Do you ever feel like your smartphone spends more time plugged in than a landline? It's a common problem in the era of endless scrolling and cat videos, where "low battery" has become our modern-day distress signal. Rather than discussing power banks, car chargers and the dreaded loadshedding schedule, we’ve decided to zero in on the real solution; ways to extend your smartphone’s battery life.

Optimise Screen Brightness

Bigger screens mean bigger batteries, but unfortunately, your smartphone’s screen is also one of its most power-hungry components. To extend battery life, lower your phone’s brightness or enable adaptive brightness to significantly reduce power consumption.

Manage Background Apps

Regardless of whether an app is open or not, I might be running in the background. Background apps drain your smartphone’s battery quicker, so make sure to check out your phone's battery usage feature to pinpoint which apps are taking up the majority of your phone’s battery life. Also regularly review and close apps that might be open but not in use.

Enable Power Saver Mode

Most phones nowadays have a built-in battery saver or power saver mode which can help extend your phone's battery life. Although it doesn’t hurt your battery to keep your phone on power saver mode, certain processes and notifications will be limited once enabled . You can either manually toggle this mode on and off or you can set it to activate once your battery dips below a certain percentage.

Update Apps and Operating System

Keeping your apps and operating system up to date can often improve battery efficiency. Updates normally include optimisations and bug fixes, ensuring that you benefit from the latest enhancements.

Manage Connectivity Features

Connectivity features such as bluetooth, location services and Wi-Fi can all drain your battery. Turn these features off when you’re not actively using them and consider toggling Airplane mode in areas with weak reception to prevent your smartphone from constantly searching for signal.

Control Push Notifications

Push notifications keep you informed, but if you have too many push notifications enabled your patience (and battery life) are bound to run thin. Critically evaluate which apps need to keep you in the loop at all times and adjust your notifications setting accordingly.

Limit Live Wallpapers and Widgets

Live wallpapers and widgets such as weather predictors might brighten up your screen but they also drain your smartphone’s battery. Make sure to keep a close eye on which widgets are draining your battery in your phone’s settings and opt for static phone wallpapers.

Manage Email Sync

Staying up to date with your emails is essential but frequent email synchronisation can put a strain on your smartphone’s battery. Adjust the sync frequency of your email accounts or manually sync them when you need to check your emails.

Avoid Extreme Temperatures

Extremely high temperatures can permanently damage your smartphone's battery, while extremely low temperatures drain your battery. Most smartphones are designed to operate between 0 and 35 degrees Celsius so be sure to insulate your phone from freezing temperatures and keep it out of direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time.

Your smartphone’s battery life doesn’t have to be a constant source of frustration. By following these tips you can extend the time between charges and ensure that your smartphone remains a reliable companion throughout your busy days. Eventually, though your battery will be unsavable. When that time comes you can get a new phone on one of these great vodacom phone deals.