We all want to think our phone's battery will last long enough to get us to a charger. But sometimes, it just doesn't. Don't worry. Some quick tweaks, or a new battery could restore the phone to almost new.
The Basics
Before digging into any of the more complex fixes, give these fundamentals a try.
- Restart your phone is a good first step to ensure it’s not a random software fluke.
- Updating your phone is necessary as some battery and power bugs are addressed in recent Android updates.
- Go to your Settings app > System > System Update to check for updates.
- Try enabling Low Power mode as a stopgap. This can be enabled in the Battery option of the Settings menu
Heavy Use
Advertised battery life and battery life in practice often vary wildly. Just because the specs page on your brand new iPhone 13 Pro Max boasts up to 95 hours of audio playback, doesn’t mean you'll get four whole days of use on a single charge. These numbers are acquired in precisely controlled and idealized scenarios. Here are some ways to minimize your phone's energy consumption.
- If you tend to get a lot of notifications, disabling vibrations can significantly improve battery life.
- Decrease your screen lock time out. Or be sure to lock your phone when you’re done using it.
- Enable Do Not Disturb mode. Otherwise incoming notifications will power the screen on as they come in. Bear in mind you may need to configure exceptions if you don't want to risk missing important calls.
- GPS, video games, streaming media, and frequent use of the camera flash will also consume higher than typical amounts of energy and could drastically shorten battery life.
- Limit background usage of apps by restricting apps with high overall battery.
- Open Settings, then select Battery > Battery usage. This provides a list of apps and their power usage for the past 24 hours.
- Tap each app to check its usage and make sure Battery Optimization is toggled on.
Low Cell Service
When your phone is in an area where cellular coverage is limited, it boosts the amount of energy sent to antenna functions to attempt to pull signal in from further away. This can drain your battery with frightening speed.
- This would show in the battery usage settings mentioned above.
- Disable cellular functions by enabling Airplane mode until you are in an area with better coverage. WiFi and Bluetooth can still be utilized in this mode, although they may need to be re-enabled.
- Consistently poor cell service can also be a result of failed hardware and may be worth posting at the Answers forum to determine causality. There are a high number of factors, so a lot isolating is usually necessary.
Extreme Temperatures
Batteries don’t like extreme temperatures on either end of the spectrum. Lithium Ion batteries, like those used in most mobile devices, generate energy due to a chemical reaction within the battery. This reaction does not function well in cold temperatures and generates far less energy than normal. Hot temperatures can be just as problematic. Not only do high temperatures degrade the battery more quickly, they can also cause catastrophic failure.
- During times when you are planning to be in cold environments, keep your phone close to your body, or turn it off altogether until you are in a warmer space.
- Cases designed to keep phones from losing heat are also available if you face this issue consistently.
- Leave your phone somewhere cool, or out of the sun if you will be in a hot area for long periods.
Faulty Battery
We are likely all aware that all rechargeable batteries degrade over time. This can lead to poor battery life. Not only are the chemicals contained in them consumed with use, they can also fail suddenly.
- If you have had the phone for two or more years, this is a likely cause.
- Search for signs of battery swelling. Is there localized screen discoloration? Is the screen lifting away from the housing?
- Use the battery guide for your phone to replace the battery if there are any indications of failure. Exercise caution when handling the battery. Lithium-ion batteries can be hazardous if they are damaged. Detailed Guides are also available to help you complete this repair like a pro!
crwdns2944067:010crwdne2944067:0
Pixel 7 pro battery usage on pixel launcher 33 percent I am not on phone much but watch battery percentage drop like a rock
Myles K - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
Pixel 6 Pro even if I do almost nothing battery level may get down up to 40-60
Evgheni - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
I have had the phone one week and the battery is not good . I have the 7pro. I thought this phone has a good battery?
Blanton Beathea - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
I got the pixel 7 about a week ago; I have everything turned off; Location, AOD, NFC, Bluetooth, 90hz screen (off), lift to wake-off, uninstalled or disabled loads of crap, restricted battery usage & background data on everything, plus have extreme battery saver enabled all the time and yet still losing 5% battery overnight. This is actually good compared to other users who don't go to the extreme I do, but both my iPhone 13 & Galaxy A53 will both lose only 1-2% over the same 8-hour period overnight while I sleep. Google has a battery management problem.
David Lorin - crwdns2934203:0crwdne2934203:0
You don't have to turn off anything, give it a week or so to adapt, and everything will be magic
tinosqindis -