Even if the manufacturers have made great progress in this area, the autonomy of smartphones remains a recurring problem, which is accentuated over time, with the wear of the battery. To the point that some models, including top-of-the-range ones, have difficulty exceeding the day of use, which requires them to be recharged daily. Worse, some can "run out of fuel" when you really need it - and generally when you are far from a power outlet.. And this concern does not only concern heavy users, who use their device in a way continuously intensive : sometimes all you need to do is make a few calls, consult websites, exchange a handful of emails, browse social networks, listen to some music and watch two or three videos to see the battery level drop drastically during the day. As long as we launch a few games, and it's over, you have to go through the recharge box before going to bed !
The right reflexes to save the battery of a smartphone
The blow of the breakdown is fortunately not a fatality. And, without even depriving yourself of use, it is quite possible to significantly increase the autonomy of a phone by making very simple adjustments and adopting a few common sense reflexes. You just have to be well aware of what consumes energy on a mobile to modify certain parameters and disable unnecessary functions in certain situations. By following the following tips, you can easily extend the battery life of your smartphone by several hours, and sometimes even use it for two or three days without having to recharge it : they are valid for all brands and all models, whether it is an Android device or an iPhone. All these settings are also easy to find : just open your phone's Settings app or go to quick actions, in the pane that displays switches to activate and deactivate common functions.
Lower the brightness. The screen is undoubtedly the element that consumes the most energy on a smartphone. So be sure to lower its brightness in the quick settings to adapt it to the light conditions. Admittedly, outdoors and in direct sunlight, you will probably need to temporarily wind it up to see what is displayed. But indoors and in the evening, when the ambient light is weaker, it is in your interest to reduce it : not only will the screen consume less electricity, but you will also save your eyes ! Do not hesitate to use the automatic mode, which will adjust the brightness on its own according to the ambient light, thanks to the integrated sensor.
Switch to dark mode instead of light mode. Very fashionable in recent years, this display mode which white texts on dark backgrounds, reduces power consumption on devices with an OLED or AMOLED type screen. On models equipped with a classic LCD screen with LED backlighting, it has no effect on consumption, but at least saves your eyes.
Reduce standby time. No need to leave the screen on when you're not using your smartphone ! So lower the standby time to 30 or 15 seconds : the display will automatically go black if you don't touch the screen during this period. Of course, adapt this delay to your use !
Turn off location when you don't need it. Your smartphone's GPS module consumes a lot of energy – which is why your device gets so hot when it's activated. All you have to do is reactivate it when you need guidance or tracking with an app like Waze, Google Maps or Apple Maps. Not only will you save a lot of battery, but you will also avoid being geolocated and therefore permanently tracked by certain apps...
Disable Wi-Fi as soon as you are no longer covered by a local network, outside your home or your place of work in particular, and when you are outside in any case. This will prevent your phone's wireless module from searching for a network, wasting energy unnecessarily.
Turn off mobile data (4G or 5G) when you don't absolutely need the Internet. Certainly, you will no longer have access to the Web, social networks and instant messaging such as WhatsApp. But you will still be able to make and receive calls and exchange text messages, which is enough in most cases. Above all, turn off mobile data as soon as you have access to a Wi-Fi network ! Not only will you save battery, but you will also reduce the amount of data deducted from your phone plan. It is better to reserve this data envelope for situations where you do not have Wi-Fi, especially outdoors and on the move.
Close heavy applications. Some apps consume a lot more power than others, sometimes even when they seem inactive, when they're in the background. This is the case of social networks and messaging, which constantly scan the arrival of new messages and new publications, but not only. According to several studies by specialized companies, the most greedy are TikTok, Twitter, Opera mini, Fitbit, Netflix, Uber, Skype, Facebook, Airbnb, Instagram, Google Chrome, Tinder, Bumble, Snapchat, Messenger, WhatsApp, Zoom, YouTube, Booking.com, Amazon, Pinterest, Telegram, Grindr and LinkedIn to name the best known. So get into the habit of "force closing" them when you're not actually using them, otherwise they'll stay open in the background. Also remember to close the camera app when you are no longer taking photos or videos, as it can also drain the battery. And check in the settings the list of apps that consume the most on your smartphone.
Mute sounds and vibrations. We neglect them too often, but sounds (ringtones of phone calls, notifications, alarm clock, alarm, audio track of videos, etc.) and vibrations (vibrate mode and haptic feedback of actions on the screen) need energy and consume electricity. So disable vibrate mode and haptic feedback (of the keyboard, in particular), reduce the audio volume and even switch to silent mode as often as possible, when you don't need the sound.
Activate airplane mode. It is too often neglected, but the airplane mode which deactivates all communications (telephone, mobile data and Wi-Fi) has many advantages. Because if it is ideal for disconnecting from the world and enjoying a quiet moment, it saves the resources of the mobile, and in particular its battery, the telephone no longer needing to power its communication modules. Do not hesitate to activate it whenever you need to be quiet (at night or in a meeting, for example), but also during certain trips (when you are driving, for example). This is because even when you're not using it, your phone will constantly search for new antennas along your route to find the best signal, draining the battery. Spare him this useless effort ! And note that even in airplane mode, you can manually reactivate Wi-Fi to enjoy a fixed Internet connection when you need it : practical for train travel, for example.
Use battery saver. Most recent smartphones have a power saving mode. Its operation varies according to the operating system (Android or iOS) and the manufacturer's overlay, but it generally combines several of the actions described above by adding optimized management of components, applications and certain options. And it is most often triggered when the battery reaches a certain “low” threshold (10 or 20%, for example), in order to preserve the autonomy of the smartphone by reducing its activity and changing its priorities. Do not hesitate to activate it so that it starts automatically when the time comes, without asking you for any particular manipulation.
As you will quickly notice, all of these measures will significantly reduce battery use by increasing the autonomy of your smartphone by the same amount. However, nothing obliges you to systematically carry out all these adjustments ! In practice, it all depends on your needs and habits. Also, take the time to test them all to find the combination that suits you best without affecting your use. You will quickly find new habits and your battery will thank you !
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