15+ Tips to improve battery life on your Android phone

Is your Android phone running out of battery quickly? In this article, I have included some potential tips to save the battery of your Android phone.

A slew of factors, such as a brighter screen, intensive software usage, continuous internet connectivity, etc., quickly drains the battery life of a smartphone. And not optimizing Android battery usage leads to poor battery health. Phew!

Thankfully, you can do a few things at your end to increase the battery life and maintain good battery health on your Android phone.

From enabling power saving mode to summoning Google Assistant – this list has all the remedies to improve your Android phone’s battery life. So, let’s start:

1. Turn on Power Saving Mode on Android

No matter how well you plan your day, some inconveniences will arise. Some days, you might forget to charge your phone after a hectic day, or any other day, the battery count may plummet faster than you expected.  

To tackle such situations, Android phones have a built-in power-saving mode. It is also called battery saver or low power mode in some Android devices.   

Enabling this feature, your phone automatically restricts functions with heavy power consumption. Hence, it offers extra run time to your draining battery and reduces excessive pressure, promising a longer battery life.   

To turn on power saving mode on Android, follow the steps given below: 

1. Open the Settings app.  
2. Go to Battery → Choose Battery Saver.  
3. Toggle on Use Battery Saver tab.
   
     
4. Now, you can choose either of the two options: 
   • Standard Battery Saver: This will restrict visual effects and background activities. Also, the Dark theme is turned on automatically.
     To enable, tap the Standard Battery Saver checkbox.  
   • Extreme Battery Saver: This setting stops non-essential apps and their notifications. To customize settings, follow the steps: 
     
     Tap the Extreme Battery Saver checkbox → Pick Settings icon → Hit + icon against the apps you want to include in the essential apps list. 
     
      
5. Next, tap Schedule and reminders for more customizations. You get the following options: 
   • Turn on based on battery level: You can set the battery level at which the phone will automatically switch to power-saving mode.  
     Toggle on Turn on based on battery level > Adjust the slider to set your desired percentage. 
   • Turn off at 90%: Toggling on this setting will turn off the battery-saver mode when your battery reaches 90%.  
   • Battery Saver reminders: if you enable this, you will receive low battery alerts to enter the battery-saving mode. 
     
     

2. Enable Adaptive Battery

If you enable the Adaptive Battery option, the apps you visit rarely will run less in the background when idle. The feature analyzes and adapts to your phone usage, optimizing the battery over time. This, in turn, can save some extra ounces of juice and increase the battery life on your Android.   

1. Launch the Settings app.  
2. Hit Battery → Choose Battery saver. 
3. Tap Adaptive battery → Select the expand more icon.  
4. Turn on Use Adaptive battery.  
   
   

Note: Adaptive Battery can reduce app performance and delay notifications.  

3. Turn on battery optimization for an app 

The Battery optimization feature on Android limits the background activity of an app and optimizes its battery usage. With reduced background activity, your device will work better and faster. Plus, optimized apps generate less heat, keeping your device cool for improved performance. 

1.  Open the Settings app.  
2. Go to Apps → Press See all (number) apps if you can’t find your app in the recently opened app section.
   
    
3. Select an app and tap App battery usage.  
4. Pick Optimized. 
   
    

Note: Battery optimization is not available for some crucial activities.  

4. Adjust display settings to increase battery life

Tweaking the display settings of your Android smartphone can easily uplift your battery performance and, eventually, its health. So, here are some effective display changes you can apply to your Android for improved battery life: 

Dim screen brightness 

While promising stunning visuals, the bright display screens suck out a big chunk of your phone battery. So, if you want to boost your Android phone’s battery life, you must lower the screen brightness level of your device. For this:

1. You can pull down the Quick Settings menu and drag the brightness slider to the left side.
   The position of this slider varies on different Android phones.
   
   
2. Alternatively, you can go to the Settings app → Select Display. 
3. Tap Brightness level.
   Move the slider to the left side to dim the screen brightness.
   
