If your mobile phone battery runs out quickly and only lasts a few hours, it is annoying. The fault is often not a broken battery and buying a new one should not be the first option. We explain common causes and give quick solutions.
When the mobile phone battery runs down noticeably fast: Possible causes
- Apps: Too many apps or the “wrong” ones really drain your battery.
- WLAN and network search: When you are on the move, your smartphone is constantly searching for a connection. This hobbles the battery.
- Display: Power guzzler number one is the display, or rather its brightness.
- Notifications and widgets: They are useful – up to a point. If you actually just wipe away your push notifications or ignore your widgets, then you should disable these battery thieves.
- Weather: Batteries are sensitive to temperature. If it is too hot or too cold, this will affect the battery life.
- Speakers and vibration: Any extra effort for the phone drains battery unnecessarily when it can also be avoided.
Apps eat up battery: Here’s how they suck your phone dry
It’s no secret that apps are active in the background and collect data. Nevertheless, you should be aware that in addition to data protection, the battery often suffers as well. If apps are permanently active, then they also always consume power.
- Popular battery guzzlers are Google Maps and Photos as well as the Facebook app. As these are constantly working in the background, analysing your location or updating themselves, your battery life suffers.
- In your smartphone settings (usually in the menu item “Battery”) you can check which apps consume particularly much battery. Either delete them or deactivate and restrict background activity.
- Tip: If the battery-sucking app has a dark mode, you should try it out. This will save you power by making the screen darker overall without having to sacrifice contrast.
Mobile phones are constantly searching for networks: WLAN search as battery thief
Even when you are not connected to WLAN on the road, your smartphone is constantly searching for suitable connections. This is exhausting for the battery. An activated WLAN search also poses a security risk.
- Particularly in areas with weak networks, your mobile phone has to make a special “effort” and searches around in vain. Especially on motorways or on the way in the train, the mobile phone has to scan especially much and uses up its battery.
- Switch off the WLAN search outside and only activate it when you want to connect. In the quick launch bar, you can deactivate the search by clicking on the WLAN icon.
- Caution: If your device is constantly searching for a connection, hackers can access it in the worst case. You are virtually constantly looking for a connection to exchange data, which is a security risk.
The display costs you the most battery
A bright display is of course practical, but it drains the most battery. Strictly speaking, today’s mobile phones consist only of a screen. Adjust the brightness settings.
- Automatic brightness is the best choice here. Especially in the dark, the display may like to be a little dim. In the settings or next to the slider for brightness, you will find the button for automatic, if available.
- Often, however, even this is too bright and the manual setting may be better. If you are in the same place for a long time – at work, for example – try the darkest setting. This may be enough for you.
Push messages consume power – And are often unnecessary
Notifications that show you on the home screen that there are news or chats are extremely practical and hard to imagine life without. But this background activity eats up battery. The same goes for widgets. Even though they are very useful, they have to constantly update themselves and they draw power in the process.
- Nearly every app wants to send you push messages. Either to keep you updated or to “stay in the conversation” with you. Many apps use this service simply to draw attention to themselves. Disable what you don’t need.
- In the settings, you can allow – or disallow – notifications for each app. Only use this handy feature when you really need it.
- Widgets often come with graphics, display the weather neatly or show your calendar including all appointments. However, this also consumes battery power and should be avoided as far as possible if you want to save electricity.
Batteries are sensitive to weather and drain faster
Chemical processes take place in a battery. These can be influenced by heat and cold – but not in a positive way.
- When it is particularly cold, the battery does not charge as well and can store less. Conversely, this also means that you have less capacity available and the battery runs down more quickly.
- If it is too hot, the battery discharges more quickly. That’s why it’s especially important to protect your mobile phone from direct sunlight in the summer – this also applies regardless of the temperature, because the display is sensitive.
- Tip: Carry your smartphone close to your body in winter to avoid exposing the battery to unnecessarily low temperatures, and keep the phone in a protective case in summer to avoid sunlight.
Speaker and vibration power saving measures
All smartphones have a power saving mode. Use it, that’s already half the battle. Other functions that drain the battery are the loudspeaker and the vibration alarm.
- If you can use your smartphone without a ringtone – i.e. muted – you will save battery power. The loudspeaker consumes power. The same goes for key tones or any sounds that apps play.
- If you can also do without the vibrating alarm, be it for the alarm clock or for calls, then you will also save power here.
- Caution: Make sure that you can still use your mobile phone while saving electricity. You should try all the tips at your own discretion and find a healthy balance between useful features and battery life.
