We have all now accepted the unrivaled role of smartphones in our lives. There is rarely a moment they are not accompanying us through the various different activities of our day; at work, during our commute, out with friends and even at the gym. Giving us direct access to every tool we might need to fulfill personal and professional commitments, the threat of our phone dying is an ever-present cloud over our heads. In fact, as we recently found out, the threat of our mobile dying at a crucial moment is more stressful for people than the prospect of starting a new job or even becoming a parent. With that in mind, most of us spend a good portion of time asking the perennial question – how can I make my phone battery last longer?
Ways to beat the battery drain
As mobile phones become more powerful and capable of processing at much faster speeds, so the full-charge battery lifespan seems to correspondingly diminish. Playing audio and video have always drained the battery noticeably fast, yet many users complain of their phone dropping in percent despite the seeming inactivity. There are various things we can do to help stop the inevitable freefall of our battery percentage while out and about: here we take a look at a few of the top tricks to stop you facing the ultimate 21st-century problem.
Stop apps running in the background
One of the major reasons for uncharted battery use is apps running in the background. Whether it comes from software that is tracking your geo-location everywhere you go or social media apps that are keen to alert you the second you have a notification, these apps can have a devastating effect on your battery longevity. To combat this, head to your phone settings and first of all check the battery statistics: percentages should be given here stating the power usage of each app on your phone. Once you’ve targeted the main culprits, you can simply remove them or switch them to run only when in use.
Consider using apps to help save battery
It might seem unusual to download yet another app to help you protect battery life, but apps like the AVG Antivirus and AVG Cleaner can help boost your RAM so that anything that doesn’t need to be used will be put to sleep. These apps also have great battery saving modes, so that once you get into the dreaded 10% or less, you can be sure that your apps will help you save power. As well, the Norton App Advisor can be picked up via the Norton Security Package, which will notify you about battery loss and even potential malware or viruses.
Turn your brightness down
It’s easy to overlook the power requirements that using your phone at full screen brightness takes, as we have become so accustomed to its appearance that way, but suffice to say it is considerable. Tests have shown that reducing your screen to half brightness can increase your battery life by up to five hours: while this is naturally dependent upon your usage and age of the phone, it undoubtedly demonstrates the significant improvement that can be gained.
Manage your wireless hardware
By default most of us go about our day with our mobiles’ mobile data, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signals all blaring out at full force. In reality this is completely unnecessary and sapping valuable battery from our phones. Finding Wi-Fi is indeed preferable to using mobile data if you are running low on battery and in a tight fix, but in this instance, it is equally imperative to then switch off all of your phone’s signal catching, as otherwise this will continue to drain the battery in the background. Managing these settings takes only a few swipes and taps and can save you vast amounts of power, which your future self will be eternally grateful for.