Increasing operating time and battery life. How to increase the battery life of a smartphone Where does the battery charge go

In this article you will learn how to extend your battery life. iPhone work, Android or regular phone (not smartphone). On your smartphone, you can determine which apps and services use the most battery power so you can open them less often.

Steps

Increasing the time between charges

    Turn off your phone. But only if it remains turned off for several hours, since the process of turning off or on the phone consumes a lot of energy. This is probably the most effective way preserve battery charge between charges. If you are not going to answer calls at night or during your free time, just turn it off.

    Reduce screen brightness and activity time. Whether it's an Android smartphone or an iPhone, these devices use more battery power when the screen is on, especially at high brightness. If your battery is low, try checking your screen less frequently while on the road, avoid watching videos, and stay away from games and apps with lots of animation. If you do need to look at the screen, lower the brightness to save battery power.

    • To reduce brightness on your smartphone, swipe down on the home screen (Android) or open Control Center (iPhone) and slide the brightness slider to the left or down until the screen dims.
    • Use a black background if you have an AMOLED screen. It uses less power because AMOLED screens only illuminate the pixels needed for the image. And if the image is completely black, then the pixels will not “burn.”
    • During idle moments, the phone screen will turn off after a certain amount of time. Reduce the time your smartphone screen is active by reading the article “How to change the auto-lock screen time on iPhone”.
    • If you have an iPhone, turn off Raise to Activity to prevent the screen from turning on every time you lift it. This option is located in the menu section Settings > Display and brightness.
  1. Turn off Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and/or GPS. Even when not in use, these services drain your battery. Bluetooth running uses up battery power even when you're not connected to a network, and with Wi-Fi on, your phone is constantly searching for available hotspots.

    • To turn off Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, swipe down on the desktop (Android) or open Control Center (iPhone) and tap Bluetooth (the app icon looks like a sideways butterfly) or Wi-Fi (the app icon looks like three curved lines in the shape piece of pie).
    • Search online for information about disabling location services to learn how to disable GPS on your phone.
    • If you have a regular phone and not a smartphone, look for how to disable these services in the settings.
  2. Use airplane mode when you don't need to be constantly connected to the Internet. If you're in an area with little or no signal, turn on Airplane mode until you get better coverage. In airplane mode, the use of mobile traffic and telephone communications is blocked, but access to Wi-Fi remains.

    • To turn on Airplane mode, swipe down on the desktop (Android) or open Control Center (iPhone) and tap the airplane icon.
  3. Turn on power saving mode if the battery is low. If you're running low on battery power, turn on the special mode on your Android or iPhone to buy yourself some time. To find out how to do this, see or.

    Turn off vibration. As soon as possible, switch your phone to silent mode or use only the sound signal. Vibrations use more charge than ringtones.

    Use your camera sparingly. If you know you won't be able to charge your phone for a while, don't use the camera, especially the flash function. Flash photography will drain the battery very quickly.

    Reduce call duration. How often have you heard the phrase on the phone: “I think I’m out of charge,” and then continued the conversation for a few more minutes? Sometimes a low battery is just an excuse to end a call, but if you really need to save battery, limit the duration of your calls.

    Be careful not to overheat the battery. The battery will last longer if it is run at room temperature, as nothing uses it up like prolonged exposure to high temperatures. Although you can't control the weather, try not to leave your phone on the dashboard of your car or in the hot sun. Also, don't carry it in your pocket where it will get hot from your body temperature. Remember to check the battery while charging. If she seems too hot, you may be charger faulty.

    Charge the battery correctly. Use the correct charger for your phone to avoid incorrect charging. Use a branded charger, not a charging station.

    • Nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries (standard in regular phones) become hot when charging unless you use a special slow charger. If your phone uses a nickel-metal hydride battery, don't worry about heat while charging unless the battery gets so hot you can't touch it.
    • Do not charge the battery with a car charger if it is hot inside the car. Wait until the car has cooled down before connecting your phone.

    Checking the battery status on Android

    1. The easiest way to do this is to pull down the notification bar from the top of your desktop and tap the gear icon in the top right corner.

