It is noon and you suddenly notice that you have little battery power. These days, people use many devices such as smartphones, laptops, tablets, and smartwatches. However, if their battery drains faster than normal, there is a problem. A hardware problem, a software issue, or a wrong device setting could be the underlying problem. This post discusses the reasons why your battery drains fast. Also, you will learn how to optimize device settings so that its battery does not lose charge quickly.
The following are the reasons that keep the device’s battery from losing power fast.
High screen brightness
One of the biggest reasons for a fast battery drain is the device’s screen brightness. Whenever you increase the screen brightness, it uses more power. As such, the battery power decreases significantly. Fortunately, many devices now include a feature that adjusts screen brightness automatically. An auto-dimming feature works by adjusting the brightness of your nearby surroundings.
Long screen timeout
Another reason that impacts battery power is the timeout setting on the device. If you notice that the battery of your smartphone or iPad is draining fast, consider customizing device settings. This prevents the device’s screen from staying on for a long time. Hence, adjust the timeout setting and improve battery life.
A wrong connection
When you use cellular data, your mobile device may drain the battery faster than a Wi-Fi router. This is because your mobile device is continuously looking for cell towers that deliver the best connection. Whenever it gets one, the phone makes a connection. Searching and connecting to cell towers automatically drains the battery fast. Wi-Fi, on the other hand, provides a stable signal to the device.
Switching to public Wi-Fi hotspots is not recommended because it will drain the battery fast. In that case, it is better to connect to cellular data and conserve battery life. In short, prioritize a stable and strong connection available to improve battery life. This becomes important when your devices are running low on battery.
The Bluetooth is left on
Bluetooth technology is on every device, from fitness trackers to wireless headphones. Modern devices tend to minimize battery usage by deactivating Bluetooth radios automatically. However, you can conserve battery power by adjusting device settings. The settings allow you to adjust how frequently the Bluetooth syncs with other devices.
Certain apps on smartphones allow users to sync manually with wearable devices. That way, the connection does not have to be constant. Not only does it help conserve battery power but it also reduces the chances of security threats arising because of Bluetooth.
A faulty battery charger
To prevent devices from running low on power, a battery charger is used. However, a damaged or counterfeit charger can hurt the battery of your device. Sometimes, a faulty or slow charger can result in the battery draining quickly. If it takes more time to charge a device, the charger could be faulty.
Most devices come with features that keep your battery safe from being overcharged or damaged. Try to use the charger that comes with the device to be on the safe side. Besides, get a replacement charger only from a reliable manufacturer to avoid problems later.
Weak cell reception
You may have noticed poor cell reception in certain areas. This is when the battery of your phone or any other device will drain faster. Especially, if the device connects to cellular data. In mountainous or remote areas, a device searches and connects to nearby towers constantly.
This is why you need to turn off your cellular data when the signal is not strong. It helps you conserve battery in areas with low network coverage.
Exposure to extreme temperatures
If you spend a lot of time on a beach or mountain skiing, the battery of your device will likely drain fast. Here, the culprit is extreme temperature. When your device is exposed to extremely cold or hot temperatures, it negatively impacts your battery life. The device’s battery cannot hold the charge, resulting in a weak battery performance.
A dated operating system
Your device’s battery might drain fast in case you do not update the operating system. Software updates include optimizations that improve battery life. Sometimes, the updates include quick fixes to the operating system responsible for fast battery depletion. If your devices are shedding charge quickly, update your current operating system to resolve the problem.
Active background apps
There is no shortage of apps these days. Whether it is an app preinstalled on your device or an app for daily use. Because these apps run in the background, they consume more energy from the battery.
While some background tasks are useful, you do not need notification from every app. For example, email notifications or the ones from social media platforms are useful in some way. But other apps running in the background are almost of no use. This causes the battery to drain fast. Disable background features from the device settings to fix the problem.
Hacked or infected phone
If your phone does not hold charge for a long time, chances are that someone hacked it. Maybe you installed malware unintentionally in your device following a spoofed website, smishing text, or phishing email.
To protect your device from hacking and malware, take measures to ensure its security. Never download apps from unknown sources because they contain malware. Once installed, they can control the device at will significantly reducing the battery life.
Replace the battery
Batteries from devices such as tablets, laptops, or other devices tend to degrade over time. Besides, modern-day devices running on lithium-ion batteries deteriorate for other reasons as well. These include repeated charging cycles and exposure to extreme temperatures. Hence, you will notice a decline in performance after two or three years.
Although your battery will function the same way as before, its capacity to hold charge gets reduced. The battery life will be shorter compared to a new one. Buying a new device or replacing the battery are the only ways to resolve the problem.
Make your devices’ batteries last longer in 13 different ways
Before you make up your mind to give up the device because of bad battery life, think again. There are many ways to make your devices’ batteries last longer. From altering screen time-out settings to adjusting screen brightness and changing the charging cable, there are ways to extend your battery life a little longer.
Follow the below-mentioned tips to keep the battery of your device healthy.
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Lower screen brightness
Start by lowering your device’s screen brightness. Set the display setting of the device to adaptive or automatic brightness. It will adjust the screen brightness to fit nearby light conditions. This results in extended battery life for your laptop, tablet, or phone.
