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How to maximize battery life: Charging habits and other tips

Most of us — casual users and enthusiasts alike — are forever searching for smartphoneswith the longest battery life. While fast charging keeps us topped up every day, the absence of replaceable batteries means eventually, the lithium-ion cells enclosed in our phones are going to age and deteriorate, making it harder to maximize battery life. If you’ve held onto a phone for a couple of years, you’ve probably noticed the battery doesn’t seem to last as long as it did when your handset was brand new. Three years down the line, many phones struggle to make it through the day on a single charge. Holding onto a phone even longer can even spell trouble for system stability.
Unfortunately, battery capacity inevitably declines with age.But luckily, there are things you can do to prolong the life of your battery and smartphone.If you’ve ever wondered what the best way to charge your battery is, here are some scientifically proven tips to maximize battery life.


If you’re in a hurry, here’s a quick summary of the best battery life-maximizing tips you should keep in mind:


Avoid full charge cycles (0-100%) and overnight charging. Instead, top up your phone more regularly with partial charges.Ending a charge at 80-90% is better for the battery than topping up to completely full.Use fast charging technologies sparingly and when your device is cool.Heat is the battery killer. Don’t cover your phone when charging, and keep it out of hot places.Don’t play intensive games, stream videos, or run other intensive workloads while charging to avoid heat and mini-cycles.Keep reading for a more detailed explanation of what factors will prolong your battery life


Partial charging is a healthy habit


One particularly persistent battery myth is that you need to occasionally fully discharge and recharge to erase “battery memory.” This couldn’t be more wrong for lithium-ion batteries. It’s a leftover myth from lead-acid cells, and it’s pretty undesirable to charge your modern smartphone in this way.Partial charging is just fine for lithium-ion batteries and can have some positive benefits for cell longevity. To understand why it’s important to appreciate how a battery charges. Li-ion batteries draw constant current and operate at a lower voltage when closer to empty. This voltage gradually increases as the cell charges up, leveling off at around a 70% charge before the current begins to fall until the capacity is full.


Avoid idle charging


Charging overnight or in a cradle during the day is a very common habit, but it’s not recommended for several reasons (the old “overcharging” myth isn’t one of them). First, continuous trickle charging of a full battery can cause plating of the metallic lithium, which reduces stability in the long term and can, in rare cases, lead to system-wide malfunctions and reboots. Secondly, as we just mentioned above, it leaves the battery at a higher stress voltage when at 100%. , and most important, it creates excess heat caused by wasted power dissipation.
Some phones disable or slow down charging when nearing full capacity.
Ideally, a device should stop charging when it reaches 100% battery capacity, only turning the charging circuit back on to top up the battery now and again — or at the very least reducing the charging current to very small amounts.
While some phones disable charging once full, many continue to pull up to half an amp and sometimes more from the wall outlet.

Turning smartphones off doesn’t make a difference in many cases either. While this isn’t a massive amount of power, it’s going to stop your phone from cooling down as quickly and will continue to cycle through a small part of the battery, resulting in a mini-cycle.
A final point worth mentioning is parasitic load. This occurs when the battery is being drained significantly at the same time as being charged, such as watching a video or gaming while charging.


Parasitic loads are bad for batteries because they distort the charging cycle and induce mini-cycles — where part of the battery continues cycles and deteriorates faster than the rest of the cell. Worse still, parasitic loads occurring when a device is fully charged also induce higher Voltage stress and heat on the battery.
Gaming or videos while watching charging is bad because it distorts charging cycles.


The best way to avoid parasitic loads is to turn your device off while charging. But that’s not really realistic. Instead, it’s best to keep the workload light while the device is plugged in, leaving it idle most of the time. Browsing the web is probably fine. Also, remember to unplug it once the battery is topped up enough.Heat is the enemy of long battery life
Along with all of the above, temperature is an equally key contributor to longevity and maximizing battery life. In fact, it’s arguably the biggest killer of long-term battery health. Like high voltages, high tem A cell kept between 25 – 40 degrees Celsius (77 – 86 degrees Fahrenheit) should retain around 85% to 96% of its capacity after the first year with sensible charging cycles. A battery dwelling in a full state-of-charge exposed to a high temperature is the worst of all worlds and the number one thing to avoid when charging your phone. So no leaving your phone under your pillow to charge at night or plugged in on the dashboard of your car on a hot day. And if you use it, wireless charging can impact battery health if you don’t keep the phone cool.