   

Disable Adaptive brightness

Adaptive brightness auto-adjusts your device’s brightness in sync with the light and ambiance around you. However, sometimes, it might mess up and raise the brightness abruptly, even in indoor settings, leading to a swift battery fall.   

Moreover, it keeps running in the background, draining your phone’s juice. So, you must deactivate the feature since it is on by default to increase the Android battery life. 

1. Launch the Settings app → Go to Display. 
2. Toggle off the Adaptive brightness bar.  
3. Alternatively, you can tap Adaptive brightness → Toggle off Use adaptive brightness.
   
     

Enable Dark Mode 

Switching to dark mode is another battery savior remedy for an Android smartphone. It changes the background display to black or dark gray while text and other elements appear in lighter shades. The dark theme reduces the strain on your eyes and offers better views in low-light conditions.  

Most smartphones feature OLED screens that turn off pixels when the displayed image is black. The fewer the pixels, the lower the power consumption. So, when you enable dark mode throughout your UI, you can easily conserve your battery by a small percentage. 

Here are the steps to enable dark mode on Android: 

1. Go to Settings → Tap Display.  
2. Toggle on the Dark theme. 
3. Alternatively, tap the Dark theme and toggle on Use Dark theme.  
4. You can tap Schedule for customized dark theme settings. You can choose either of the options from the drop-down menu: 
   • None 
   • Turns on at custom time 
   • Turns on from sunset to sunrise 
   • Turns on at bedtime 
     
     

Note:

• The feature is applicable only on smartphones with OLED screens. 
• You must enable device location to determine your sunset and sunrise times.  

Choose minimal wallpaper

We usually get tempted by colorful and bright options when choosing Android wallpapers. However, you expose your device to significant battery drain by doing so. The power loss also depends on the type of display screen of your phone.   

Various reports suggest if users pick wallpapers with a black background, it improves battery life on Android. You can go for darker colors like blue, gray, green, or orange if not black. 

Also, you must avoid using Live wallpapers to preserve your Android battery. These wallpapers look beautiful but burden your processor.  

Lower screen timeout 

Screen timeout is an Android setting that lets you set the duration you want the screen to remain on when lying idle. The duration of screen timeout is directly proportional to the battery drainage. This means a longer screen timeout period will consume more battery and vice versa.  

FYI, experts suggest that the ideal screen timeout for Android is between 30 seconds or less. If you want to change your screen timeout, then here are the steps: 

1. Open the Settings app.  
2. Navigate to Display → Choose Screen timeout. 
3. Select your desired screen timeout duration. 
   
   

5. Avoid extreme temperatures for your Android phone

Temperature has a significant impact on your Android phone battery health. A temperature above 95°F or below 15°F will likely negatively impact your phone and its battery, especially in the long run.  

To ensure safety, you must keep your phone at normal temperatures. Moreover, you must avoid using intensive apps on your phone as they put extra load on the processor and generate heat. Therefore, if these apps continuously run in the background, they quickly consume your battery.

6. Restart phone regularly

Restarting your phone regularly is one of the easiest ways to increase Android battery life. It instantly cleans software bugs and any other battery-draining activity running passively on your phone. Plus, it is an excellent workaround for heating problems, signal issues, memory glitches, and more. 

7. Keep your Android OS and apps updated

One of the easiest ways to maintain battery health on Android phones is to update their OS and apps regularly. Every update brings improvements and more efficient features. The condition applies to battery performance, too. If you want to know how to update apps on Android, follow the steps here:  

1. Open the Google Play Store.  
2. Select the Profile icon → Go to Manage apps & device.
   
    
3. Under Updates available, you can see the number of apps you can update.  
4. Next, you can choose either of the two options: 
   • Tap Update all to get all apps updated at once.  
   • Select Updates available → Tap Update against the apps you want to update.
     
