Battery life collapsing: checks you should do first
When your battery runs down far too quickly, it can become really annoying. Before trying any random fix, start by carefully checking your phone’s settings.
Heavy use speeds up power consumption
Using your smartphone for long periods every day inevitably means charging it more often. Several factors can explain this rapid loss of battery life:
- Set the screen brightness manually or use automatic mode. Turn the brightness down and avoid live or animated wallpapers, which use up a lot of power.
- Limit the use of power-hungry apps such as sat nav apps, long calls or music streaming, which drain the battery.
- Protect your phone from excessive heat, as this can speed up battery drain depending on how you use it.
Charge cycles: the key to understanding wear
It’s common for a phone to switch off when there still seems to be 20% left. This is down to the natural ageing of the battery, which works in charge cycles.
What really wears out your battery
Here are a few things to look out for:
- An old or low-quality battery.
- Avoid always charging it to 100%; now and then, let it run right down before recharging.
- Cut back on very demanding apps.
- There’s no need to switch off every feature like Wi‑Fi or Bluetooth; they don’t actually use that much power.
- Try not to let your battery regularly drop to 0%.
- Uninstall useless apps or services you don’t use.
- If needed, replace the battery or use a power bank to make up for it.
How to extend your battery’s lifespan
A few good habits to adopt:
- Follow the “20–80” rule: keep the charge between 20% and 80% to avoid premature wear.
- Only use certified chargers; unofficial models can be harmful.
- Switch to power saving mode to limit processor performance and gain extra battery life.
- Avoid leaving your phone in very hot or very cold places, as this damages the battery.
