Smartphone Battery Life Tips: 12 Tricks To Make Your Device Last Longer

You can check your email, browse for shoes, play with Angry Birds, and do a whole host of other things on smartphones--unless the battery dies.

As anyone who's owned a smartphone knows, it can be incredibly stressful when you see your battery life ticking down towards zero, leaving you stranded and out of touch.

Luckily, there are some things you can do to help extend your battery life, not only when it's about to die, but over the course of its existence. Check out our helpful tips and vote for your favorite. Then, see our slideshow of what to do if you've lost your phone.

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Don't Wait To Charge

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Charge your phone frequently. Recharging when the phone is almost dead too often will make the battery do more work and lower its life expectancy. Charge when your phone is 40 percent full, not 10 percent.

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Charge your phone frequently. Recharging when the phone is almost dead too often will make the battery do more work and lower its life expectancy. Charge when your phone is 40 percent full, not 10 percent.

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Comments

[KarateKid]

10:57 AM on 06/20/2011

I use the Mophie Air for iPhone 4. End of problem. And, the red one is a satiny finish and beautiful, much nicer than what it depicted on the photos. It also gives the phone a solid feel, a little heavier, without adding a lot of bulk. The one pictured above is the Mophie Plus, which is bulkier. Get the Air.

[Neitherpartieslapdog]

08:56 PM on 06/19/2011

I'm glad someone else dispelled the battery myth.. Even with older NiCad batteries running them below about 30% decreases battery life. Running to 0 can actually cause some of the cells to begin to charge in reverse bias. Basically, build a reverse charge before recharging. The myth of running them down was because a certain type of NiCad worked best that way(sinter I believe) but was never released to the consumer market. The idea of "memory" in batteries is total B.S.

By the way, my verizon boulder has gone up to 5 days without having to be charged and I read headlines on it every morning but wait til I get to a computer to surf.

[JunH24]

03:07 PM on 06/19/2011

Thanks for this info. I hope with this tips my smartphone battery life more last longer.
http://www.infotechblogs.com/2010/11/how-to-extend-phone-battery-life.html

[brux]

11:11 PM on 06/18/2011

Does anyone know if AIRPLANE MODE stops your phone from emitting radiation.
If the phone is in airplane mode does that mean it will not be irradiating your leg in
RF if you carry your phone in your pocket?

[OdinsEye]

05:45 PM on 06/19/2011

Yes. it stops the phone from transmitting and from receiving. However, even when your phone is in the normal mode, it only transmits a very short burst a few times a minute, unless searching for a tower. The RF energy is so low that it really cannot get more than a few millimeters into your skin and is of such short duration that it cannot cause any heating effects.

[brux]

06:14 PM on 06/19/2011

> it stops the phone from transmitti ng and from receiving.

Thanks, but that was not what I asked. I believe you are right that the telephone part of the phone continues to transmit, and that is the part that the WHO I think it was is warning about.

I would just as soon be able to turn my phone off 100%. The fact is they do not know still what EMR does to living cells long term at different frequencies. I'm pretty skeptical, but I don't know for sure, so don't want to pretend like I do.

I was looking for a metal type case that I could put the whole phone in and seal it from the outside world when I was not using it. That'll show'em! ;-)

But you should remember that the heating effects are byproducts of the microwave radiation, not the whole effect, and that radiation in my opinion can with a certain probability have other effects.

It's kind of ironic I got the iPhone for the camera/video/wifi/sound recorder/internet/note taking/music/books/audiobooks function ... I did not really need a phone, but the iPod was too small and my iPad is too big to carry around all the time.

[nomac]

11:04 PM on 06/18/2011

funny my phone battery never dies, even works when the power goes out, tho the cord makes it hard to move around with.

[Mister Grumpy]

06:23 PM on 06/18/2011

I've always found turning the phone "OFF" makes the battery last a long time.............

[seajewel]

05:43 PM on 06/18/2011

So that's it? In other words, all that money you spent on features and apps are useless because you can't really use the phone the way it was intended.

Sigh...
[sic]

[Phemale]

01:57 PM on 06/19/2011

No, that's not it at all.

They are giving you tips on how to manage and maintain your smartphone as opposed to just loading it up with a bunch of apps without properly adjusting the settings from time to time.

They are offering tips on how to extend the battery life during certain situations; Not all situations.

It's similar to your computer; If you keep downloading software without providing maintenance then you will experience problems and you will shorten the life of your device.

[seajewel]

10:16 AM on 06/20/2011

Oh joy! Manage and maintain? I can hardly wait; sounds like just what I bought a smartphone for so I could have more problems and create more work for myself.

Let me ask you this, did you actually read my post before responding? or are you just naturally defensive of the smart phone industry for some obtuse reason? Do you realize that we are way behind the rest of the world in smartphone technology?

[nate6259]

10:26 AM on 06/20/2011

It doesn't mean that you can't use the phone the way you intended. It's the same thing with a laptop or any other relatively powerful device running on a battery. It will always be a trade-off between the amount of services you choose to simultaneously use and how long your battery will last.

For example, if I wanted to, I could use wi-fi, GPS and bluetooth while multitasking between texting and the web on my smartphone. It's great to have these options, but I'd probably turn some of those services off if I knew my battery needed to last for a long time.

It only takes a few seconds and it doesn't mean you can't turn them back on just as easily.

[seajewel]

11:07 PM on 06/20/2011

It was intended as sarcasm guys! But I still think it is deceptive practice to sell us all these great features and then quote a battery life that's unrealistic unless you turn most things off.

