For many users of Android, it goes without saying that many times the battery stands in the way of optimal enjoyment of all features offered by the esteemed mobile platform. In desperation, many users have opted erringly to download and install apps that promise to improve battery efficiency by ridiculous proportions.
The ‘promise’ is in most cases just a marketing language used by app developers to ensnare users into downloading apps that do their phones no good at all. Instead, they end up knocking back the battery and bombarding users’ screens with unsolicited ads.
I will reveal to you some simple practices we keep overlooking, that can improve your battery life without requiring any software:
1. Pay attention to your network bars
To stay connected onto a network, mobile phones establish and maintain a continuous communication line with the nearest telecommunication mast. Whenever they are near a mast, mobile phones use less power to establish this communication thus the battery is never strained. However, when moved further away from masts, mobile phones usually struggle to establish communication with the tower, thus straining the battery and sometimes resulting in their heating especially when the phone is kept inside trouser pockets.
The point of advice here is that whenever you are far away from telecommunication masts and your signal strength becomes weak e.g. in remote areas or underground buildings, it is wise to switch off the phone to preserve power.
2. Keep screen brightness to a minimum
If not adjusted, the screen is likely to hog more power than any other ‘department’ in your smartphone. As app developers win their quests to keep us glued to our screens by cleverly creating fascinating apps, we as users continue torturing our batteries without knowing. Don’t be frightened though, you won’t be summoned in front of a judge for this. Just remember to always set your brightness to minimal levels to enjoy more runtime hours from a single charge.
Low screen brightness also minimizes overheating of the battery caused by rapid drainage of power to light up the screen.
3. Observe strict charging cycles
Today, many users forget to charge their mobile phones properly. It is inappropriate to ‘Whatsapp’ or tweet endlessly with your phone glued on the wall charger and claim you are charging it.
Plugging in the charger with a half full or even 1% full battery is imprudent.
The recommended time to charge a battery is when it cannot power up the phone; plug it in and give it all the time it needs to fill up before using the phone. This routine has been proven to increase battery efficiency as well as lifespan.
4. Keep your phone in a cool dry place
Trouser pockets, jam-packed handbags and sweaty palms are the last places every phone dreads to be.
Heat, pressure and being flung around are as nauseating to mobile phones as is to humankind. Body heat and pressure from trouser pockets causes the battery to warm up therefore lowering its efficiency.
When sweat finds its way beneath the back plate to the battery pins and phone motherboard, it not only causes rapid discharging but also might lead to short circuiting and rusting.
For gents, it is advisable to carry your phones in shirt pockets, coats or porches that can be attached to the belt. Ladies should avoid carrying mobile phones engulfed in their palms or stuffing them alongside other personal effects in handbags.
Conclusion
Observing these basic guidelines will not only increase the battery life of your smartphone but also protect you from potential accidents such as explosions caused by distressed batteries.