      • This method will let you know which apps are using the most battery power. Once you know which apps are consuming the most energy, open them less often (or delete them altogether).
      • Since all Android models have different configurations, the menu names may differ from those presented in the article.
    2. Tap menu in the upper right corner of the screen.

      Click Energy consumption . If this option is not available, tap the battery icon.

      Find out which apps use the most battery. You'll see a list of apps and the percentage of charge they've used since they were last fully charged.

      • Tap an app to see more details about how the app is using battery. Some apps will have an option to enable background limiting, which will ensure that the app doesn't drain battery power when it's not open on screen.
      • If you want to return to the list of services and applications, tap the three-dot menu again and select Show full device usage.

    Checking the battery status on iPhone

    1. Open iPhone Settings. Tap the gear icon on your desktop or in a separate folder.

      • This method will let you know which apps are using the most of your iPhone's battery power. Once you know which apps are consuming the most energy, open them less often (or delete them altogether).
      • Use this method to check general condition iPhone batteries (iPhone 6/SE and newer versions).
    2. Scroll down and tap Battery in the third group of settings.

      Scroll down to view battery level data. You will see a graph showing battery activity over the last 24 hours. Tap Last 10 Days to see a graph over a longer period of time.

      Scroll down to view battery usage by app. Under the Battery Usage heading is a list of apps and their percentages. The percentages show how much battery power was used by this app in the last 24 hours (or 10 days if you switched display mode in the previous step).

      • Tap the icon Show activity above the percentage column to display how much time the app used battery over the selected time period. This way you will know how long each service has been running in active or background mode.
    3. Touch Battery status to check the battery status. If you have an iPhone 6, SE or later, this option will be located above the graph (and below the battery modes).

    Enabling Low Power Mode on Android

      Open Android Settings. The easiest way to do this is to pull down the notification bar from the top of your desktop and tap the gear icon in the top right corner.

      • This method will extend the battery life so that you have time to use the charger.
    1. Scroll down and tap Battery .

      Touch Power Saving Mode under the "Power Management" heading.

Long-term autonomous operation The use of a smartphone on a hike or tourist trip is provided in several ways. Among them are the choice of a device with a powerful battery, the presence of a second battery, the use of external portable chargers and a Powerbank. But even if you have an ordinary smartphone with an ordinary battery and no external batteries or chargers, it is quite possible to increase autonomy by optimizing the functions of the communicator itself.

10 Ways to Increase Battery Life

1. Lower the brightness level and turn on sleep mode.

This is perhaps the most suitable battery saving method, which is equally suitable for any device equipped with a screen. Set your screen brightness to 50% or less and your phone will drain slower. You can adjust the screen brightness by lowering the notification shade: this can be done by swiping two fingers across the screen (sometimes one is enough). The status bar will open and the option to change the brightness will open; you can do the same by going through the directory: “Settings” “Screen” “Brightness”. And while you're there, you need to turn off "Auto Brightness" (which is also called "Adaptive Brightness" in the latest version of Android 5.0 Lollipop).

Another important option in the display settings is that you can change the screen's "sleep" time. That is, the amount of time the screen will spend waiting for your commands before dimming and turning off a second later. Typically, the default interval is 30 seconds, but we recommend lowering it (to 15 seconds or less).

2. Identify the gluttony of some applications.

Suspended applications are those programs that are "minimized" but not completely closed, and they may continue to consume a lot of power without your knowledge. Luckily, Android has a built-in battery monitor. Go to “Settings” “Battery” and you can see which applications are the most power hungry. Now you know exactly which apps to avoid using if you're going to be outside the house all day. I would like to note that not all applications “burn out” the battery. For example, the application for recording calls and telephone conversations Arkyver, here is about it http://arkyver.com/ru/Android, is designed taking into account minimal energy consumption.

3. Enable energy saving mode.

Not all Android smartphones have a power saving function, but if you own phones from Samsung, Sony, Motorol and HTC, then they probably have the option to enable this mode, and you can turn it on when your battery charge is rapidly decreasing. On some Android phones, the power saver can be set to automatically start when the battery level drops below a certain percentage.