How to maximize battery life long-term


Lithium-ion battery technology is well understood these days, and smartphones are built around our use cases, but bad habits and myths still permeate the public consciousness. While most of these habits won’t severely negatively impact your phone’s battery life in the medium term, the decline in removable phone batteries means we should take extra precautions to maximize battery life and thus our smartphone’s longevity.
Broadly speaking, smaller regular charge cycles and keeping your phone cool are the key things to remember. Although I should point out that differentphone batterieswill always age slightly differently depending on how we treat them.

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What Are Some Essential iPhone Maintenance Tips?

Maser these 5 tricky iPhone maintenance tips for better performance

Proper care and maintenance ensure that your iPhone will stay in pristine condition and will perform efficiently and give you better and improved battery life. Let us take a look at some of the important iPhone maintenance tips.

Getting a Protective Case for your iPhone

Getting a good quality protective case and a screen protector for your iPhone is one of the first things you should do when you buy an iPhone. These protective cases make sure that your device is well-maintained because of which they are highly recommended. -quality case will play a major role in protecting your phone while a screen protector will keep it scratch-free.

There is a wide variety of phone cases available in the market which means that you can choose one that fits your style so there is no reason for you to not buy a protective case to protect your iPhone.

Cleaning your charging port

A clean charging port is absolutely essential when it comes to maintaining your iPhone as it ensures that your phone gets properly charged.

There are different ways in which you can clean your charging port but the most common way is to use a toothpick to take out any dust or debris that is stuck there. While you are cleaning your charging port it is absolutely essential that you do it carefully so that you don’t damage any contact points.

Deleting Unused Apps

Everyone has a few apps on their phone that they no longer use and they are just consuming your phone’s valuable resources. Regularly uninstalling or deleting these unnecessary apps from your iPhone should be a part of your regular maintenance routine.

When your iPhone’s storage is on low, the Offload Unused Apps feature on your iPhone can be used to delete these unnecessary apps from your iPhone without messing with your documents and other important data.

Updating your iPhone’s iOS

Installing the most recent version of iOS on your iPhone is always a great way to properly maintain it. Whenever you decide to update your iPhone to the latest version of iOS, this new version comes equipped with battery life improvements and bug fixes that are released by Apple.

iPhone maintenance tipsUpdating your iPhone’s iOS is an easy process and it normally takes a few minutes to properly install these updates. If you decide not to update your iPhone regularly, it can cause serious problems down the line.

Restarting your iPhone

If you have all of the above-mentioned things and your phone is still not working as it should, then you should try restarting your iPhone. This is a simple trick that can help solve a lot of issues in your iPhone that you were not able to fix during the troubleshooting process.

These are some of the most common and effective tricks that you can follow in order to properly maintain your iPhone and make sure that it is working as it should. have to get it repaired or replaced in the near future.

If you have any more queries about the iPhone maintenance process or if you are facing some issues with your iPhone and you are looking to get it fixed from the comfort of your own home without any worries and hassles, you can reach out to us today at Tricked Out Accessories to avail our Mobile Phone Repair service.

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Why is my phone’s battery draining so fast?

If your phone’s battery is draining faster than usual, it either means you’re using a lot of energy or your phone is not using energy efficiently.This could mean you’re overworking your phone by running too many applications, or something is physically wrong with the phone battery itself.


How do phone batteries work?


When you plug in your phone, electrons enter your phone battery from the power source, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). These electrons attract lithium ions. Think of them as really tiny balls of lightweight metal. to the anode.When the phone is disconnected from the power source, the lithium ions switch directions and travel from anode to cathode. Once all of the lithium ions end up in the cathode, the battery will “die” because it’s no longer producing a circuit.


Reasons why your phone is draining so fast


If your phone is using a lot of energy, or if it’s not using energy efficiently, the battery will drain faster. Here are some of the main factors that can cause it to drain fast.
Your screen is too brightThe brighter your screen, the more energy you’re using, according to a study from Purdue University.
Most phones have a feature that automatically adjusts your screen’s brightness to complement the lighting of your surroundings.
You don’t necessarily have to worry about reducing brightness while using your phone but think about reducing brightness when you’re not using it. One way to do this is to make the screen idle time as short as possible, which automatically shuts the screen off when you’re not actively using it.


Does dark mode use less battery?

