Nothing is more frustrating than glancing at your phone in the middle of the day and seeing the battery nearly drained. While no battery lasts forever, adopting a few smart habits can help you extend your phone’s life, so you’re not constantly searching for a charger.
The most important thing to know? These tricks you are about to discover are simple enough for anyone to use, requiring only minor, everyday adjustments to daily habits that can make a surprisingly significant and lasting difference over time.
Watch Your Screen Settings
Your phone’s screen is usually the biggest power hog. Start by lowering the brightness to a comfortable level, rather than keeping it at maximum. You can also enable auto-brightness, which automatically adjusts based on your surroundings. This way, the phone saves energy when you’re indoors or in dim light.
Another tip is to shorten your screen timeout—the time it stays on when you’re not using it. If your screen shuts off after 30 seconds instead of two minutes, you’ll save plenty of battery over the course of a day.
For more buying tips, see Android vs iPhone in 2025: What Actually Matters for Normal People.
Tame Background Apps
Many apps keep running in the background even when you’re not using them. Social media, maps, and messaging apps are common culprits. Go into your phone’s settings and limit background activity for apps that you don’t need to refresh constantly. On iPhone, look under “Background App Refresh,” and on Android, check “Battery” or “App Settings” to make adjustments.
Push notifications also drain power. If you don’t need constant alerts from games or shopping apps, turn them off. You’ll save battery and reduce distractions simultaneously.
Read Is It Time to Replace Your Old Phone? if you’re unsure whether to replace an old device or not.
Use Battery-Saving Features
Most phones now come with built-in battery saver modes. These features reduce performance slightly, dim the screen, and limit background processes to give you extra hours when your battery is running low. It’s beneficial when you’re traveling or know you’ll be away from a charger.
Another smart move is to switch off Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS when you’re not using them. These services constantly search for connections, which can drain your battery. Turning them off when unnecessary adds up to more time between charges.
Be Smart About Charging
How you charge your phone also affects long-term battery health. Instead of letting your phone’s battery level drop from 100% to 0% all the time, try to keep it between 20% and 80%. Modern batteries perform better with partial charges rather than constant complete cycles. Also, avoid leaving your phone plugged in overnight every single day. This poor habit can cause extra heat, which wears down the battery over time.
If you use a case, make sure it doesn’t trap heat while charging. Excess heat is one of the biggest enemies of battery life.
To keep your devices lasting longer overall, see When to Repair vs Replace Your Laptop or Phone.
Key Takeaway
By adjusting your screen settings, controlling background apps, and using built-in saver tools, you can keep your phone running longer throughout the day. Develop smart charging habits, and you’ll not only get more use out of your device each day but also extend its overall lifespan.