     

8. Choose location services wisely

Location services are an essential part of an Android ecosystem. Most utility apps depend on these location services to work efficiently. This includes dedicated apps for food delivery, retail shopping, GPS, cab hires, etc.

Unfortunately, these apps keep using the service in the background, consuming much battery power. Thus, it is wise to turn off location services when not required. Here are the steps to do so: 

1. Open the Settings app. 
2. Hit Location.  
3. Toggle off Use location. 
   If you are turning off this feature for the first time, it prompts a pop-up warning that disabling location for all apps will stop you from finding your device in case it gets lost. You can select Turn on location or Close.
   
   

If you don’t want to disable location services altogether, you can restrict them to a particular app/s. This can be done from the same window. Remember, your location toggle must be on for this.  

1. Tap App location permissions.  
2. Here, you will see all the apps allowed to use location: 
   • All the time 
   • While in use 
   • Not allowed 
     
     
3. To change an app’s location status: 
   • Tap the app. 
   • Choose any one of the three options:  
     • Allow only while using the app 
     • Ask every time 
     • Don’t allow 
4. You can also toggle off Use precise location to restrict apps from accessing your approximate location.  
   This option won’t be available if you choose Don’t allow. 
   
    

Note: If you choose the Ask every time or Don’t allow option, some features of your device may no longer work as intended. You’ll receive an alert explaining the same. To confirm, press Don’t allow anyway. 

9. Turn off Wi-Fi and cellular data

You must activate Wi-Fi or cellular data only when required. This way, you can stop your device from scanning the available networks, causing battery loss. However, if you have a stable Wi-Fi connection, enable it and enjoy less power consumption than the cellular network. 

To restrict Wi-Fi and cellular data connectivity, you can explore the two methods mentioned below:

Method 1: From Settings 

1. Launch the Settings app.  

2. Open Network & internet.
   
    

3. Now, perform the following steps: 
   • To turn off cellular data: Choose SIMs →Tap your carrier service → Toggle off Mobile data. 
     
     
   • To turn off Wi-Fi: Tap Internet > Disable Wi-Fi.
     
     

Method 2: From Quick Settings

1. Swipe down the Quick Settings menu.  

2. Tap Internet. 

3. Toggle off Wi-Fi and/or Cellular network.  

4. Tap Done. 
   
    

10. Turn off Automatic Wi-Fi 

Android phones have a feature that looks for open Wi-Fi networks even when you disable Wi-Fi on your phone. Since the function keeps running in the background, it eats up your battery. To beat this problem and increase battery life, disable Automatic Wi-Fi on your Android using the steps below: 

1. Open the Settings app. 
2. Tap Network & internet → Choose Internet.
   
    
3. Scroll down to Network preferences. 
4. Toggle off Turn on Wi-Fi automatically.
   
      

11. Disable Bluetooth and Hotspot when not using 

Using Bluetooth and Hotspot smartly can boost your Android phone’s battery life to some extent. So, you must turn these wireless services on and off, depending on your usage.

The steps to disable Bluetooth are listed below:

1. Go to the Settings app.
2. Tap Connected devices → Choose Connection preferences → Hit Bluetooth.
3. Toggle off Use Bluetooth.
   
   

 To stop Hotspot:

1. Go to Network & internet in the Settings app.
2. Select Hotspot & tethering.
3. Toggle off Wi-Fi hotspot.
   You can also disable Bluetooth tethering.
   
   

12. Change network preferences from 5G to 4G

Your 5G network plan gives you faster processing speed, improved capacity, and lower latency. But you cannot ignore that 5G gobbles up your phone’s battery quicker than you would like.   

This is why you should switch to 5G only when you need to perform a high-priority task. Other times, you can stick to 4G/LTE to save battery drain. Here’s how to switch to 4G from 5G on Android. 

1. Launch the Settings app.  
2. Move to Network & internet → Select Internet.
   
    
3. Tap the Settings icon placed against the SIM data.  
4. Choose Preferred network type.  
5. In the pop-up, select LTE.
   