If your smartphone runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop. then there is a built-in energy-saving mode that can save you more than 90 additional minutes. You can get to it by going to “Settings” “Battery” “Battery Saving” (in the quick menu it’s the top right icon).

4. Disable NFC and Bluetooth.

Bluetooth is usually disabled by default, but NFC may work. We've tested many new Android smartphones and found that the only source of hidden power drain is background NFC. With the help of NFC, smartphones running Android communicate with objects with one touch, just like Bluetooth headsets and digital cameras. But just like Bluetooth, you need to enable this option only when it is needed. Some Android smartphones have a special NFC icon on the notification shade.
If your phone does not have it, you can turn NFC on or off by going to “Settings” “Wireless Networks” “NFC Technologies”.

5. Use dark “wallpapers” on your desktop.

There are two main types of displays for smartphones: LCD (LCD) and AMOLED. LCD displays use a backlight system that illuminates every pixel on the screen. However, AMOLED displays are created with pixels that emit light on their own. Each pixel, acquiring one color or another, glows and consumes energy accordingly. And the pixel that remains black does not light up and is not powered by battery power. If your phone has AMOLED screen or SuperAMOLED (and, for example, most Samsung smartphones are equipped with it), then you can set dark or even black wallpapers on your desktop to make your device more energy efficient.

6. Turn off location detection (GPS).

Many apps, such as Google Maps, Swarm, and Yelp, use geolocation to provide accurate data about your location, but if you rarely or moderately use programs with this feature, it is very wise to leave GPS inactive. Some smartphones have a GPS deactivation icon - also called "location" in Lollipop - in the quick settings menu. Be that as it may, you can disable the transfer of geodata by going to “Settings” “Location”.

7. Disable unnecessary features.

There are some differences in the functionality of different gadgets on the Android system. And if your device is equipped with such stupid functions as “tracking the direction of your gaze” or “air control”, which, for example, the Galaxy S4 has, then go ahead! It's time to deactivate them.
Surely you will never use them, and they will take up battery power while in the background. Typically, options to turn them on and off are located in the settings of the applications themselves.

8. Disable vibration and optional sound alerts.

The haptic response, or vibration, that occurs when you interact with a smartphone's touch display is wonderful. I love the tactile sensation of touching a device that creates vibration feedback. But you have to pay for this pleasure by significantly increasing battery consumption.
Turn off energy-eating vibration by going to Settings Sound and notifications Other sounds. And there you can turn off “Vibration”, and, of course, “Key sound”, “Screen tap sound”, “Screen lock sound”, “Vibration response” - by turning off all this, you will be able to save the remaining battery charge in the event of, for example , an emergency situation when the smartphone is about to run out.

9. Set the minimum number of widgets.

Widgets are a great opportunity to capture everything important information with one quick glance at the home screen or easy access to control keys for something like a music app. But for the sake of your battery life, turn off widgets that don't get your attention often. You can eliminate widgets by long-pressing and holding them, then dragging them to the “delete area” (sometimes it looks like a trash can symbol).

10. Cut off unnecessary animation effects.

Did you know that beautiful animation effects and graceful transitions consume power on your phone? Good news: you can disable them and add more battery life if you enable the hidden settings: “For Developers”. Go to Settings > About Phone, scroll down to Build Number and tap here 7 times.

Go back by clicking the back button and you will see the Developer section that was missing before. Once in, scroll down to “Window: Scale”, “Transition: Scale” and “Animation Speed”. Disable these three configurations and voila: your smartphone battery will hold a charge a little longer (and perhaps your phone will become faster). By the way, a reboot may be required for these changes to take effect.

Alexey Starobogatov.

Modern mobile gadgets are becoming more and more intelligent and productive, but their gluttony is literally growing exponentially. Even with moderate use of the phone, when it is in standby mode most of the time, you have to recharge the device after a day or two. Let's look at how to increase your phone's battery life and prevent it from turning off at the most inopportune moment. You can increase the operating time of your gadget by using advanced applications and system settings.

Why is the phone so power hungry?

