4 Smartphone Settings to Extend Battery Life on iOS and Android
Fast Company shares 4 smartphone settings for iOS and Android devices to extend battery life throughout the day without using power saving mode.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Limit background app refresh to stop silent content downloads
- Set GPS location access to work only while using specific apps
- Reduce display load with Dark Mode, Always On Display off, and 60Hz cap
- Switch from 5G to LTE or use airplane mode in weak signal areas
Magazine Fast Company recently published a guide highlighting four smartphone settings to help extend battery life throughout the day without enabling power saving mode. The article points out that rapid battery drain during the afternoon is often not caused by battery degradation, but by numerous background services running constantly, including apps accessing GPS, fetching data over weak cellular signals, and high-resolution displays running at high refresh rates.
The first technique is limiting background app refresh, which Fast Company notes is unnecessary for most apps, particularly social media, shopping apps, and games that silently download ads and content while the phone is sitting idle.
- iOS: Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and change it to Wi-Fi Only or turn it off entirely except for essential email and chat apps.
- Android: Go to Settings > Apps, select unnecessary apps one by one, tap Battery, and change background usage to Restricted.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
The second technique is reviewing location permissions, as GPS is one of the most power-hungry components in a device. When apps check precise locations every few minutes in the background, the hardware rapidly drains power. The fix is adjusting location privacy settings.
- iPhone: Go to Privacy and Security followed by Location Services.
- Android: Go to Settings, select Location, and access App permissions.
Users should then change non-essential apps from Always to While Using the App or turn them off completely, and disable Precise Location for weather or news apps that only need general regional data.
The third technique focuses on reducing display load, which is the most power-consuming hardware component. This includes three sub-methods: enabling Dark Mode (which saves power exclusively on OLED displays since pure black pixels consume virtually no energy), disabling Always On Display on supported devices, and capping the screen refresh rate to 60Hz on devices supporting 120Hz.
Understanding smartphone power management allows users to tailor their devices for better daily efficiency. Disabling these unnecessary background features not only preserves battery life but also reduces unintended mobile data consumption and enhances personal privacy regarding location sharing.
The final technique involves network selection. Fast Company highlights that 5G modems consume significantly more power than 4G or LTE modems, particularly in areas with unstable 5G coverage such as airports or trains. Users can configure their network settings to automatically switch down to LTE or manually select LTE in weak coverage zones.
Furthermore, during travel, the biggest battery drain is often a weak cellular signal because the device increases transmission power to search for cell towers. If the signal drops to a single bar in a dead zone, turning on airplane mode and re-enabling Wi-Fi is recommended. This stops the continuous cellular search and saves significant battery power, though incoming calls and SMS will be disabled during that time.
Source: Thairath Lifestyle
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