Look for settings on your device and choose the adaptive brightness option. Toggle it to make your screen display adjust to adjacent light conditions. Also, you can manually set the brightness level according to your needs. These will have a positive impact on the battery life.
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Set limitations for background activity
Setting limitations or disabling background activity for different apps on your device can improve battery consumption levels. Go to the settings menu of your device and look for the background apps. You will find a list of apps. Set the updates to Wi-Fi only or manual. This ensures that the selected apps will limit background activities such as weather updates or new emails. It is better to sync the apps when connected to a Wi-Fi network or when you need to view the latest updates.
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Make the screen timeout short
While there are endless distractions when using a modern-day smart device, setting a short timeout for the device can improve the battery significantly. The setting prevents the display from staying active even after you have finished using it. Sometimes, you may forget to turn the screen off manually. A simple adjustment makes sure that the device is not wasting battery power.
Customizing the device screen timeout is straightforward. Head over to the settings menu on your device and look for the screen timeout option. If you are using wearable devices, you should get the settings on the paired mobile app. After finding the screen timeout option, choose your desired option. This instructs the device to turn off the screen automatically after the set time.
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Update your device’s operating system periodically
A fast-draining battery could indicate that you need to update the operating system of your device. A system update installs new security measures to counter threats and adds more innovative features. Besides, the latest update includes bug fixes and performance tweaks that improve battery life. All modern devices tend to update the operating system automatically or notify you. Therefore, run the updates to ensure longer and better performance of your device’s battery.
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Set limitations on notifications
Almost every app comes with notifications that keep users updated on weather alerts, special tickets for fantasy games, etc. However, notifications draw a considerable amount of energy to keep you updated on your favorite topics.
To improve battery life, go to the app settings and deactivate unnecessary notifications. You can turn off the notifications that use screen light or produce vibration. This makes your phone clean and prevents unwanted notifications on the lock screen.
If you need more battery life, activate the ‘Do Not Disturb’ option on your smartwatch, tablet, or smartphone. It will disable the notifications completely. Moreover, there will be fewer distractions as you do not have to turn on your devices and drain more energy.
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Activate power saving mode
If you want to extend the battery life of your device, use the power saving or low power mode. This feature is available on almost every mobile device. The power-saving mode conserves battery power by limiting certain features that use more energy. These include refreshing the background apps, fetching emails, and so on.
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Turn off unused features
When not in use, features such as GPS, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi make the battery drain fast. To conserve power, turn these features off when you do not need them. Tap the settings from the notification drawer to deactivate them.
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Adjust location-based services
There is no denying that mobile apps track your current location. Even if you are not using these apps, they can track your location. As such, your device’s battery drains fast because of the background tasks.
Turn off the location services from the device settings. Or, you can adjust the settings depending on the apps you use.
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Stay away from extreme temperatures
If you want a good battery performance without hardware damage, protect your device from exposure to extreme temperatures. To prevent overheating, keep your device out of direct sunlight on hot days. And, keep the device at a suitable temperature when you are skiing. That way, you can prevent damage to the battery because of varying temperatures.
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Activate airplane mode
To extend the battery life of your device, consider putting it in airplane mode. Activating this mode will disconnect the cellular, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi services. While it prevents incoming texts and calls, it saves battery power.
The airplane mode benefits a lot in situations such as hikes or car rides, you can use offline functions such as taking photos, making notes, listening to music, or playing certain games.
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Use recommended chargers
Always use the charger that comes with the device. Different devices use different technologies to prevent the battery from overcharging or damage. A low-quality charger or even a cable can damage the battery.
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Delete unused apps
Another way to prevent the battery from draining quickly is to delete unused apps. If the device has fewer apps, there will be fewer background tasks. This results in improved battery life. If you do not use an app frequently, there is no need to have them on the device.
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Do not use live wallpapers
Avoid using live wallpapers if your device’s battery dies fast. Although it improves visual appearance, it drains battery power faster than an ordinary photo set as wallpaper.
Secure your device with a reliable security solution
To keep your mobile device healthy and free from malware, use a reliable security solution. It protects the device from online and other types of threats.
Moreover, malware drains the battery fast. A reliable security solution detects and blocks malware. Hence, give your device the right security for a smooth performance and longer battery life.
FAQs:
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Does the battery life improve when using dark mode?
Dark mode can help improve some amount of battery power. For devices with OLED screens, activating dark mode can save 3 to 9% of power if the display is set at 30 to 50% brightness. Dark mode is a useful feature that saves battery power even when the device is running low on energy.
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How does a battery work?
A battery works by accumulating the electrons drawn from the connected power source. Electrons pull lithium ions when the device is charging. The ions move around the battery from cathode to anode to power the device. When you use your device, the ion particles go back to the cathode. Once the cathode attracts all the ions, the battery dies.
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How long does a phone battery last?
A phone battery has an estimated lifespan of 300 to 500 charge cycles or 2 to 3 years. Typically, a single charge cycle means the duration between a fully charged and a completely drained battery after you use it for some time.
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Do notifications impact battery power?
Push notifications drain a considerable amount of battery power. Notifications drain more energy when the device’s screen lights up following every alert. Depending on the device settings, every alert might trigger a vibration or ringtone. This reduces battery life drastically.
