Five Tips for Prolonging Your Cell Phone’s Battery Life

Have you ever found yourself with a dead smartphone and no power source? Terrifying, right?

If you’re like me, your smartphone is your lifeline. It tells you where you have to be (and when), pulls up directions to your next meeting, and gives you phone numbers for the important people in your life.

Of course, there are mobile power packs, but that’s just one more thing to lug around.

Let’s fix the problem at its source. Here are five tips to help prolong your battery life and keep the screen on:

Unplug. Don’t leave your phone constantly plugged in to a power source. Batteries are like muscles and need to be exercised or they lose their strength. Don’t leave your phone plugged in all night as this can “overcharge” your battery. Plug in your phone first thing in the morning as you’re getting ready for the day and unplug it as soon as it’s fully charged. Stay off the charger as long as you can and only plug it in when the charge dips below the point that makes you uneasy.
Delete old apps. Apps – even the ones you’re not opening anymore – can upload and download data that drains your battery. A regular clean-up exercise – like getting rid of the game you downloaded for your four-year-old in a moment of desperation – extends your battery life.
Disable background processes. Android and iOS devices have settings that limit or disable background data usage. It’s a friendly setting for your mobile phone bill, and it can significantly reduce your phone’s power consumption.
Keep an eye on signal strength. When you have limited “bars”, your phone works harder moving data. If you have a limited signal, put your phone on airplane mode or turn it off until you’re in an area with better signal strength.
Turn off Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth when not using. Having your phone constantly looking for Wi-Fi or trying to connect to your car’s Bluetooth can be draining. When you know you won’t need these operations, turn them off.