How to Extend Your Device’s Battery Life

Nowadays, just about everything we do relies on our electronic devices — smart phones, laptops, tablets, smart watches, etc. These devices are an integral part of our everyday life, enabling us to work, communicate, relax, and take care of ourselves. Whatever sophisticated these devices might be, there is one thing that they all share: they all require power to function. And there is nothing worse than your device running out of battery when you most urgently need it to function.

Prolonging your device’s battery life isn’t so much about getting it to last a day — it’s about getting the battery to last for a long time, so you don’t need to replace it as frequently. The good news is that there are some simple, makes-sense things you can do to get your device’s battery to last longer in the short term and longer term. Here are a few of the best ways to prolong the life of your device’s battery.

1. Control Screen Brightness

The main thing that decrease your phone battery life the most is your screen. The higher the screen brightness, the more energy it uses. Most devices have auto-brightness or adaptive brightness modes, which automatically change the brightness level in accordance with your environment. Turning this feature on can significantly improve battery life.

If you’re indoors or in a low-light environment, reducing the brightness manually can save even more energy. Some people keep their brightness set to maximum all the time without realizing how much battery that consumes. You can minimise eye strain and save power at the same time by reducing your phone’s brightness.

2. Use Battery Saver or Low Power Mode

All the latest smartphones, laptops, and even tablets come with inbuilt battery-saving modes. These modes are designed to reduce background activity, limit notifications, and reduce the speed a little to save battery. While these modes cut back on certain functionality, they can significantly extend your battery life when it is low.

It is a sensible move to turn on battery saver mode if you are not sure when you will find time to charge your device. There are users who even turn it on all the time if they don’t require the optimum performance of their device every moment.

3. Disable Unwanted Features

Many features on our devices quietly drain battery life in the background without us noticing. Things like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, and mobile data can all consume power even when you’re not actively using them.

If you’re not using Bluetooth, turn it off. Same goes for Wi-Fi when you’re out of range of a network. GPS, especially, can be a silent battery killer if apps are constantly trying to track your location. Unless you’re using maps or location-based services, it’s smart to disable it.

Airplane mode is also useful when you particularly need to optimize your battery life. It switches off all wireless communications, making it particularly useful for such activities as long flights or network-dense areas.

4. Masterflash Your Apps

There are applications that consume you phone battery life more than others. Social media apps, video streaming services, and games are usually the biggest offenders. Even when you’re not actively using them, these apps can run in the background, checking for updates, sending notifications, or using location services.

It’s also worthwhile monitoring which apps are driving the most significant battery drain. In most phones, you can find this in the battery settings. You can close down or delete less-used apps to reduce background drain. You can also turn off background data or set a limit on background activity for certain apps to save power.

5. Update Your Software

Software updates aren’t just about adding new features — they often include bug fixes and optimizations that can improve battery efficiency. App developers also release updates to fix battery-draining bugs in their apps. Keeping your device’s operating system and apps up to date ensures that you’re benefiting from the latest improvements in battery management.

It does not sound like a lot, but regular updates can lead to longer battery life in the long run.

6. Avoid Very High or Low Temperatures

Temperatures also affect batteries, particularly high or very low temperatures. Leaving your device on hot surfaces or under direct sunlight can cause the battery damage permanently. Likewise, exposing your device to very low temperatures can also decrease its functionality for a certain period.

If you wish your device battery to remain healthy, attempt to store it in neither too hot nor too cold temperatures. If your phone is warm after extended usage or charging, halt for a while and allow it time to cool down before continuing its use.

7. Charge Smartly

Most individuals unconsciously cultivate poor charging behavior. Placing your phone on charge all the time or constantly recharging it from zero to one hundred percent could be speeding up the battery aging in the long run.

New batteries no longer have to be fully drained before being charged — in fact, it’s better to maintain your battery between 20% and 80% for the most part. Regular short charges are preferable to one huge 0% to 100% charge.

It also helps to use original or certified chargers and cables. Low-cost, low-grade chargers may not deliver adequate voltage and can damage your battery in the long run.

8. Minimize Notifications

Every beep that lights up your screen, rattles your phone, or sounds uses battery. While some beeps are unavoidable, there are many that are not. Go through your apps and disable notifications from apps you don’t require.

The fewer times your screen will turn on inadvertently, the less battery you’ll drain throughout the day. It’s a small thing, but it can make a big difference if you receive a lot of notifications.

9. Use Dark Mode (If Available)

If your tablet or phone has an OLED or AMOLED screen, dark mode will save battery. OLED and AMOLED screens light up individual pixels, and black pixels are essentially “off,” drawing minimal power.

Dark mode isn’t only trendy — it also saves power, particularly if you spend a lot of time on your device during the day. Turning your operating system and most frequently used applications to dark mode will save battery life by a fairly significant amount.

10. Reduce Widgets and Live Wallpapers

Live wallpapers and widgets may look fun, but they tend to take a lot of battery power in the form of constant updates, animations, or background processes. Reducing the widgets on your home screen can help in keeping an eye on unwanted power consumption.

If you are a customization freak, go for static wallpapers and delete unused widgets. The lesser live elements on your screen, the stronger your battery will be.

11. Simplify Connectivity Settings

Features like 5G and Wi-Fi 6 are fast but can be battery-intensive, especially in areas with weak signals. If you’re in a place with poor 5G coverage, consider switching your phone to 4G or LTE to prevent it from constantly searching for a better signal — a process that drains battery.

On computers, disabling Bluetooth or Wi-Fi while unused can also make small but significant improvements in battery life.

12. Utilize Offline Features

Wherever you can, employ offline versions of apps or services. Download playlists, maps, or documents and look at them offline when you know you’ll be in places you won’t have a good connection. Streaming everything in real-time drains battery life very rapidly because your device needs to work so much harder to hold on to a good link.

By being proactive and employing offline options, you’re not only conserving data but also your battery life.

Conclusion

You don’t need gimmicks or pricey add-ons to lengthen your device’s battery life. It’s all about building smart habits: tweaking brightness, shutting down unneeded apps, charging wisely, and wisely configuring your device’s settings. Each small action counts, bringing your device longer to stay on in the powered-up mode and your battery healthier in the long run.

By incorporating these adjustments as part of your daily routine, you not only extend the life of your phone or laptop in terms of staying powered all day, but you also extend its battery lifespan over months and years. That translates into fewer surprise shutdowns, fewer trips to the charger, and even maybe being able to bypass spending money on costly battery replacements down the line.

With proper attention and care, you can get the maximum out of your device’s battery, retaining it under your command when time is of the essence.