B
Bee
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I know there are thousands of posts on this forum discussing how to improve the overall battery life of the Hero. Most people advise others to root the phone or buy a larger battery. However, most people forget that there’s a lot you can do without taking such drastic measures. I’ve found that simple lifestyle changes here and there can turn into huge power savers for your Hero. So here’s my quick guide on how to maintain a battery charge.
NOTE: Take all of these tips with a grain of salt. None are guaranteed to drastically boost battery life individually, but the gains will be noticeable the more steps you utilize.
1. Use the Best App for the Job
The stock apps that come with your Hero may do the job, but many have bugs and issues that place a severe strain on your battery. See this post to find a comprehensive list of alternative apps (as well as some must-have advice) that may help to improve the overall efficiency of your phone.
2. When You’re Sleeping, Disable the Mobile Network
I can’t stress this one enough. Performing this step can improve battery life 15-20%. Plus do you absolutely need to know about who’s tweeting at 3AM? Once you enable the network again in the morning, your apps will typically update anyways. If not, set them up accordingly. Also consider enabling Airplane Mode is your don't expect calls/texts at night.
3. Disable HTC Weather
I realize Weather is a superb tool, but its auto-update feature is a huge battery drain. Either seek out a more flexible weather app or just completely disable.
4. Update Your Apps
Developers release updates for good reason, like improving efficiency. A more efficient app means more battery life for you, so ensure all your apps are frequently updated. To check if you’re up-to-date, run the Market app and go to Downloads. There you’ll see a list of all the apps you’ve downloaded and if any updates are available for them.
5. Decrease Update Frequency for Apps
How often do you need to check your email? I personally only check around once an hour, so I’ve set my Hero to do the same. Lowering the update frequency of your apps will increase your battery life and decrease the amount of data you consume each month (assuming you care). Check the settings of your most-used apps and see just how often they update.
6. Not Using It? Turn It Off.
Pretty self explanatory. If your Hero is idling, it’s just a waste of battery. Sometimes it’s best to just shut it off. Plus, a fresh reboot can make all the difference in performance.
7. Enable Airplane Mode while Driving
Since it’s illegal in most states to talk/text on the phone while driving, why run the risk? Just enable airplane mode to ensure you won’t lose focus on the road and also save some charge on your phone. Also consider turning the phone off for lengthier trips.
8. Use Wifi When in Areas of Poor Coverage
If you're using online apps in areas where the network is spotty, your Hero has to work much harder to maintain a solid connection with Sprint's network. Using wifi in these cases can provide significant improvements to your battery life.
(Thanks to erjent for this tip)
Now remember, take all tips with a grain of salt! No two Hero users are alike, so not all of these tips will work well with your lifestyle. However before you consider rooting your phone or purchasing a huge battery to meet your demand, give these tips a try. I’ve been using them for a month now and have been able to consistently go 3 days on a single charge with heavy usage for ~2 hours each day. It’s crazy how effective this method can be if you take it to heart.
NOTE: Take all of these tips with a grain of salt. None are guaranteed to drastically boost battery life individually, but the gains will be noticeable the more steps you utilize.
1. Use the Best App for the Job
The stock apps that come with your Hero may do the job, but many have bugs and issues that place a severe strain on your battery. See this post to find a comprehensive list of alternative apps (as well as some must-have advice) that may help to improve the overall efficiency of your phone.
2. When You’re Sleeping, Disable the Mobile Network
I can’t stress this one enough. Performing this step can improve battery life 15-20%. Plus do you absolutely need to know about who’s tweeting at 3AM? Once you enable the network again in the morning, your apps will typically update anyways. If not, set them up accordingly. Also consider enabling Airplane Mode is your don't expect calls/texts at night.
3. Disable HTC Weather
I realize Weather is a superb tool, but its auto-update feature is a huge battery drain. Either seek out a more flexible weather app or just completely disable.
4. Update Your Apps
Developers release updates for good reason, like improving efficiency. A more efficient app means more battery life for you, so ensure all your apps are frequently updated. To check if you’re up-to-date, run the Market app and go to Downloads. There you’ll see a list of all the apps you’ve downloaded and if any updates are available for them.
5. Decrease Update Frequency for Apps
How often do you need to check your email? I personally only check around once an hour, so I’ve set my Hero to do the same. Lowering the update frequency of your apps will increase your battery life and decrease the amount of data you consume each month (assuming you care). Check the settings of your most-used apps and see just how often they update.
6. Not Using It? Turn It Off.
Pretty self explanatory. If your Hero is idling, it’s just a waste of battery. Sometimes it’s best to just shut it off. Plus, a fresh reboot can make all the difference in performance.
7. Enable Airplane Mode while Driving
Since it’s illegal in most states to talk/text on the phone while driving, why run the risk? Just enable airplane mode to ensure you won’t lose focus on the road and also save some charge on your phone. Also consider turning the phone off for lengthier trips.
8. Use Wifi When in Areas of Poor Coverage
If you're using online apps in areas where the network is spotty, your Hero has to work much harder to maintain a solid connection with Sprint's network. Using wifi in these cases can provide significant improvements to your battery life.
(Thanks to erjent for this tip)
Now remember, take all tips with a grain of salt! No two Hero users are alike, so not all of these tips will work well with your lifestyle. However before you consider rooting your phone or purchasing a huge battery to meet your demand, give these tips a try. I’ve been using them for a month now and have been able to consistently go 3 days on a single charge with heavy usage for ~2 hours each day. It’s crazy how effective this method can be if you take it to heart.
