For many people, mobile phones have become an indispensable part of everyday life. One of the most common complaints voiced by mobile users is the fact that batteries often seem to run out faster than advertised, leaving the owner stranded when they need to make an important call, send an email, or use their GPS navigation. To avoid the dreaded “low battery” warning, try using some of the tips below to extend your mobile phone’s battery life:
Turn Off Unused Features
Programs such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS can cause significant battery drain. Any program or app that is constantly searching for a signal or trying to connect to a network will require a decent amount of power, so try to keep them disabled when you aren’t actively using them. For an even easier method, set your phone to airplane mode whenever you aren’t using it to preserve battery life.
Keep it Cool
The lithium-ion batteries used by virtually every mobile phone begin to lose power rapidly when stored in a hot environment. While some people go so far as to store their batteries in the refrigerator between uses, keeping your phone in an air-conditioned room away from heat sources is generally sufficient. Avoid leaving your phone in the car or in direct sunlight whenever possible to ensure that battery loss caused by heat is kept to a minimum.
Don’t Overcharge It
Though it may seem strange, lithium-ion batteries actually perform better when they aren’t at a maximum charge. The “sweet spot” for battery efficiency is in the 40-80% range, so don’t stress out about keeping your phone fully charged at all times. In fact, leaving a phone on the charger after it has finished charging can cause overheating and battery degradation over time if the charger isn’t designed to shut off automatically after a full charge.
Don’t Let Your Battery Die
While going to zero is bound to happen at one point or another, making a habit of it can cause serious damage to your battery, making it deplete significantly faster in the future. The lifespan of a lithium-ion battery is shortened each time it runs out of power completely, and like every rechargeable battery there is a limit to how many times you can recharge it. This is especially important for phones without a removable battery. If you find that your battery isn’t charging or that your battery isn’t lasting very long throughout the day, then you may need to iMend it and get yourself a replacement battery.
Dim the Lights
Your phone’s backlight can make reading outdoors or in dark areas more convenient, but it can also be a major drain on your battery life. Unless you can’t read your screen without it, consider turning off the backlight or turning down the brightness setting on your phone to make your battery last longer. Similarly, you should avoid flash photography whenever possible, since it doesn’t take many photographs with flash enabled before the battery begins to suffer.
Ditch the Vibrate Function
Though many people never consider it, a phone’s vibrate setting requires a substantial amount of power to function. People who receive a substantial number of calls, notifications, or texts each day with vibration enabled can find their battery dropping at an alarming rate. While there are likely situations where setting a phone to vibrate is unavoidable, try to use a simple ring tone whenever possible.
Mobile phones are an integral part of modern life, and few things are more inconvenient than having your phone die in the middle of a busy day. Follow the tips above to improve your phone’s efficiency and extend the battery life so that your phone stays charged longer while needed to be recharged less often.
About the Author
The publisher of this article, Craig, enjoys keeping up-to-date with the latest from the mobile phone world. He is especially interested in reviewing phone apps from all different industries that can help people in their day-to-day life.
Photo credit: Takashi Hososhima
