Why is my phone dying so fast? Here are some tips to extend your battery life

If you’ve ever wondered “why is my phone dying so fast?,” you’re not alone. Given how expensive most phones run these days, a diminishing battery is a definite cause for concern (not to mention frustrating and annoying). Plus, keeping phone chargers close by at all times just to stay in touch is less than a great phone experience.
Having battery drainage issues is not necessarily a sign that your phone needs a replacement either, so no need to go running for a new phone (although we do have some great deals here).

In this article, we’ll go into the most common culprits that affect battery life and help you identify what’s the cause in your specific case. We’ll also go into the best and easiest ways to improve and preserve your phone’s battery life.

What can drain a phone battery

Not all cell phone activities are created equal. Some apps and settings can drain your phone’s battery life more than others. Here are the usual suspects.

Screen brightness

One of the simplest ways you can preserve your battery life is by adjusting your screen brightness. Maintaining a very bright screen requires a lot of battery use than you may want to use and is an easy adjustment. Lowering your screen brightness to a moderate brightness can prevent your phone from draining unnecessarily fast. 

Background activity from apps

Some of the most popular apps are notorious for being battery-guzzlers, especially ones that rely heavily on graphics and audio. Video games—especially free versions with ads—are the biggest culprits. Try to clear out the apps you’re not using so that they don’t continue to run in the background, and don’t further drain your battery.

Location services

Some apps ask that you have location services enabled, such as weather apps, so that they can use your location to provide accurate weather readings in your area. However, these location services can also drain your data by constantly running in the background. Try to minimize your location services.

Push email settings

Getting frequent email notifications (the kind that lights up the screen) is another way in which your phone could be using more data than it needs.

Phone settings that might be affecting your battery without you even knowing it

Some phone settings that may be silently using more battery than you realize could also be contributing to your battery life loss. 

Having Wi-Fi on all the time

When Wi-Fi is always on, that means your phone is constantly searching for a Wi-Fi network to connect to, and constantly using energy to do so. Turning this off can prevent that.

Bluetooth is always on

Similarly to having Wi-Fi on all the time, having Bluetooth on all the time also uses up battery life by constantly operating in the background in search of a connection. Kind of like that friend that just can’t be single. 

Old software

The most up to date software typically includes advanced energy-saving technologies, so make sure your device is using the latest version of software available on your device. Using outdated software could require more battery life than needed. 

Old lithium battery

The most common batteries used in wireless phones are lithium ion batteries. They generally last about 2-3 years on average. If your phone has a lithium-ion battery short battery life may just be due simply to the age of the battery. 

App notifications

Getting frequent app notifications such as notifications on news, live game updates, or notifications on sales or offers from certain apps can also drain your battery.

Locate the source of battery drain

Now that you know the basics about the most common battery drainers, it’s time to figure out what’s the reason for it in your particular case. 

Luckily, this is easy to do simply by going to your phone’s settings. 

For Android: Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Usage

For iOS: Go to Settings > Battery

From there you can view your services and applications that are using the battery power the most. 

How to save phone battery

The most popular phones these days are fairly expensive (even though we do happen to offer great phone deals), so it makes sense to want to get the most out of your investment. If you’re having phone battery issues, no need to freak out and buy a new phone. There are most likely things you can do to improve, or at the very least maintain, your phone’s battery life. 

Here’s how to easily save your phone battery by making a couple of quick adjustments to your phone. 

Use battery saver mode

Most devices have some form of battery-saver or low-power mode settings that decrease overall battery use. You might not want to use this all the time, but you can easily turn these on to optimize battery power until you’re able to get to a charger. 

• How to on iPhone:
  To turn Low Power Mode on or off, go to Settings > Battery. You can also turn Low Power Mode on and off from the Control Center.
  
• How to on Android:
  On your phone, open the Settings app. Tap Battery Battery Saver. Choose a schedule for battery saver mode or automatically turn it off.

Turn off Dynamic wallpaper and/or motion

One of the modern marvels of smartphones today is being able to use dynamic wallpapers that can include motion. However, these dynamic features take more energy than you may want if holding a battery is becoming a nuisance. Best to use a simple wallpaper if you want to maximize battery.

Minimize push notifications

Whenever a new email or notification from an app wakes up your display with notifications, it requires energy use to light up your screen. To easily minimize notifications taking up your battery simply turn off push notifications. You can do this in most phones by going to Settings > Notifications. Tap the app you want to change notification settings. Set Allow Notifications to Off. 

Don’t forget to check your email app notifications and do the same. 

Make sure your phone software is up to date

Using older operating systems can hold your phone back from operating as efficiently as it would on the most updated version. You can usually do this by checking your Settings.

Enable dark mode or adaptive brightness

As we covered above, screen brightness is a common battery drainer. Pro-tip: change the brightness to be automatic as it will change dynamically depending on your environment, lighting up to an appropriate amount based on where you are. 

Most Android phones already have adaptive brightness enabled. 

On iPhone, enable it by going to Settings | Accessibility | Display & Text Size | Auto-Brightness. If the toggle switch is green, it’s already on.

Turn off: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Location Services when you’re not using them

Turning off these services will require you to take an extra step to turn them back on. That said, you can turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth from most home screens and control centers, and in the meantime you might be surprised at how much battery life it saves you.

Avoid really hot temperatures 

A general guideline to follow to maintain the health of your phone battery is to avoid very hot temperatures, so keep it out of the sun or hot surfaces so that your device does not overheat. 

Disable background app refresh

Background app refresh is the technology that allows apps and other settings to run in the background, such as monitoring your location to provide accurate weather readings, or giving you updates on the latest baseball game. Turning off this feature can be a huge help to saving battery life as well as your data usage. Here’s how to turn it off on iPhone and Android: 

• How to turn off background app refresh for iPhone:
  Open the Settings app and select General > Background App Refresh. You should see a list of every app that has permission to idle in the background. Toggle the apps you do not want to be able to idle in the background to Off.
  
  
• How to turn off background app refresh for on Android:
  Go to Settings and select Apps & Notifications. Select See All Apps. Tap the app you want to disable refresh for, then select Mobile Data & Wi-Fi. Turn the Background Data slider to Off.

Replace phone battery

If you’ve done all these tips and still feel that your battery is just not working for you, consider updating the battery instead of purchasing a whole new phone if you can. 

How to keep phone battery healthy

Whether you’re experiencing data drain drama or not, it’s always a good idea to stay up to date on best practices to keep your phone battery health up and extend the lifetime of your investment. 

Here are some tips for good battery hygiene to keep your battery in good condition:

Charge your phone throughout the day to prevent needing to charge it overnight to 100%

When you’re always charging to 100%, the frequent high voltage can cause stress to the battery. Similarly, no voltage can also diminish battery life, so try to never let it drain to 0%. 

Leave phone alone while charging to avoid overheating

Using your phone while it charges can result in overheating. Try to step away and let it charge (but not to 100%, remember?).

Charge with compatible chargers (ideally, the one it came with)

Whenever possible, avoid charging with a charger that is not meant for your device. Compatible devices will ensure your battery is getting the most optimal charge. 

Put more energy into saving on your wireless bill with Ultra Mobile plans

Now that you’re battery-savings experts, we’re going to talk about another kind of savings. With Ultra Mobile plans as low as $10/month, you can save a ton of money and even upgrade your phone if you wish. But no pressure, because you’re welcome to join Ultra Mobile if you want to bring your own phone as well.