Android Battery Draining Quickly? Try This Simple Fix

Looking to extend your Android phone's battery life? Tech experts reveal the top 18 settings adjustments that could nearly double your device's endurance..

By Bogdana Zujic

Published on May 03, 2024

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Other quick battery tips

Reduce screen refresh rate
Avoid Live wallpapers
Turn on Airplane Mode
Disable GPS, Mobile Data, WiFi or Bluetooth when not in use.
Change the resolution of your pictures and videos.
Keep the phone out of the heat or extreme temperatures.
Enable optimized charging and fast cable charging
Delete Unused Apps
Is it time for an upgrade?

Expert-Approved Tips to Maximize Your Android's Battery Life

1. Check Battery Usage and health

If your Android Battery life drains faster than usual, you can start by checking the Battery Usage. You can check to see which apps consume too much power. Close or uninstall the misbehaving apps. To check Battery Usage:

Navigate to Settings > Device Care > Battery.

A list of used apps will appear below, sorted by date and consumption. See which areas are draining your Android battery and do one of the following:

Update the app: Go to the Google Play Store and check for an update
Force close the app
Clear Cache: Settings > Apps > Select App >Storage > Clear Cache
Clear Data: Settings > Apps > Select App >Storage > Clear Data
Uninstall the App

2. Close Background Apps

The apps you have opened will keep running in the background even when you aren’t using them. If an app is open in the background, it will keep updating the content. Whenever you want to use the app, it will open faster because it doesn’t have to reload the content from the beginning. It is efficient but can drain your phone.

3. Put Apps to Sleep

Whenever you are finished using an app, this feature will immediately close the app. To enable Put to sleep on your Android phone :

Navigate to Settings
Tap Device Care.
Tap Battery.
From the list, select an App
Turn "Put app to sleep" on

4. Enable Adaptive Battery, Auto disable unused apps and Optimize Settings

These features can massively improve the battery performance of your Android phone. By enabling this, your phone's battery will last long; and enhance the phone's performance, such as laggy issues.

Navigate to Settings
Tap Device Care.
Tap Battery.
Tap the Menu icon (3 dots) at the top right.
Enable all the suggested features.

Learn more: Boost Mobile Internet: How To Speed Up Slow Internet On Your Phone

5. Reboot Your Device

This method effectively fixes common issues, including problems related to the battery. To reboot the phone, hold down the power button and select Restart.

6. Turn Off Tap To Wake Feature (Lift to Wake)

Many Android users complained (via the Samsung US community forum) about their phones accidentally tapping while in their pockets, causing the battery to drain quickly. One of them reported that his Galaxy S10 even started recording. If you are experiencing the same issue, turn off the Tap To Wake feature. Navigate to :

Settings
Tap Advanced Features.
Tap Motion and Gestures.
Disable both Lift to wake and Double Tap to Wake up

7. Turn Night mode on

The Purdue study found that switching from light mode to dark mode at 100% brightness saves an average of 39%-47% battery power.

Bonus: Enable Night Shift

Navigate to Settings
Select Display
Toggle Night Mode on

8. Reduce your Screen resolution

The screen and display contribute significantly to battery performance. Consider reducing the screen resolution. Some apps will close when the screen resolution changes. Navigate to

Navigate to Settings
Select Display
Tap Screen resolution
Select HD+ or FHD+.

Also, consider reducing your screen brightness when indoors or enabling Adaptive brightness.

Navigate to Settings
Select Display
Toggle Adaptive Brightness On

9. Reduce your Screen timeout

Consider lowering your screen timeout duration.

Navigate to Settings
Select Display
Tap Screen timeout
Reduce it to 30 seconds or 15 seconds.

10. Enable Accidental Touch Protection

This feature will protect your phone from accidental touches when it's in a dark place, such as a pocket or bag. This will also help preserve your battery life. Navigate to :

Settings
Select Display
Toggle Accidental Touch Protection ON

11. Change your Screen Mode

This method is optional; however, enabling the Basic or Amoled Photo screen mode can give you a battery increase of 30% or more. Color consumes more battery than Monochrome.

Navigate to :

Settings
Select Display
Tap Screen mode
Enable either Basic, AMOLED Photo or AMOLED Cinema.

12. Turn On Reduce animation

This feature will tone down the motion effects on the screen, such as when apps are opened or closed. Navigate to :

Settings
Tap Advanced Features.
Toggle Reduce animation on

13. Optimize your phone (Quick)

You can run a quick diagnosis on your phone. This will search for malware apps and apps consuming more than the average usage Navigate to:

Settings
Tap Device Care.
Tap "Optimize"

14. Disable App Notifications

To disable the app notifications. Navigate to

Settings
Tap Apps
Select an app that is causing a problem (High battery usage)
Tap Storage.
Under App Settings, select Notifications
Toggle Show Notifications OFF

15. Update Software

Updating the Software can be a potential solution to fixing battery issue. Updates usually come with a security patch and bug fix that can also improve battery life. Check if there is a Software update for your device. Head to Settings > Software Update > Download and install.

16. Enable Power Saving Mode

If you find yourself in a situation where you can’t charge your phone and the battery level is low, you can enable power-saving mode.

Go to Settings > Device care > Battery.
Tap Power Mode.
Select Optimize, Medium Power Savings or Maximum Power Savings.

Tip: You can also enable Adaptive Power Savings - This will set your power-saving mode automatically based on your usage pattern to save your battery life.

17. Boot Phone in Safe Mode

If the issue appears after installing certain apps, try to boot your phone into Safe Mode. This method allows you to restart the device by disabling third-party apps.

While in Safe Mode, check the behavior of your phone's battery. If your battery life is normal, one of the apps may be causing the issue. You can uninstall the apps one by one, starting with the ones you installed recently, or you can perform a factory reset.

Here are the steps to boot the phone into Safe Mode:

Press and hold the Power button on your device till you see the Power menu > Tap Power Off
Press and hold the Power and Volume Down buttons at the same time to turn the device on.
Once the logo appears on the screen, you can let go of the power button. Ensure you keep holding the Volume Down Button
Safe Mode will now appear at the bottom left of the screen.

How to Exit Safe Mode (3 Ways):

Press and hold the Power button for at least 6 seconds, then tap Restart.
Press and hold the Power + Volume Down buttons for at least 5 seconds
Swipe down from the top of the screen to access the Notification Panel, then tap on "Safe mode is on" To disable and restart.

18. Factory Data Reset

If you have done all the methods above but still cannot fix the battery issue, performing a Factory Data Reset may help. To use this method, head to:

Settings > General Management > Reset > Factory data reset.
Then tap Reset, enter your password, and then tap Delete all.

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