Smartphone battery-draining habits you need to kick

While people use their smartphones on a daily basis, they could be unknowingly depleting their batteries. Picture: File

While people use their smartphones on a daily basis, they could be unknowingly depleting their batteries. Picture: File

Published Apr 10, 2024

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Smartphones have become tools for communication, productivity, and entertainment that people use on a daily basis.

However, one persistent challenge that we all face is ensuring optimal battery life for our phones throughout the day.

Before looking at the reasons behind phone batteries being drained so quickly, it is important to know how long a phone battery should last.

According to Medium, a good mobile phone provides a minimum of eight hours of charging backup, while a better smartphone should give users a maximum of 12 hours of backup for any kind of use.

If your smartphone is supposed to, but does not last for at least eight to 12 hours, then there are a number of reasons that your phone battery does not last.

Alan, a website contributor at Increditools, offers insight on the common user habits that deplete battery life:

According to Alan, both iPhone and Android users unknowingly engage in habits that can rapidly deplete battery life.

Overcharging

Leaving your smartphone plugged in for charging for extended periods can put strain on your smartphone’s battery and reduce its lifespan.

Background app refresh

Allowing apps to refresh in the background consumes battery power unnecessarily, especially for apps that are not used by people frequently.

High brightness settings

Having the screen brightness on your device at maximum levels drains the battery quickly, especially in places that are well-lit.

Location services

Constant use of GPS and location-based services by phone apps can have a significant impact on battery life.

Excessive notifications

Each time you receive a notification, it wakes up the device and uses power. Therefore,cutting down on unnecessary notifications can help conserve battery.

Alan shares tips to help you optimise your battery life:

Enable Low Power Mode

According to Alan, both iPhones and Android devices offer a low power mode that will conserve your phone’s battery by reducing background activity and performance.

Manage Background App Refresh

Disable background refresh for apps that don't need real-time updates to save battery power.

Adjust Screen Brightness

Alan recommends that people set the screen brightness to auto-adjust or to a level that is comfortable for viewing but not too bright.

Limit Location Services

Review and disable location access for apps that don't require it all the time, and use location services sparingly.

Regularly Update Apps and Software

Software updates often include optimisations for better battery life, so keeping your device up to date can improve efficiency.

IOL Technology