tested battery saving tips!

[kawasakilewis]

every one says about how bad smartphones drain batteries, soo, i did alot of testing and messing around to see how to save battery life, and i think i have all the in's and out's of batteries.
1.turn of haptic feedback(touch vibrations), and touch tones
2.use vibrate as minimum as possible
3.leave bluetooth, gps, locations, wifi, auto sync, and anything like that off when not in use.
4.when wifi is in range, use it! it takes alot less time and energy to load things.
5. keep your screen brightness at a minimum
6.set your screen dimming options to 30 seconds(lowest) and/or dim the screen immediately when your not using your phone.
7.do not use handcent, go, or anything like that, they are a battery drainer believe it or not.
8.do not use a different homescreen or different launchers, they eat battery too.
9.do not use task killers unless your phone starts acting very very sluggish, and if so(which rarely happens) just reboot your phone. it takes more energy to keep restarting apps than it does to just leave them idle.
10.keep game playing to a minimum, and when you do play games, turn the volume and vibrations off.
11.if your in a bad service zone, turn your phone on airplane mode.
12.turn any push notifications off, or, turn them on longer intervals, so you phone is not always searching.
13. turn off window animations in your settings, this increases battery life and it also makes your phone faster.
14. turn off auto rotate.
15.dont use a screen lock


those are the 15 things i found VERY useful when saving battery, and i have tested all of these methods carefully on more than one phone. I hope this helps others!

 

[kawasakilewis]

also, don't use any live wallpapers, or widgets, like the weather widgets!

 

[MikeyCooperH]

Phew! thought i was going insane! I've limited myself to a few home widgets. I did have the power save mode enabler app installed. thought this was good until the screen wouldn't dim after dev update and it wanted to know my location? battery saving app wanting to know my location?... i don't think so...uninstalled. Now using Battery doctor seems okay?

I agree with the wifi option for downloading, still hammers the battery but not as much as the network connection.

One tip i have is also to turn off the background data, this also eats the battery (but in the background) if you leave the auto-sync function on everytime you connect to the android market everything will update anyway.

 

[janpetras]

12.turn any push notifications off, or, turn them on longer intervals, so you phone is not always searching.

that's ******ed.
push stands for something... you know... ?

 

[takeshi]

leave bluetooth, gps, locations, wifi, auto sync, and anything like that off when not in use.

For the Nth time, GPS does not impact battery unless the receiver is actively used. You'll know your GPS receiver is in use if you watch the notification bar.

That said, if you have apps using the receiver without your knowledge/control it may be easier just to turn it off. I don't as my receiver is only used when I initiate use of it.

Don't blindly apply battery saving tips. It's like any other troubleshooting. Determine the causes in your specific case and address the major battery hogs. Blindly applying fixes is always an inefficient approach.

do not use task killers unless your phone starts acting very very sluggish, and if so(which rarely happens) just reboot your phone. it takes more energy to keep restarting apps than it does to just leave them idle.

Do not use task killers at all. If you need to use a task killer then you have a problem app. Address the problem. Task killers only address symptoms, not the actual problem.

turn any push notifications off, or, turn them on longer intervals, so you phone is not always searching.

FAIL. Please read up on push. Push is server initiated (that's what push means). If your device is polling then it isn't push.

 

[Mostly Harmless]

every one says about how bad smartphones drain batteries, soo, i did alot of testing and messing around to see how to save battery life, and i think i have all the in's and out's of batteries.
1.turn of haptic feedback(touch vibrations), and touch tones
2.use vibrate as minimum as possible
3.leave bluetooth, gps, locations, wifi, auto sync, and anything like that off when not in use.
4.when wifi is in range, use it! it takes alot less time and energy to load things.
5. keep your screen brightness at a minimum
6.set your screen dimming options to 30 seconds(lowest) and/or dim the screen immediately when your not using your phone.
7.do not use handcent, go, or anything like that, they are a battery drainer believe it or not.
8.do not use a different homescreen or different launchers, they eat battery too.
9.do not use task killers unless your phone starts acting very very sluggish, and if so(which rarely happens) just reboot your phone. it takes more energy to keep restarting apps than it does to just leave them idle.
10.keep game playing to a minimum, and when you do play games, turn the volume and vibrations off.
11.if your in a bad service zone, turn your phone on airplane mode.
12.turn any push notifications off, or, turn them on longer intervals, so you phone is not always searching.
13. turn off window animations in your settings, this increases battery life and it also makes your phone faster.
14. turn off auto rotate.
15.dont use a screen lock


those are the 15 things i found VERY useful when saving battery, and i have tested all of these methods carefully on more than one phone. I hope this helps others!

