Mobile phones have come a long way in terms of features and styling, but the issue of battery life, or having enough of it, remains strong. Despite all the progress in technology, there seems to never be enough power. Yes, you can keep your battery juiced up for days if you don't talk on the phone ever, but what's the use of that? And sure, you can carry your admittedly portable charger with you to work, but try taking it out with you for a night out on the town - it is just not practical. Luckily, all hope is not lost — with a quick adjustments here and there, you can extend the battery life of your phone by hours and sometimes even days. Here are some tips and tricks to keep your phone battery running longer — take a look, follow a few, and you will never have to say "sorry, my phone battery died" again -unless, of course, you're avoiding that certain pesky caller.
Turn your mobile phone off
Sure, it might seem obvious, but when was the last time you actually switched off your phone when not using it? Well, do it next time, and you will see just how much longer your battery lasts. When you are asleep, while you are in a dead mobile phone reception area, or, the next time you are at the movies, try turning your phone off instead of putting it on silent. You should not be checking your phone during the movie anyway.
Avoid playing games, watching videos or scrolling through pictures
If you know it could be a while before your next charge, then you might have to skimp on entertainment. Yes, we know you need a 'Bejeweled' fix or need to edit down some quick snapshots from last night's wedding party, but both will cost you precious power.
Turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
Wireless features such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth may let you get your e-mail faster and free you of cords, but they are also slurping down lots of juice while they are on. The radio frequency that Bluetooth works on does not take too much power, but it will cut into your battery time if you leave your phone settings to 'discoverable' all the time. So, if you are not planning on using a wireless headset or speakers, turn off Bluetooth on your phone when you don't need it. The same goes for Wi-Fi, particularly in a moving car or walking around, since your phone will use up precious battery power as it scans for everchanging Wi-Fi hotspots. Wi-Fi is best used if you are in a fixed location and plan to use your phone for surfing the Web, checking e-mail or downloading files. If you must use the data connection and are either low on battery or happen to be moving around, then use the mobile phone's mobile data network (EV-DO, HDSPA, EDGE, or GPRS), which uses less power and is available over wider areas.
Turn off vibrate
The motor that runs the vibrate function is a huge drain on battery power, especially if you are constantly getting calls. Although vibrate is a great function for silently alerting you to calls, it is not worth missing calls because you vibrated away your battery. Switch to a nice ringtone, or even a song. And then make your own vibrations to your new ring.
Avoid flash photography
The little flashes on your camera phones can be surprisingly powerful — and energy-draining. And along with flash photography comes a huge drain on your precious battery life. Try to avoid taking tons of flash photos in a row, since this uses up more energy, or turn off the flash feature entirely and keep your photo shoots to areas with good lighting.
Brightness
Much like your laptop, most of the battery power of your phone is sucked up by the LCD screen (or, in many cases, screens). As with the power saving settings on a laptop that dim the screen's brightness, mobile phone screens can be dimmed to save power, which makes them a lot easier to see in bright sunlight anyway. Check in your phone's settings area to find screen controls. Your phone may also have a power save function or profile, which you would find in the general settings area.
Download your e-mails manually
Setting your phone to automatically check for mail every 20 minutes — which requires a power-sucking Wi-Fi or mobile data connection — will run down your battery in no time. Instead, set our phone to let you check your e-mail manually.
Charge your battery properly
Depending on the type of battery you have — the common lithium ion or the rarer, older nickel-based — you have to make sure you charge it correctly or else it can drain more quickly or display the remaining power inaccurately. A good rule is to let the battery fully discharge when you first get the phone and do so occasionally after for nickel batteries. For lithium, let it discharge to about 40 per cent before recharging. Lithium batteries will also decrease in power over time, about 20 per cent a year, so if your phone is getting old, it may be time to replace the battery. The type of battery you have is usually marked right on the battery itself.
Watch exposure to extreme temperatures
Your battery can be damaged or have its life diminished if it is stored in extremely hot or cold temperatures. Don't leave your phone in direct sunlight or a car on a hot day, and you should even consider not carrying it in your pocket on warmer days. If you are not using the battery for an extended time, leaving it in your fridge helps although you want to get it back to room temperature before putting it back in the phone.
clean your battery contacts
Over time, your battery connection to your mobile phone can become corroded. This can then lead to sub-par battery performance. If you notice your battery contacts — those gold-coloured metallic points on the bottom — have become discoloured or have accumulated dirt, then grab a cotton swab and some alcohol and wipe both the contacts themselves and the battery compartment on your mobile phone. Once any dust, lint or other debris has been cleared, the energy transfer should be back to normal and your battery may run longer.
Don't search for a signal in bad reception areas
In areas with little to no service, your phone will constantly search for a better signal, which drains power. Power off the phone in these areas if you know you won't need to call anyone and try to wait until you're sure you're in a high-signal location. If you absolutely need to use the phone in these areas, purchase a repeater or a signal booster to ensure reception.
And lastly.
Even if you do as much as possible to extend the life of your battery, you can't make it live forever. But when your battery dies, don't just chuck it in the trash, since today's batteries are made with some heavily toxic chemicals that leach out of land fills and can make their way into our food and water supply. Contact the nearest environment protection agency to find out what to do with your old battery, so these toxins don't end up in your glass of water.
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