4 quick software tweaks to extend your phone’s battery life by 30 percent
Modern smartphones don’t run out of juice mid-afternoon because their batteries are defective. They run out because dozens of invisible background services are constantly running full-throttle in your pocket. Apps are pinging GPS satellites, pulling fresh data over weak cellular connections, and redrawing high-resolution screens 120 times per second. If your charger’s at home on the counter,…
Here are four quick software adjustments that can extend your phone's battery life by approximately 30 percent without compromising functionality:
1. Restrict Background App Refresh: Disable Background App Refresh on iOS or set it to Wi-Fi Only. On Android, manually restrict background usage for non-essential apps. This prevents apps from silently updating ads and content while your phone is idle, conserving battery power.
2. Optimize Location Tracking Permissions: Limit GPS usage to when necessary. On iOS, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services and change location permissions for non-essential apps to "While Using the App" or off. On Android, navigate to Settings > Location > App permissions and adjust settings accordingly. Reduce GPS usage for apps that don't need constant location tracking, such as certain home automation devices.
3. Adjust Display Settings: Reduce your screen's power consumption. Enable true dark mode on OLED displays, as black pixels consume no power. On iOS, go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Dark, and optionally disable automatic dark mode switching. On Android, enable Dark theme in Settings > Display. Disable always-on display, as it wastes about 1-2% of battery hourly.
On iOS, turn off Always On Display in Settings > Display & Brightness. On Android, disable Always show time and info in Settings > Display > Lock screen or adjust settings under Samsung Lock Screen.
4. Limit High Refresh Rate Displays and Avoid 5G: Reduce screen redraw rates and switch to stable 4G/LTE networks. On iOS, limit frame rate to 60Hz in Settings > Accessibility > Motion. On Android, switch from High/Adaptive motion smoothness to Standard. For 5G, configure settings to switch to LTE/3G/2G when 5G isn't providing noticeably better speeds.
On iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options > Voice & Data, and select 5G Auto or LTE. On Android, adjust Network mode to LTE/3G/2G (Auto connect) or LTE in Settings > Network & internet (or Connections).
Written by urgent.news from Fast Company's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
