A smartphone’s battery is used by increasingly energy consuming applications. While we can’t guarantee that you won’t still perpetually be running around looking for an outlet to plug your little darling into, it’s a good idea to start with figuring out how to prolong your battery life to begin with.

Optimize Charging

The memory of nickel batteries today is irrelevant at an age when the lithium-ion battery, which requires more frequent recharging, reigns. In fact, it’s better to keep this guy at a charge level close to 50%, and ensure its longevity instead of constantly subjecting it to a cycle of total discharge and then a fuller than full recharge. Would you want to be switching back and forth from complete fasts and gargantuan feasts?  Probably not. Stopping a recharge just before reaching 100% is also a little trick to avoid overheating and lowering the risk of degrading battery quality.

Take Charge Of Your Screen

Screen brightness is a big energy consumer, so let’s start by turning off its automatic adjustment. This is all the more true now that manufacturers are competing with big-shot ultra-bright slabs like AMOLED or Quad-HD. In the same vein, let’s try to avoid white when choosing a background (and not just after labour day). Dark colours are less expensive, energetically speaking. Night mode gives the battery a good boost to keep its energy use optimal when the sun goes down. Finally, avoid using animated wallpapers that have no real added value, and reduce the screen’s backlight.

Master The Network

On the network side, shut down the energy-consuming automatic synchronization of apps. You’re already connected to a network with a gluttonous appetite for energy, and you need to keep it under control by cutting off it’s dessert: incessant synchronization, which multiplies energy consumption. (Obviously, don’t forget to do updates yourself when needed – and when you’re plugged in).

If for some reason you find yourself stuck in a secret CIA mission in the middle of the Sahara Desert, don’t fret: you can manage the Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and NFC connections and keep that phone on just a little bit longer by activating or disabling the right functionalities wisely. Decouple your Wi-Fi and mobile network for example, or disable the Wi-Fi Support feature.

Freeze Your Smartphone

Your Samsung or iPhone, even if it’s your most loyal lieutenant, is also a metal, glass, and coltan being. In other words, it loves the cold. The higher the ambient temperature, the faster its battery life will run out. So above all, avoid leaving it to tan by the pool. Or to cook on the dashboard of your car. Also, choose wired recharging rather than the new wireless systems, which generate residual heat. 

A final point, avoid vibration mode and uninstall all your unused apps. Then, don’t look back. Don’t even look for an outlet – at least not for a few more hours.