The most energy-intensive areas of a mobile device are:

  • Supports LTE, Wi-Fi and GSM signals.
  • Processor operation.
  • Screen backlight.

Let's consider useful tips, how to increase the battery capacity of your phone, according to the principle “from simple to complex.”

Extra battery

This advice is for owners of mobile devices where it is possible to purchase an extended battery. You just need to study the characteristics of the smartphone to understand whether something like this is possible or not.

Important! Along with the additional battery, you will have to buy an additional cover with greater depth. In this case, the phone will become one and a half times thicker.

How to extend your Android battery charge? Portable charger

This is a battery that is recharged from an outlet. Its capacity ranges between 1200 and 20000 mAh, which is 5-10 times the battery capacity of the phone. On a long trip, such a device turns out to be invaluable. Using a charger, you can stay in touch for about 10 days without compromising the functionality of your mobile device. Read our separate review, where you will find all useful information about Power Bank.

Important! The only drawback of the additional battery is its relatively large mass, about 2 times more than the smartphone itself. So you'll have to sacrifice some mobility.

Device optimization

If you can’t solve the issue with a portable charger and (or) an additional battery, you can try to optimize the gadget. The idea is to manually disable unused functionality and thereby increase the phone's battery life.

Decrease display brightness

According to statistics, the display backlight takes the lion's share of energy. To reduce the brightness, use the “Display” item and set a lower brightness value. If desired, you can set automatic regulation.

“No” to live wallpapers

Live wallpapers place a significant load on your phone's GPU. Simply replace them with a beautiful image, and the problem will be solved. And so that you don’t feel like your screen has become boring, take advantage of our practical ideas for setting wallpaper on Android.

How to reduce the automatic screen shutdown time?

The essence of this event is as follows: after a call or SMS, the screen will go dark not after 5 minutes, but after a few seconds, which will save battery. To reduce the shutdown time, follow this algorithm:

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Select Display.
  3. Set the desired time until the screen turns off.

Disabling unused features:

  • If your gadget is equipped with a GPS module, turn it off when not in use. You will see the result immediately.
  • Keep an eye on the Wi-Fi module. If there is no connection to a Wi-Fi point, the module constantly searches for the network and notifies you of a successful search. Naturally, the charge is used in this case. If there is no need for a Wi-Fi router at the moment, then why not turn it off?

Important! The same can be said about Bluetooth in the background.

Using additional software

Of course, if your Android battery is draining quickly, you can take such extreme measures as switching to black and white mode, reducing the brightness as much as possible, and turning off all sensors as much as possible. But this is, to put it mildly, uninteresting.

It is much more effective to find a solution to the problem when the gadget is functioning in normal mode: applications “fly”, SMS are received, and calls are made at once. The essence of the “economy” mode is that, if necessary, the device functions normally and “sleeps” for the rest of the time. Just for fun, count how long the phone is in your pocket, bag, or just lying on the table next to you. There is only one answer: most of the time!

Using Standard Features

The energy-saving capabilities built into the Android OS are becoming more advanced from version to version. An example is Doze Mode sleep mode. It is activated when the mobile phone is not charging and lies motionless. About half an hour of such immobility, and the smart program sends the applications to sleep. At the same time, it gives them the opportunity to contact the outside world in 1, 2 and 4 hours.

This mode has been improved for Andriod 7.0 Nougat:

  • “Sleep” starts in less than half an hour.
  • The mode is independent of information received from motion indicators. Thus, the transition is possible if the phone is not lying on the table, but is in your bag or pocket.
  • Economy mode always works and cannot be turned off accidentally.

Important! Thus, the newer the OS on a mobile gadget, the longer the period between two recharges. There is an opportunity to update the “OS” - do it and don’t think twice about it. But even for existing older systems, you can find applications that will reduce the power consumption of the device.

Possible improvements within the existing OS

There are many applications that extend the activity of the gadget between two battery charges. There is no point in installing everything on your smartphone. This will only reduce the effectiveness. Practice shows that the “sweet couple” of the Go Battery Saver and Greenify applications is suitable for most Android mobile devices.