     

13. Turn off keyboard sound and vibration

Settings like call/message vibration and sound, keypad sound, dial pad sound, lock screen sound, and similar features can drain your phone battery.

You can turn off these settings and quickly increase your Android phone’s battery life.  

To turn off the phone vibration 

1. Go to Settings → Open Sound & vibration. 
2. Tap Vibration & haptics. 
3. Toggle off Use vibration & haptics.
   
    

Disable other features 

Disabling vibration and haptics won’t turn off things like dial pad tones or charging sounds. You need to disable these settings separately.

1. Open Settings app → Choose Sound & vibration. 
2. Toggle off: 
   • Dial pad tones 
   • Screen locking sound 
   • Charging sounds and vibration 
   • Tap & click sounds 
     
     

To restrict keyboard sound 

Again, disabling dial pad tones only avoids the sound produced while entering digits in the Phone app. To stop hearing keyboard sounds produced everywhere else, you need to do the following:\

1. Launch the Settings app. 
2. Navigate to System → Tap Keyboard → Select On-screen keyboard. 
   
    
3. Hit Gboard → Choose Preferences.  
4. Toggle off Sound on keypress.  
   This will freeze the Volume on keypress function.  
5. Disable Haptic feedback on keypress.  
   Doing so, your device will disable Vibration strength on keypress.
   
   

14. Stop push notifications  

Push notifications are opt-in alerts that keep you updated about the latest activities in your apps and accounts. Generally, push notifications are enabled to get real-time alerts on incoming emails, stock trades, work messages, etc.  

For this, your device constantly connects with the app servers over the internet to extract real-time information. This consumes a heavy dose of your device’s battery. Thankfully, Android allows you to turn off push notifications for unnecessary apps. 

There are two ways to stop push notifications from certain Android apps. Let’s explore them:

Within an app

1. Visit the App Library.  
2. Tap and hold the app of your choice → Choose App info. 
3. Select Notifications.  
4. Disable the All (app name) notifications toggle. 
   You can explore more custom settings in this window.
   
     

From the Settings app 

1. Move to the Settings app. 
2. Open Notifications → Hit App notifications.
   
    
3. You can find the apps that recently sent you notifications under the most recent. 
   If you want to view more apps, tap All apps in the dropdown menu.  
4. Toggle off the app you wish to restrict notifications from.  
5. For more customizations, tap the app →Toggle off the settings per your preference.
   
     

15. Restrict battery draining apps on Android

If you have multiple power-hungry apps on your phone, you must have faced issues like battery drainage, heating, or even shutting down. The list includes apps related to gaming, photo/video editing, camera, etc. These apps use several system resources, adding pressure on the battery.   

You can save your Android from battery-draining apps by restricting them from being active in the background. Here are the steps you can follow: 

1. Open the Settings app → Hit Apps.  
2. Tap Select all (number) apps if you can’t find your desired app in the recently opened apps list.  
3. Select the app and press App battery usage.  
4. Choose Restricted.
   
     

Note: When you restrict an app, it might not work like the usual way. Plus, you may get late notifications.  

16. Delete extra apps from your Android phone

Let’s agree that we all are guilty of collecting apps like they are some Pokémon. Sometimes, we install apps to test a feature; other times, we favor an app and neglect others. While doing so, we forget that we are straining your phone battery by filling your app gallery. 

If you have a growing collection of redundant apps, it’s time to delete them. Trust me; you will give a big breather to your battery life by doing so. The process to delete apps on Android is listed here:

1. Open the App Library.  
2. Press and hold the app icon you want to delete.  
3. Choose App info. 
4. Tap Uninstall → Select Uninstall to confirm in the pop-up menu.
   
     

Alternate method: 

1. Launch the Google Play Store.  
2. Select the Profile icon.   
3. Tap Manage apps & devices → Pick Manage.
   
     
4. Check off the app you want to delete.  
5. Tap the bin icon → Hit Ok.
   
    

Note: For system apps, you can only uninstall the updates. While doing so, you must be cautious because native apps might misbehave.