No games, no customization, dim screen, why even have a smart phone? The best tip I can offer is buy a spare battery and charge your phone whenever you can. In normal day to day use I never even think about my battery because I have a charger at work and a spare battery in my backpack. If I am hanging out with my friends I never use my phone enough to worry about the battery. If I am in the car I charge it.

If you really need to prolong your battery life then maybe these tips are for you but then again I have to ask why have a smart phone? My last tip: Don't let this things get in the way of enjoying your phone. I remember having my screen set so dim to conserve battery that it was tough to see. One day I said screw it and turned it to auto brightness, it was like seeing a brand new phone. I had forgotten how awesome my screen was.

 

[kawasakilewis]

No games, no customization, dim screen, why even have a smart phone? The best tip I can offer is buy a spare battery and charge your phone whenever you can. In normal day to day use I never even think about my battery because I have a charger at work and a spare battery in my backpack. If I am hanging out with my friends I never use my phone enough to worry about the battery. If I am in the car I charge it.

If you really need to prolong your battery life then maybe these tips are for you but then again I have to ask why have a smart phone? My last tip: Don't let this things get in the way of enjoying your phone. I remember having my screen set so dim to conserve battery that it was tough to see. One day I said screw it and turned it to auto brightness, it was like seeing a brand new phone. I had forgotten how awesome my screen was.

i run my screen at 50% 24/7, and i understand your first point, i was just giving out some pointers i found useful.

 

[kawasakilewis]

For the Nth time, GPS does not impact battery unless the receiver is actively used. You'll know your GPS receiver is in use if you watch the notification bar.

That said, if you have apps using the receiver without your knowledge/control it may be easier just to turn it off. I don't as my receiver is only used when I initiate use of it.

Don't blindly apply battery saving tips. It's like any other troubleshooting. Determine the causes in your specific case and address the major battery hogs. Blindly applying fixes is always an inefficient approach.


Do not use task killers at all. If you need to use a task killer then you have a problem app. Address the problem. Task killers only address symptoms, not the actual problem.


FAIL. Please read up on push. Push is server initiated (that's what push means). If your device is polling then it isn't push.

for the gps, i am just generally saying if you keep your location turned off, that elliminates anything from using it, which can save battery.

i have android assistant, to organize my sd card and things ike that, and sometimes my phone has gotten sluggish or an app acts up, i just go to my android assistant and press quick boost, which kills apps, but i rarely do so, and that is what i meant.

 

[SeekerOfTheWay]

Good tips, thanks! When I'm near a charger or know I will be i just use the heck outta my phone with little consideration of battery life.

If I'm traveling or away from electricity for a day or more I definitely takes steps to minimize battery drain.

 

[Mostly Harmless]

i run my screen at 50% 24/7, and i understand your first point, i was just giving out some pointers i found useful.

Yes, they are very good tips for anyone looking to save battery life, thanks kawasakilewis.

 

[AndroidSPCS]

There is an app called "Juice Defender" on the market that can help as well, FYI.

 

[B2L]

every one says about how bad smartphones drain batteries, soo, i did alot of testing and messing around to see how to save battery life, and i think i have all the in's and out's of batteries.
1.turn of haptic feedback(touch vibrations), and touch tones
2.use vibrate as minimum as possible
3.leave bluetooth, gps, locations, wifi, auto sync, and anything like that off when not in use.
4.when wifi is in range, use it! it takes alot less time and energy to load things.
5. keep your screen brightness at a minimum
6.set your screen dimming options to 30 seconds(lowest) and/or dim the screen immediately when your not using your phone.
7.do not use handcent, go, or anything like that, they are a battery drainer believe it or not.
8.do not use a different homescreen or different launchers, they eat battery too.
9.do not use task killers unless your phone starts acting very very sluggish, and if so(which rarely happens) just reboot your phone. it takes more energy to keep restarting apps than it does to just leave them idle.
10.keep game playing to a minimum, and when you do play games, turn the volume and vibrations off.
11.if your in a bad service zone, turn your phone on airplane mode.
12.turn any push notifications off, or, turn them on longer intervals, so you phone is not always searching.
13. turn off window animations in your settings, this increases battery life and it also makes your phone faster.
14. turn off auto rotate.
15.dont use a screen lock


those are the 15 things i found VERY useful when saving battery, and i have tested all of these methods carefully on more than one phone. I hope this helps others!

