time rapidly drains battery. If you use The Weather Channel app to get your local forecast, remember to exit the app when you have finished, otherwise it will continue to provide battery-draining updates as it runs in the background.
Turn off notifications
Most smartphones will automatically light-up, buzz, chime or flash when you receive a call, text, e-mail, voice-mail or any of the other 1,001 things that today’s smartphones can do. Consider whether you need these constant notifications and turn off the ones that aren’t essential.
Disable video auto-play
At the end of last year, Facebook introduced auto-playing videos and video ads, which means that a video starts to play as soon as you pause on it in your News Feed. Instagram and other video-sharing and social networking sites have similar features. The problem is that these videos can use up a lot of battery – and data – without you realizing it.
To disable video auto-play, open the Facebook (or Instagram) app and click on App Settings. Scroll down to Video Auto-play. Here you can decide whether you want video auto-play to be on, accessed only through Wi-Fi (to save on data) or turned off altogether. You can still play videos in the ‘off’ mode by clicking on the video itself but it will no longer automatically play as you pause over the update.
Consider a power-saving app
More recent devices like the Samsung Galaxy S4 come with built-in power saving apps. Examples of power saving tactics are limiting the power used to light the screen or turning off the phone’s haptic features (vibrations and other touch sensitive feedback).
If your phone doesn’t have a built-in app, consider downloading a third-party power-management app like JuiceDefender or GreenPower, which will ensure Wi-Fi and other battery-guzzling features are turned off when not required. They can also manage apps for more efficient use of the smartphone processing power.
Big Up thank you !
Great advices thany you for that
Why my battery is already dead in only 1 year ?
Great information
Thank you for this information
Have you ever thought about writing an ebook or guest authoring on other sites?
I have a blog based on the same subjects you discuss and would love to
have you share some stories/information. I know
my visitors would enjoy your work. If you are even remotely interested, feel free to send me an e-mail.
I know this if off topic but I’m looking into starting my own blog and was curious
what all is needed to get set up? I’m assuming having a blog
like yours would cost a pretty penny? I’m not very web savvy so I’m not 100% sure.
Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Awesome blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere?
A theme like yours with a few simple tweeks would really make
my blog stand out. Please let me know where you
got your theme. Kudos
Hi, Neat post. There is an issue together with your web site in internet
explorer, may test this? IE still is the marketplace chief and a big element of people will leave
out your excellent writing because of this problem.
Hello I am so excited I found your web site, I really
found you by accident, while I was researching
on Digg for something else, Anyways I am here now and would
just like to say thank you for a fantastic post and a all round exciting
blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to read it all at the moment but I
have bookmarked it and also added in your RSS feeds,
so when I have time I will be back to read much more, Please do keep up the fantastic
work.
I’m curious to find out what blog platform you have been utilizing?
I’m experiencing some small security problems with my latest blog and I’d like to find something
more risk-free. Do you have any solutions?
Thanks , I’ve recently been searching for info approximately this subject for a while and yours is
the best I’ve found out so far. However, what about the bottom line?
Are you certain about the supply?
Hi there it’s me, I am also visiting this web site daily, this web site is actually nice and the people
are in fact sharing good thoughts.
I am curious to find out what blog system you happen to be working with?
I’m having some small security issues with my latest website and I’d like to find something
more risk-free. Do you have any solutions?
An impressive share! I have just forwarded this onto a coworker who had been conducting a little homework on this.
And he actually bought me dinner because I stumbled upon it
for him… lol. So let me reword this…. Thank YOU for the meal!!
But yeah, thanx for spending some time to discuss this issue here on your web
site.
Thanks to my father who informed me regarding this website,
this weblog is really amazing.
This is the perfect website for everyone who wishes to find out about this topic.
You realize so much its almost hard to argue with you (not that I really will need to…HaHa).
You certainly put a fresh spin on a topic that’s been discussed for years.
Excellent stuff, just great!
What’s up, yes this article is actually nice and I have learned
lot of things from it on the topic of blogging. thanks.
If you are going for finest contents like myself, simply go to see
this web site every day for the reason that it gives feature contents,
thanks
You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this matter to be really something which I think I
would never understand. It seems too complicated and extremely broad for me.
I am looking forward for your next post, I will try
to get the hang of it!
My brother suggested I might like this web site. He used to be entirely right.
This post truly made my day. You cann’t consider just how a lot time I had spent for
this info! Thank you!
I was recommended this blog by way of my cousin. I’m not sure whether this put up is written by way of him as no one else recognize such precise
approximately my problem. You are amazing! Thanks!
I am actually pleased to read this blog posts which includes lots
of helpful facts, thanks for providing these kinds of information.
Quality articles or reviews is the important to interest the viewers to visit
the web site, that’s what this web site is
providing.
Sweet blog! I found it while browsing on Yahoo News.
Do you have any suggestions on how to get listed in Yahoo
News? I’ve been trying for a while but I never seem to get there!
Thank you
Greetings! Very useful advice in this particular post! It is the little changes
that will make the greatest changes. Thanks for sharing!
I’m really enjoying the design and layout of your website. It’s a very
easy on the eyes which makes it much more pleasant for me to come here and
visit more often. Did you hire out a developer to create your theme?
Outstanding work!
With havin so much written content do you
ever run into any issues of plagorism or copyright infringement?
My website has a lot of exclusive content I’ve either created myself or outsourced but it appears a lot of it is popping it up all over
the internet without my permission. Do you know any techniques to help reduce content from being ripped off?
I’d definitely appreciate it.
Thanks for the marvelous posting! I genuinely enjoyed reading it, you will be
a great author.I will ensure that I bookmark your blog and will eventually come back sometime soon. I want to encourage you to ultimately continue your
great job, have a nice morning!
I am regular reader, how are you everybody? This post
posted at this site is actually nice.
Nice post. I was checking continuously this blog and I am impressed!
Very useful info particularly the last part :
) I care for such information much. I was seeking this particular information for a long time.
Thank you and good luck.
Thanks , I’ve recently been searching for information approximately this topic for ages and yours is the greatest
I’ve discovered till now. But, what about the conclusion? Are you certain about the source?