The Ultimate Guide to Saving Your Android Smartphone’s Battery

Wireless Connections

Wireless connections, including 3G, 4G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, and GPS location services, are significant power drainers on your phone. When not in use, you can quickly disable them through the status bar by swiping down and toggling them off. Otherwise, you can access your phone’s settings and turn off the specific features you don’t need. To turn off 3G, for instance, go to Settings > SIM Cards and Mobile Networks. To disable NFC, navigate to Settings > Wireless and Networks > NFC.

Background Apps

It’s important to note that when you close an app, it doesn’t always shut down completely. Many apps continue to run in the background, making it easier to restart them quickly when you need them. However, this convenience comes at a cost: these background apps consume memory and battery power. To preserve your battery, go to Settings > Battery and identify the apps running in the background, then close them to free up resources.

Enable Power Saving Mode

Good news: your Android smartphone likely has a built-in power-saving mode, especially if it’s running Android 4.4 or higher. This handy feature optimizes your device by automatically setting power-saving modes, eliminating the need for complicated tweaks. To turn on power-saving mode, go to Settings > Battery > Power Saving Mode.

Disable Live Wallpapers

While live wallpapers add a touch of dynamism to your phone, they come at a cost. Because they are constantly active, they consume more energy than static wallpapers. If your phone’s battery is running low or you need to extend its usage, consider swapping out your live wallpaper for a static alternative.

Disable Auto-Brightness

While auto-brightness is a convenient feature that adjusts your screen’s brightness based on ambient light, it also causes your phone to work harder, particularly the sensors. As a result, it contributes to faster battery drain. Consider setting the brightness manually to strike a balance between visibility and battery conservation.

Reduce Screen Timeout

By default, Android devices are set to turn off the screen after a certain period, typically 30 seconds. However, the longer the screen stays on, the more power it consumes. Consider reducing the screen timeout to around 15 seconds to save power. Also, be mindful of adjusting the timeout back to a shorter duration after increasing it temporarily for tasks like reading or installing apps.

Turn Off Vibration

Vibration is a handy feature on modern phones, especially when you need to keep things quiet. However, it also contributes to faster battery drain. If you’re in a situation where you can have the volume up, such as at home or in a private space, consider disabling vibration temporarily by going to Settings > Sound and Notifications > Other Sounds and turning it off.

Remove Widgets and Shortcuts from the Home Screen

Placing widgets and shortcuts on your home screen can be convenient for quick access to frequently used apps and information. However, this convenience comes at a cost: these widgets and shortcuts consume more power than a standard home screen setup. If you don’t need instant access, remove these items by long-pressing the icon and dragging it to the “Remove” option at the top of the screen. Alternatively, you can press and hold the icon and select “Remove” from the menu that appears.

Additionally, many apps will automatically add icons to your home screen after installation. If you prefer a cleaner home screen, you can disable this by opening the Google Play Store, tapping the Menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top-left corner, selecting “Settings,” and unchecking the “Add icon to Home screen” option.

Disable Automatic App Updates

Keeping your apps up to date is crucial for security and accessing the latest features. However, allowing automatic updates can put a strain on your battery. To conserve power, consider updating your apps manually when needed. Similar to the steps for preventing apps from adding icons to your home screen during installation, go to the Google Play Store > Menu > Settings, and select “Do not auto-update apps.”