17. Stop apps running in background 

Force stop lets you stop apps from running in the background. This will restrict all updates, notifications, or other activities associated with the app. You can force stop apps in the following two ways:

Via app library

1. Tap and hold your desired app.
2. Hit App info.
3. Tap Force stop → Select Ok to confirm.
   
   

From Settings

1. Go to the Settings app → Open Apps. 
2. Select your app.
   You can choose an app from the Recently opened apps section or tap See all (number) apps.
   
     
3. Press Force stop. 
4. Tap OK in the popup.
   
     

From Quick Settings

1. Open the Quick Settings menu by swiping down twice from the top of the screen. 

2. Tap the Active apps bar at the bottom to display the number of apps running in the background.   

3. Choose Stop for the app you want to force stop.
   
     

18. Turn off background data for apps

Disabling access to your cellular data for the less-used apps can be a game-changer to increasing your Android battery life. This will stop the apps from working in the background, updating, or auto-loading images or videos, saving battery. For this: 

1. Go to the Settings app.  

2. Open Apps and select any app of your choice. 
   
    

3. Navigate to Mobile data & Wi-Fi.  

4. Toggle off Background data.  
   Doing so will also remove the Unrestricted data usage toggle from the screen.
   
       

19. Automatic routines from Google Assistant  

Do you want to improve Android battery life but without much ado? Great! Seek help from your Google Assistant. Your device lets you change phone settings into custom routines triggered using your set commands. Here is an easy workaround to do so: 

1. Launch Google Assistant. 
2. Now, say, “Go to Routines.” 
   Alternatively, you can write the command. 

You can find multiple suggested routines here. If none fits your taste, you can easily create a new routine. To create a custom routine: 

1. Tap New on the top-right corner of the window.
   
     
2. Next, you get a window with multiple options to customize your routine. For this, enter the following details: 
   • Title: It is the name of your routine. 
     Hit Untitled > Type the routine name > Tap the tick icon.
     
     
   • Starters: You can choose how you want to trigger your routine. 
     Tap Add starter → Choose a routine → Tap Add Starter.
     
     
   • Actions: You can pick the actions you want your routine to perform from the list.  
     Tap Add action → Open a given category → Check off your desired action → Tap Done.
     
     
3. Tap Save to create a routine.
   
     

20. Don’t install battery saver apps 

While many may advocate having a third-party battery-saver app, it might not be the best idea. These external apps strain your battery by constantly working in the background for optimized usage.   

As expected, this puts an extra load on your already burdened battery. Moreover, Android has a built-in feature to use your apps in an optimized version. Downloading another battery-saver app might do more damage than increasing battery life on Android.   

Tips to maintain your Android phone’s battery health

It might look easy, but Android phone charging has some prerequisites that you must follow to promote your battery health and simultaneously increase battery life.

• Avoid charging your smartphone to 100% every time you plug the charger. Keeping it between 80-90% is one of the most efficient ways to increase battery health on Android.
• Never put your Android phone on overnight charging. Plus, you may build a habit of partially charging instead of completing charge cycles (0-100%).   
• Heat can lead to battery downfall. Avoid covering your phone while charging, and keep it away from warm spaces and temperatures.   
• Don’t let your battery count go below 20%. You can carry a power bank to avoid such conditions.  
• Keep your smartphone free from intensive usage when put to charge.  
• When using fast or wireless charging, ensure that your device is cool.
• You must charge your smartphone when it reaches a 20%-30% charging level for optimized performance.  

Wrapping up 

A good battery life is like a true friend. It keeps your smartphone working smoothly without any impromptu shutdowns or glitches. By incorporating the workarounds in my list, you can quickly increase your Android phone’s battery life.

If you liked the listings, let me know in the comments section. Also, keep visiting us for more such insightful Android guides. 

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