GO Battery Saver

This is a “smart” control application for basic settings. Using the “Mode” tab, you can configure the algorithms for turning off Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and data transfer.

Important! The application can automatically change the processor frequency to maximize savings.

It is possible to configure mode changes based on events:

  • By time.
  • When connected to a power source.
  • If the battery charge remains below the specified value.

In essence, this is a command post from which you can monitor the gadget’s energy consumption using simple settings. Battery Saver does not interfere with the operation of programs, but manages them skillfully.

Greenify

This is a fundamentally different application, a kind of software “tamer”. If the mobile device is at rest, its screen goes blank. The operating system puts the gadget into suspend mode, in which the computing cores are turned off, the voltage is transmitted only to RAM. If necessary, the AlarmManager device “wake up” the phone. At the same time, keep track of which programs are TOP in terms of energy intensity. These are the candidates for freezing.

The Greenify application itself is designed to greenify these programs. Launch Greenify and check the list of programs for automated hibernation. You can feel the result immediately. Greenify can also work with the processor, so much so that the time the CPU spends in active mode is significantly reduced.

Important! Many users find this program the most useful for optimizing energy consumption. Similarly, you can increase the battery life of your laptop.

Video material

As you can see, there are many ways to reduce the energy consumption of a mobile device. Choose the one that suits you best and enjoy the stable operation of your favorite gadget.

In order to increase the battery life of your smartphone or tablet running iOS 7, you need to make a few simple settings that can greatly save the operating time of the device and nerves.

  1. Reduce screen brightness

A bright picture on the enlarged screen of the iPhone 5, 5C or 5S, of course, wastes power. In modern smartphones, the display is one of the most energy-hungry components. Disable auto brightness and adjust the setting manually, fortunately it is now very convenient to do this through the Control Center.

  1. Disable background content refresh

One of the new features that allows minimized applications not to pause, but to continue their work. In principle, disabling this option will be unnoticeable for most users, so you can safely remove it. If the function is still needed, it can be disabled for certain applications.

  1. Disable mobile internet

Another major waste of charge is the mobile Internet. Simple advice: when you don't need it, turn off 3G. Well, or completely cellular data. By the way, there is no point in even turning on LTE: this function does not work in Russia yet.

  1. Turn on Airplane Mode
  1. Disable automatic downloads

Usually, in the last two percent of the battery, you want to make an important call, and not update Instagram, so foresee this moment in advance and turn off automatic application updates, which also eat up traffic.

  1. Disable parallax

Of course, parallax is a very cool and beautiful effect. But on old iPhone-5s, which do not have an additional chip for such needs, new feature It eats up the battery significantly. So turn it off, and at the same time protect yourself from a possible epilepsy attack.

  1. Disable geolocation

Location services are another of the pillars that consume more power than others. Disable it completely or leave it only for those applications that you really need. For example, maps or Foursquare. Also configure system geolocation services. Most of them, if not needed, can be disabled.

  1. Turn off apps running in the background

After minimizing, some apps continue to work and can use GPS or cellular data, which obviously does not benefit the battery. It is especially worth paying attention to mobile application Facebook: it consumes energy at a diabolical rate.

  1. Disable dynamic wallpaper

Another innovation that, although it looks beautiful, wastes resources significantly. Moreover, all the decorations will obviously not bring peace of mind when the battery is running low.

  1. Turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

At those moments when it is not needed, disable these services. Also, if you are in range wireless network, it is recommended to turn off cellular data. An even more reliable combination of Airplane Mode and Wi-Fi.

  1. Leave Push Notifications to Only the Apps You Need the Most

Or turn them off completely. With each notification, the screen of a locked smartphone turns on, which cannot have a positive effect on battery life, especially if you are a popular and sociable person.

  1. Disable automatic check e-mail

If your phone is low and you are waiting for an important letter, then better with your hands Check your email periodically. Especially if you use multiple boxes.

  1. Set up auto-lock

And turn off the screen immediately after you finish using your smartphone. Once for two minutes with the screen on, again for two minutes - and now at least 1% of the charge has escaped.

