7 Ways to Make Your Phone Battery Last Longer

Few things cause more anxiety than a phone that dies in the middle of your work or commute. Most smartphones last several hours on a charge despite hours of calls, browsing, and video-watching. Unless you're surfing the web, taking pics/shooting videos, or playing mobile games continuously on your phone, it should keep going for 24 hours at the least.

There are other reasons for a phone battery to run out of juice faster than normal. It's worth knowing what they are and what you can do to get the most from your battery.

1. Turn off features you don't need

A smartphone's connections have a major impact on its battery life. Leaving Bluetooth, GPS, data, and NFC on when they aren't needed will needlessly drain your battery. Turning them off when they aren't needed is a matter of habit and you'll be thankful for it.

2. Adjust screen brightness

In normal light conditions, it's not necessary to calibrate your phone's screen brightness to over 50%. Some find the glare quite irritating and experience more digital strain than if screen illumination was lesser. But battery life suffers too - phones with a bright background lose more battery. A brightness slightly below 50% makes for comfortable viewing and helps your battery go longer on a single charge.

3. Don't leave your phone in the sun or your car

Exposing your phone's battery to high temperatures will drain its battery. The liquid electrolytes in the battery start to break down at high temperatures. As a result, the battery degrades over a course of fewer charge cycles. Your phone's battery is happy at room temperature and cooler climes. When out and about on sunny days and on trips to the beach, consider protecting your phone and conserving its battery with a quality smartphone case.

4. Avoid charging your phone to 100% every time

While it is natural to assume that a phone charged to 100% will prolong your battery life, the science says something different. Charging your battery to the maximum can actually reduce its lifespan. A battery lasts for a specific number of charge cycles. By always charging your phone to 100%, you'll reach this limit sooner. Instead, keeping your battery charged between 20%-80% will make it live longer. For more details, check out this article.

5. Remove unused apps

Going through a long list of installed apps to find and delete those you barely use is boring but recommended to get the most out of your phone's battery. You will also be freeing up storage space and making your phone faster. It's a win-win.

6. Keep your phone's software up to date

OS updates aren't always about security fixes. They can also include changes to improve power management and battery performance. Installing updates as and when you're notified can only be good for your phone's battery life.

7. Turn on power-saving mode

Though obvious, it's too easy to forget. If your battery is running low, activating the power-saving mode will adjust the performance of your phone to limit power consumption and conserve battery life. In a dire situation, it can see you through until you get your hands on a charger.

Squeeze the most out of your battery.

We've discussed how it's possible and now it's your turn to try these easy tips. May you never run out of (battery) power!