[Jack Daniels Esq]

07:20 AM on 06/18/2011

The CDMA/GSM radio 'hits' cells all the time checking on signals, data, strength, etc
Turn this cell-tower hit frequency down by 50-75% for real battery savings

[duckzilla]

08:42 PM on 06/17/2011

silly article

forgot the real #1 tip for battery life

ROOT THE PHONE. if you don't know how, find someone that does and have them do it. there a few good battery savings roms out there you can use after it's rooted

also, avoid using animated backgrounds

and, get a task manager app and use it to see what apps you phone has running and how much power they're using

[Jack Daniels Esq]

09:48 AM on 06/18/2011

info is never silly

[Uosdwis]

05:34 PM on 06/17/2011

One I found out about: if you have a daily alarm time set, disable it when possible. Like first thing in the morning after it goes off, then turn it back on overnight. However, my iPod touch battery may already be losing it, draining a little too fast, despite all these tips that I do follow, after only about 7 months. I maybe should've taken it out of the rubber case more often (heat from charging, apparently) but am paranoid about it getting scratched on the back.

[DucksBack]

05:08 PM on 06/17/2011

Is huff post dumbing itself down for aol and southern users? Thanks Mr. Obvious, I didn't realize if I asked my mobile to perform more tasks that It would drain the battery. k'duh?

[arod72]

05:43 PM on 06/17/2011

That was a little rude (and no, I am not from the South). Next time you could just say Republicans.

[DucksBack]

11:05 AM on 06/19/2011

Sorry, I was aiming for more rude than a little.

[postpostmodern]

07:31 PM on 06/17/2011

Why do you feel a need to bash Southerners? Feeling a little insecure about something?

[DucksBack]

11:10 AM on 06/19/2011

I'm from Tennessee and live in Tennessee and I know how ignorant the south is becoming. Palin, Beck, and O'rielly are heroes around here, and anyone who put "W" bumper stickers on their window still displays them, proudly.

I feel compelled to bash anyone who deserves it.

[Chopper Joe]

04:41 PM on 06/17/2011

I have an EVO, probably the most notorious phone for bad battery life. Two simple changes make for a major improvement in battery life:

1. Turn off auto-sync (especially if you have a lot of apps)
2. Use power widgets to control the features you use, quickly and easily. The only one I use routinely is for mobile connection (3G) since I use wi-fi at home. It stays off unless I'm out and about.

Those two steps make a dramatic difference.

Also, I have a portable power supply that holds about 3X a battery that I can use to recharge or run phone off of if necessary. So far, I've never had to use it but glad to have it and it cost about the same as one replacement battery and is small enough to carry in a bag or briefcase.

[OdinsEye]

05:46 PM on 06/19/2011

Portable supplies and car chargers are great devices to have.

[Chuck Dick]

04:36 PM on 06/17/2011

Shutting down "background" apps on the iPhone is meaningless. They don't run in the background. Preserving battery life is the reason iPhones don't have true multitasking. With Android, you need a CS degree to manage your background processes, thus to preserve battery life.

[MrVee]

04:18 PM on 06/17/2011

First order of business if you use Android, invest in an extended battery. Android phones ship with starter batteries. Enough juice to light the screen but not nearly enough to get you through a day. Make a B line to Amazon or Ebay and get a large battery, unless you don't mind being tethered to a wall.

Or, Buy an Iphone or Windows Phone 7 device. Both devices are better overall and much better suited for those who need a "smart" phone on the go.

[r3dDaWn74]

05:42 PM on 06/17/2011

lol, your one of "those"... WP7 can't do anything near what a Android phone can, and the Iphone, more now with iOS 5, is copying everything Android is doing. Just because you don't know how to use a "smart phone", that does true multitasking and can be modified to do anything, just about, doesn't mean others will follow that lead. There are MANY Android phones that, along with battery life, are much farther ahead in terms of tech. Maybe learn how to code and see what one can do with all three, and see why Android continues to lead the pack, something most Apple fans said would never happen, beyond the excuse of Apple only released it on ATT and Verizon, that excuse doesn't work anymore..

[MrVee]

07:05 PM on 06/17/2011

Battery life was the question. My answers relate to battery life. Try to focus before you answer go ultimate fanboy. Which Android phones have batteries that are "MUCH farther ahead in tech". Whatever that supposed to mean. Tell me specifically which Android phone have a battery that is farther ahead in tech. But since you bring it up, WP7 can't? What can't the WP7 do? Specifically. It doesn't offer 3rd party multitasking but it does multitask. 3rd party multitasking will be resolved in Mango. And since when is it necessary to be a programmer to use Android? Feel free to Google your answers.

[Sally Jones2009]

10:03 AM on 07/06/2011

I hear that the new Verizon Casio Commando has poor battery life and alternate batteries are not available. I need a phone that is waterproof and shockproof. (I also heard that rooting phones destroys warranty.) I'd rather have an iPhone. Question - is it possible to protect an iPhone screen with a case, and also to make it waterproof? I spend a lot of time outdoors, often in rain, often sweating. I also know a lot of people have ruined their screens on iPhones simply dropping them.

[NickConrad]

03:31 PM on 06/17/2011

Yeah, turn off Wi-Fi and let your phone eat itself alive relying only on 3G. That will do wonders for the battery. Please don't post something about tech if you aren't yourself IN tech.

[Mitchman57]

07:37 PM on 06/17/2011

i think in the space of a picture caption... the advise is to turn it off if you aren't using it. WiFi usually runs hand-in-hand with a search for open routers. THAT eats the battery. Turn off WiFi to stop the search and turn off the radio.