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Want to maximize your phone’s battery life? Whether you have an iPhone or an Android device, there are several things you can do to extend its battery life. Check out the following tips to help you go about your day with peace of mind!
Tips to preserve battery life on your iPhone or Android device
You can apply some or all of these tips, depending on your usage preferences and needs.
1. Reduce brightness
The screen backlight consumes a lot of energy. You can optimize it by enabling auto brightness in your device settings. Otherwise, to manually adjust the brightness, go to the device’s control centre—usually accessed by swiping up or down—then adjust the brightness bar.
2. Turn on dark mode
A white background is more energy intensive than a black one. When you turn on dark mode, the colours are inverted. The background becomes dark and the characters become light. As a bonus, this display reduces eyestrain by decreasing blue light emissions. Access the Display section in your device settings to enable this mode.
3. Set the automatic screen lock
Choose the shortest desired time before the screen goes to sleep once you stop using the phone.
4. Reduce animations and the image refresh rate
Some visual effects can drain the battery. Reducing animations decreases the parallax effect of some icons, which gives the impression that they move as the device is tilted. You can also set the lowest image refresh frequency (for example, 60 Hz).
5. Use Wi-Fi rather than your cellular network
Cellular connections require more energy than Wi-Fi, because when you’re on the go, the phone is constantly looking for the best signal to use. Plus, connecting to Wi-Fi as often as possible will save you valuable data!
6. Disable automatic updates
You can choose to wait until your phone is plugged in before downloading updates. But don’t forget to check your settings, the App Store, or the Google Play Store from time to time to get your updates, as they help optimize application performance.
7. Disable Location Services
Share your location only when required. In addition to limiting battery use, this security measure protects your privacy! Also consider closing your route planner apps, such as Plans, Google Maps, and Waze when you are done using them.
8. Disable other features as needed
You can disable several features at once:
- Push notifications: these activate the screen unnecessarily when you receive them
- Automatic email retrieval: retrieve emails only when using the email app
- Voice assistant: when the assistant is enabled, the device is always “listening,” waiting for a voice command
- Background refresh: some apps refresh even when you don’t use them, which can drain your device’s battery
- BluetoothTM: turn it off when you don’t need it
- Vibrations and haptic feedback
- Auto time zone setting
9. Clean up energy-intensive apps
In the Battery section of your iPhone or Android device, you can generally see which apps have consumed the most energy. You may be surprised to see which apps are draining your battery, as they are not always the ones you use most often! Remove unnecessary apps that consume a lot of energy.
10. Enable the Energy Saver or Low Power Mode
This is the ultimate trick when you’re planning to go a long time without recharging your device, or when the battery is about to run out. To maximize battery life, Energy Saver or Low Power Mode blocks out certain functions such as background updates, email retrieval, and cloud backups.
Tips to preserve your battery life when you’re outdoors
Are you away at the cottage, camping, hiking, or in an area where you don’t have reception? Airplane mode preserves battery life because the phone stops automatically searching for mobile coverage. However, this mode prevents you from making or receiving calls, so remember to disable it when you return.
Also, note that extreme temperatures can damage mobile devices. High heat, especially, can reduce the lifespan of a battery. In cold weather, battery life decreases temporarily until the device returns to a normal temperature. If you’re a winter outdoor enthusiast, check out our 10 tips to protect your phone from the cold.
When you have to recharge your battery too frequently…
The battery of a mobile device has a limited lifespan of three to five years, according to some sources. However, it always depends on your use. If your battery drains quickly even after you have disabled as many functions as possible, this may be a sign that it’s time to change your device. Curious to see the latest phones on the market? Learn about the top brands and choose your device!
Frequently Asked Questions about cell phone battery life
How do I know which apps use my iPhone or Android battery the most?
To view the most energy-intensive apps (the path may vary depending on your mobile device):
- iPhone: Go to Settings > Battery.
- Android: Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Usage.
How do I enable dark mode on my iPhone or Android device?
To enable dark mode or theme (the path may vary depending on your mobile device):
- iPhone: Go to Settings > Display & Brightness and select Dark.
- Android: Go to Settings > Display and select Dark mode.
Does Airplane mode extend battery life?
Yes, because when this mode is enabled, the phone stops searching for a mobile network. In general, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth™ communications are also turned off, but can be turned back on manually in your device settings or control centre.