I am going to have to disagree with number 7 and 8. First of all Handcent will not use more battery unless you have the text pop up notification enabled, that is the one thing that will cause battery drain. As for #8 i have used the stock launcher, ADW, Launcher Pro, and Zeam. Out of those 4 Launcher Pro has given me the best battery life with the same settings, so it all really depends which alternative launcher you choose to use.

Like someone said up above why would you even want a smartphone when you disable everything that makes it enjoyable. If anyone is tired of battery life buy a spare and use your phone as it was mean't to be used. Or order a larger capacity battery, for most phones they sell a 3300-3500 mah battery.

 

[MikeyCooperH]

i thought about getting one of those bigger batteries, but, reading more it's massive and you need a aftermarket back to fit - all in all makes the phone look like a brick. not good.

With a bit of managing you can save battery but still have the functionality of a smart phone. If you only use something like internet, gps, email casually turn if off until needed. If you use it all the time leave it on. Different people = different needs.

 

[SeekerOfTheWay]

The extended battery looks and feels good, and works great! One of the best purchases I have made in a while. Doesn't add that much weight or bulk. But like you said it's personal opinion.

 

[davidchsw]

I leave bluetooth, wifi, and GPS on all day. It doesn't hurt the battery life as far as I see.

 

[SeekerOfTheWay]

I read on here that leaving GPS on doesnt cause drain, it's the using of GPS. I also always leave GPS on but i also have Google Latitude and Weather Bug Elite using that GPS. I havent noticed a huge drain from it yet.

When I use GPS for geocaching using c:geo I do see a drain. I attribute that to the screen being on and on 100 percent. For me, the screen is always the biggest drain.

 

[AJPTransport]

Lol what's the point of having a phone if you can't enjoy the features

 

[SeekerOfTheWay]

I just use battery saving techniques when im away from a power source for more than a day.

On the flipside of what you said, what's the point of having a smartphone that is dead after 4 hours? That's not so great either.

 

[kawasakilewis]

for those who thanked me, thank you, i'm just trying to tell what i found useful and i'm glad that you guys could use this information. and for those who say it defeats the purpose of having a smart phone... welll, i do use the features of my phone when i know i will have a charger, i use the heck outta my phone, haha, but sometimes there are those days when you actually need your phone, like for phone uses, and need to save battery. hahah, not just play games all day.

 

[chirag123]

I think nokia is smart that he is not using Android phone... if u cant use the feature no need to use it. They must have to concentrate on improving the battery life.

 

[takaya.aiba]

i have owned many smart phones and tablets, some running android and others that are not android os based.

from my experience it is better to charge these devices to 100% and not to begin charging until the device is at 10% or less.

this may be a deluded mindset, but has seemed to make a substantial difference in comparison to my partners devices of the same model. on average she uses these devices half as often, under comparative load.

 

[Andy in NY]

I generally through caution to the wind with my phone as I am always near a charger so it really doesn't matter. But I do use a few things to conserve battery like screen brightness.

 

[MyNamesTooLong]

That list seems a bit overkill...I honestly think lowering the brightness, and leaving things you don't need constantly on off is enough to get you through the day

 

[northendtrooper]

So what is the effect of the battery if I leave my wifi toggle on? Will it drain my battery faster?

 

[John Redcorn]

I know how to make an average smartphone battery last a week without having to individually toggle off all the smart things about your phone: adapt the battery to fit in a nokia 5160.


I guess I just don't understand all the battery saving stuff and I've got it worse than a lot of you all with my 1200mah inspire. But I have 1A chargers plugged in all over the house (wife's phone and nook color use microusb too) 1A charger in my truck, .75A blackberry chargers all over work. I can plug in anytime I want and gain like 10% per 10 minutes.

Anytime I'd be completely away from any type of charger it would be questionable whether i'd even have cell service. When would one actually be away from power? a 24 hour hike? what? If I was hiking for 24 hours I'd probably shut off sync, maybe go airplane mode and just check in every once in a while. charge it back up when I got back to my tent or truck.


I really don't get it, is it for bragging rights about unplugged time? another board I'm on people are constantly "my battery was drained this morning because ____ app had a wake lock on...." Why isn't the thing plugged in while you're asleep?

I'm reminded sometimes of yet another board I read (a chevy one) whenever mpg comes up, here come all the guys that get like 22mpg city in lifted suburbans and 2500s with AC blasting all the time. who are all like "What? you don't get 22 also? You get 12?? seriously?"