How to Maximize Phone Battery Life?

Even the flagman smartphone’s battery won’t stay in top shape forever. Before rushing headlong into the best charging practices, let’s take a look at the top reasons for battery degradation:

• Time. The time is merciless to lithium-ion batteries. Calendar degradation is an aging process that slowly deteriorates the battery's longevity, regardless of the charge-discharge cycle. This gradual decline is unavoidable even with the best battery-saving practices.
• Battery Maintenance. Good charging habits are crucial for a prolonged battery lifespan despite the calendar degradation. For instance, regularly charging your battery to 100% and discharging it to 0% are among the worst habits that will contribute to the quick degradation of your cell.
• Environment. Another top factor is the temperature at which your battery operates. Too high and too low temperatures can cause faster degradation or even malfunction.

With the basics out of the way, let’s take a look at the main tips and tricks on how to maximize battery life on iPhone and Android. Here is a compilation of the best charging practices.

1. Partial Charging

   Most modern smartphones feature lithium-ion batteries, which work best when operating at a lower voltage. To increase the lifespan, you should not overcharge or undercharge the device — stick to the golden range between 20 and 80%. If you constantly fully charge the device and let it die, you shorten the lifespan of the battery’s electrodes.

2. Use Battery Optimization Features

   Many modern smartphones feature battery optimization options, allowing owners to set charging limits at around 80-85%. If you want to avoid manually controlling the process and have a consistent charging schedule, optimization features should be your go-to.

3. Avoid Using When Charging

   Parasitic loads are among the worst charging habits: playing video games or watching movies while charging the phone distorts the cycle and deteriorates the battery lifespan. Although it’s best to avoid using the device when charging whatsoever, you can still use it for browsing the web or other light activities.

4. Full Charge and Discharge for Recalibration

   One of the more persisting myths still alive and thriving in the modern age of lithium-ion batteries is the idea that you should occasionally charge the phone to 100% and let it die. Deriving from the era of lead-acid cells, this practice is largely unnecessary for modern devices, although it can be used for recalibration or fine-tuning the phone's actual charge to the charge level indicated by the operational system.

Heat and cold don’t go well together with battery longevity. The environment and the internal battery temperature are important for the battery’s lifespan. At higher temperatures, the battery goes through a higher level of chemical activity, while at lower temperatures, the battery capacity is reduced. The trick is to hit the soft spot between too hot and too cold: to increase the charging efficiency and minimize the potential damage, it’s best to charge the device between 10°C and 30°C (50°F and 86°F). Here are a couple of tips to keep your battery in top shape:

• Minimize Overheating. Don’t leave your phone in the sun or put it under a cover because you risk overheating the battery.
• Avoid Parasitic Loads. When charging, don’t use your phone for high-intensity firmware activities, like playing games or watching movies. It’s preferable to avoid using the phone whatsoever to avoid disrupting the charging cycle.
• Minimize Cold Exposure. Lithium-ion batteries don’t go hand in hand with cold weather. With the temperature decrease, the chemical process inside the batteries slows down, resulting in reduced efficiency and faster drain.
• Avoid High Humidity. Humidity is another key factor that affects the device’s longevity. Dry and high-humidity climates can negatively impact the internal components of your device.

There are a couple of ways to go longer between charges and avoid draining the battery life. If you want to give your battery extra juice, here are a few suggestions:

• Cut down on power-hungry apps. Minimize video streaming and intensive gaming, and limit the use of notorious battery-draining apps like Netflix or YouTube.
• Turn off location services. Although this feature is crucial for apps like Google Maps, you can still limit its use for other applications to save battery.
• Ditch push notifications. Choose a selected few, like email, and reduce the rest to prolong the battery life.
• Avoid Wi-Fi scanning. This feature is continuously browsing for Wi-Fi networks, even when Wi-Fi is disabled. To bypass scanning, go to Settings > Location > Location Services > Wi-Fi Scanning.
• Lower Screen Brightness. Although it may sound like a short-term decision, lower screen brightness will help you reduce long-term battery wear. Additionally, you can also choose darker backgrounds and less colorful images.

Software updates are essential for proper functioning, like fixing bugs and glitches that affect the battery. If you’re not sure whether your phone performs automatic software updates, you can manually adjust it.

• Android: System update > Software update or Settings > About Phone.
• iOS: Settings > General > Software Update > Automatic Updates. Enable Security Responses and System Files automatic installation and ensure that iOS Updates toggles are green.