Tech expert reveals battery hacks that could extend your Android's battery life by hours!
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We can all agree on one thing: we want our smartphones' batteries to last longer.
There's nothing more frustrating than seeing that red, dwindling battery indicator when you're out and about, enjoying the day.
Reliable and durable technology is key to making the most of our day-to-day activities. It almost feels like these new-generation phones need a power socket at hand all the time…
Well, a few unsung settings on your Android smartphone could potentially give your battery an extension on its life.
Kewin Charron, an expert from tech repair company BackMarket, shared some of the little-known blunders we make that are driving our Android batteries into the ground far quicker than they should.
First up, that 'always-on' screen setting. Now, we all appreciate checking the time or receiving notifications quickly without having to wake our phones up. If your phone displays the time without you tapping the screen or pressing the ‘unlock’ button, chances are, ‘always-on’ is, well, on! Sadly though, this little convenience is a notorious energy vampire!
'The “always-on” feature on Androids allows users to see information, such as the time, without having to fully wake up their phone,' Charron said.
However, with always-on display enabled, you can see an additional battery drain of up to 1.5 per cent per hour on your phone.'
Depending on your device, to disable the feature go to Settings > Display and Brightness > and turn off 'always-on’.
Secondly, get familiar with the term 'adaptive brightness'. This setting auto-adjusts your screen brightness according to actual needs, saving power in the process.
Charron advised: 'Dimming your brightness to around 50% can also help preserve the lifespan of your battery, but do ensure you aren’t straining your eyes to read the dimmer display.'
If ever you’ve noticed that the display brightness of your phone changes when you move closer or away from well-lit areas, your phone’s adaptive brightness setting is likely on.
'Switching to dark mode can also reduce eye strain in low-light conditions, which is particularly relevant for OLED displays,' Charron said.
Did you know that you can use Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for location detection instead of power-draining GPS?
This battery-saving setting saves your Android device from incessantly communicating with satellites to determine your precise location.
‘This activity can drain your battery significantly. Select "Battery Saving" mode to use Wi-Fi and mobile networks for location detection instead of power-draining GPS,’ Charron explained.
On most Android devices, to enable the ‘Battery Saver’ setting, open the settings app > click Battery > then select Battery Saver.
According to Charron: ‘When you enable the battery saver setting, you might notice your phone will turn automatically to the dark theme, some visual effects and features might become limited, and apps might take longer to load. Yet, this setting will help increase the lifespan of your battery.’
Next up: stop active but unnecessary apps.
Charron suggests using the 'Adaptive Battery’ setting to turn off apps you seldom use: 'Android’s adaptive battery setting allows your device to learn about your app usage and optimise your battery in line with your behaviour.'
‘Enabling this setting for Android devices may slightly vary, but try clicking Settings > Battery and then turning on Adaptive Battery,’ he added.
Lastly, letting our phone battery die or keeping it perpetually plugged in, as it turns out, is a big no-no!
Charron urges us to keep our charge levels between 20-80%, as spanking your battery dead dry or overcharging it rapidly reduces its lifespan.
Android devices offer battery care features to help you keep tabs on your battery health. Utilise these to stay on top of your battery performance!
‘To avoid overcharging your phone, which will impact the overall performance and health of your battery, try using the battery care feature,’ Charron suggested.
'Click Settings > Battery > and then turn on battery care to enable this feature. For other devices, turning on this setting might differ slightly.'
'Try clicking Settings > Battery > Battery Usage, then tapping Optimised.’
Now, we understand that all of the things mentioned above may come off as a tad too confusing with all the terms and settings indicated. Fret not! If ever you’re keen on following these instructions to save up on battery life, we highly recommend asking the kids or grandkids to help out.
If they’re unavailable, you can also search for tutorials on YouTube.com.
Let us know if you’ve activated these settings and if you have other battery-saving tips to share in the comments below!
There's nothing more frustrating than seeing that red, dwindling battery indicator when you're out and about, enjoying the day.
Reliable and durable technology is key to making the most of our day-to-day activities. It almost feels like these new-generation phones need a power socket at hand all the time…
Kewin Charron shared a few tricks that could save your Android smartphone’s battery life. Image source: Flickr.
Well, a few unsung settings on your Android smartphone could potentially give your battery an extension on its life.
Kewin Charron, an expert from tech repair company BackMarket, shared some of the little-known blunders we make that are driving our Android batteries into the ground far quicker than they should.
First up, that 'always-on' screen setting. Now, we all appreciate checking the time or receiving notifications quickly without having to wake our phones up. If your phone displays the time without you tapping the screen or pressing the ‘unlock’ button, chances are, ‘always-on’ is, well, on! Sadly though, this little convenience is a notorious energy vampire!
'The “always-on” feature on Androids allows users to see information, such as the time, without having to fully wake up their phone,' Charron said.
However, with always-on display enabled, you can see an additional battery drain of up to 1.5 per cent per hour on your phone.'
Depending on your device, to disable the feature go to Settings > Display and Brightness > and turn off 'always-on’.
Secondly, get familiar with the term 'adaptive brightness'. This setting auto-adjusts your screen brightness according to actual needs, saving power in the process.
Charron advised: 'Dimming your brightness to around 50% can also help preserve the lifespan of your battery, but do ensure you aren’t straining your eyes to read the dimmer display.'
If ever you’ve noticed that the display brightness of your phone changes when you move closer or away from well-lit areas, your phone’s adaptive brightness setting is likely on.
'Switching to dark mode can also reduce eye strain in low-light conditions, which is particularly relevant for OLED displays,' Charron said.
Did you know that you can use Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for location detection instead of power-draining GPS?
This battery-saving setting saves your Android device from incessantly communicating with satellites to determine your precise location.
‘This activity can drain your battery significantly. Select "Battery Saving" mode to use Wi-Fi and mobile networks for location detection instead of power-draining GPS,’ Charron explained.
On most Android devices, to enable the ‘Battery Saver’ setting, open the settings app > click Battery > then select Battery Saver.
According to Charron: ‘When you enable the battery saver setting, you might notice your phone will turn automatically to the dark theme, some visual effects and features might become limited, and apps might take longer to load. Yet, this setting will help increase the lifespan of your battery.’
Next up: stop active but unnecessary apps.
Charron suggests using the 'Adaptive Battery’ setting to turn off apps you seldom use: 'Android’s adaptive battery setting allows your device to learn about your app usage and optimise your battery in line with your behaviour.'
‘Enabling this setting for Android devices may slightly vary, but try clicking Settings > Battery and then turning on Adaptive Battery,’ he added.
Lastly, letting our phone battery die or keeping it perpetually plugged in, as it turns out, is a big no-no!
Charron urges us to keep our charge levels between 20-80%, as spanking your battery dead dry or overcharging it rapidly reduces its lifespan.
Android devices offer battery care features to help you keep tabs on your battery health. Utilise these to stay on top of your battery performance!
‘To avoid overcharging your phone, which will impact the overall performance and health of your battery, try using the battery care feature,’ Charron suggested.
'Click Settings > Battery > and then turn on battery care to enable this feature. For other devices, turning on this setting might differ slightly.'
'Try clicking Settings > Battery > Battery Usage, then tapping Optimised.’
If they’re unavailable, you can also search for tutorials on YouTube.com.
Let us know if you’ve activated these settings and if you have other battery-saving tips to share in the comments below!