  1. Use Do Not Disturb mode

If the battery is about to run out, but you are waiting for an important call and therefore cannot use Airplane Mode, then turn on the Do Not Disturb option. It can be configured so that all calls except selected ones will be automatically dropped, which means unnecessary calls will not go through.

  1. Turn off Raise and Talk in Siri
  1. Update iOS regularly

New version operating system can fix bugs related to battery life.

  1. Don't turn on your phone idle

Really, why? It's clear you're addicted, but save your charge.

  1. Cheat: buy an external battery

If your phone dies much faster than you can get to a power outlet, you can buy an external power source that will charge your pet on the go.

Update your software to the latest version.

Always make sure your device is running the latest version of iOS.

  • If you're using iOS 5 or later, check to see if you have the update installed. To do this, open Settings > General > Software Update.
  • If an update is available, you can connect your device to a power source and update it wirelessly, or connect it to your computer and update it with the latest version of iTunes.

Optimize your settings.

Dim the screen brightness or turn on automatic brightness to extend battery life.

  • To reduce brightness, open Control Center and slide the brightness level down.
  • Automatic brightness adjusts screen brightness to match the ambient light. To activate it, go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Display Adaptation and turn on the Auto-Brightness option there.

When using the Internet, remember that a Wi-Fi connection uses less battery power than a cellular connection. Therefore, we recommend that you never turn off Wi‑Fi. To turn on Wi-Fi, go to Settings > Wi-Fi, and then select the appropriate network.

Turn on power saving mode.

First introduced in iOS 9, Low Power Mode is an easy way to extend your iPhone's battery life when battery levels get low. Your iPhone will tell you when the battery level drops to 20%, then 10%, and prompts you to switch to low-power mode with one tap. You can also turn it on in Settings > Battery. Power saving mode reduces display brightness, optimizes device performance, and minimizes system animations. Apps, including Mail, stop downloading content in the background, and AirDrop, iCloud Sync, and Continuity are disabled. You can still use the basic functions: make and receive calls, read and send mail and messages, surf the Internet, and much more. When your phone is charged again, the power saving mode will turn off automatically.

View battery usage information.

iOS makes it easy to track your battery usage by showing you what percentage of charge each app is using (when your device isn't charging). This data is displayed in Settings > Battery.

The following are messages that may appear under the applications you are using.

Background activity. This means that an app running in the background will drain your battery while you're working in another app.

  • To improve battery life, you can disable the feature that allows apps to update in the background. Go to Settings > General > Content Updates and select the appropriate setting: Wi‑Fi, Wi‑Fi and Cellular Data, or Off to turn off background content updates completely.
  • If the Mail app shows a "Background Activity" message, you can switch to manual control over data retrieval or increase the automatic data retrieval interval. Go to Settings > Passwords and accounts> Loading data.

Location and background location detection. This means that the application uses location services.

  • You can optimize your battery life by turning off location services in apps. To do this, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services.
  • The Location Services section shows all the apps and the permissions that are set for them. If the app has recently used location services, next to the On/Off switch. indicator is displayed.

Home screen and lock screen. This means your device was displaying the Home or Lock screen. For example, the screen wakes up when a notification is received or the Home button is pressed.

  • If notifications from an app cause your screen to turn on frequently, you can turn off automatic notifications for that app. Go to Settings > Notifications. Tap the app you want and turn off Allow Notifications.

No cellular network coverage. Weak signal. Such messages appear in two cases. When you are in an area with insufficient cellular network coverage and your iOS device is looking for a stronger signal. And also if you used your device in conditions that weakened the signal, which affected the battery charge.

  • You can extend your battery life by turning on Airplane mode. To do this, open Control Center and tap the Airplane Mode icon. Please note that you cannot make or receive calls in Airplane mode.

To charge the device, connect your computer to a power outlet and turn it on.

When you charge your iOS device via USB using your computer, you need to make sure it is plugged in and turned on. If your computer is turned off or in sleep or standby mode, your device's battery will continue to drain. Please note that iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS cannot be charged using the FireWire power adapter or FireWire car charger.