Yes, using dark mode is generally more energy efficient. Dark mode is a feature some phones have where you can make the background of your interface darker colors. The study from Purdue University found that switching to dark mode when your screen is at 100% brightness Can save up to almost 50% battery power.
You’re using data instead of Wi-FiTypically, Wi-Fi connections use less battery power than data connections, states The New York Times. Because constantly searching and switching connections between multiple towers typically uses more battery power. A weak Wi-Fi connection, however, could drain faster than it would if you had a strong connection, as it strains to remain connected to a weak signal.A weak Wi-Fi connection, however, could drain faster than it would if you had a strong connection, as it strains to remain connected to a weak signal .
Some phone settings allow apps to operate in the background, says The New York Times, so long as you’re connected to Wi-Fi or data, which would also contribute to a quicker draining battery.
You have poor receptionIt takes energy for your phone to search for a signal, according to The New York Times, and it’s not necessarily going to stop searching on its own. Many underground, remote, and/or mountainous areas are prone to having poor reception, and it’s best to turn off your cellphone’s data while traveling through these areas to preserve battery life.
The phone is old or outdatedModern smartphones that came out after 2017 have OLED (organic light-emitting diode) screens, which don’t have backlights like LCD (liquid crystal display) screens do.
Upgrading your phone to a modern model may be the simplest way to get the most battery-friendly features available.


Your phone is exposed to extreme temperaturesExtreme heat and cold can negatively affect how your battery operates, according to The New York Times. Specifically, it often makes it harder for the battery to hold a charge. Be mindful of keeping your phone warm when it’s below freezing and cool when it’s hot out.
You charged your phone too longReducing the amount of times you charge your phone to 100% can help prolong the life of your battery to a certain extent, says The New York Times.
And just as you might avoid overcharging, so do you want to stay away from letting your phone run completely low. Consumer Reports pegs 80% as the ideal charging limit for your battery. But it’s important to note that charging your battery, period, will cause it to degrade over time.
Also important is where you charge your phone. As mentioned above, overheating can cause affect battery health and charging your phone under your pillow runs the risk of doing just that, says PCMag.


Always check for OS system updatesSystem updates can help your phone use battery energy more efficiently in many ways according to PCMag. For example, some modern operating systems have features that allow your phone to better limit background usage of programs, other updates let your phone control how much battery it uses while charging.


How long do phone batteries last?

Modern lithium-ion phone batteries usually operate at full capacity for at least a year and up to five years (or between 500–1000 charge cycles), according to TechAdvisor. After that, their capacity will be reduced, meaning the older batteries won’t hold a charge as well or as long.
Daily charging and keeping the phone away from extreme temperatures (both hot and cold) will help prolong the life of the battery.

3 tips to make your phone’s battery last longer

When you start to see your battery draining as soon as you power it on, there may be some simple things you can do to extend the battery’s life. Here are a few ways to squeeze out a bit more time from your phone battery.
1. Keep away from extreme temperaturesExtreme temperatures are among the fastest ways to ruin your phone’s battery life. Keeping your phone at room temperature is ideal and be mindful of how hot your phone gets when it’s being charged.
2. Keep the battery at roughly 80%The longer you can keep your phone adequately charged between at 80%, the better.
Keeping it charged – instead of turning it off and on when you have a low battery –will help it better retain its power over the long run.
3. Use only the apps you needDelete apps you don’t use to declutter your phone, turn the brightness down when you can and restrict background usage of nonessential apps.
Many modern phones now include a “battery-saving” feature, which will automatically adjust elements of brightness and app usage to maximize your battery’s efficiency.

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Tested: How much does Bluetooth actually drain your phone battery?

Does Bluetooth drain your battery?

All wireless technologies need power, but how much is a topic riddled with anecdotes and theories? Despite advancements in Bluetooth technology, it’s still a pretty common belief that you’ll get much more life out of your phone by turning off Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, and various other features when you’re not using them.

How we tested

To grasp exactly how using Bluetooth impacts battery life, we picked up five different smartphones from 2020. We have the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus, HUAWEI P40 Pro, ZTE Axon 11, Xiaomi POCO F2 Pro, and realme X3 Superzoom in this test. We ran them through two unique scenarios and monitored the results with our in-house testing software.

The first is a typical daily battery drain scenario designed to determine if turning off Bluetooth actually saves battery. To do this, we performed two sets of tests. The first was done with Bluetooth off and the second with Bluetooth on but idle — i.e., not connected to anything — and then we compared the results. The test itself consists of three cycles — the first features 90 minutes of web browsing followed by 90 minutes of sleep and then 90 more minutes of browsing. Then the phones sleep for 16 hours in the second cycle to give us a good look at idle power draw. The third cycle repeats the first cycle.
We ran five phones through two unique testing scenarios.
Our second set of tests simulates a more demanding Bluetooth-specific use case and should determine how much Bluetooth impacts battery life when you’re actively using it. To simulate this, we monitored video playback for 4 hours straight, as you might do on a long flight. This series consists of a control test with Bluetooth off, Bluetooth on but no connection, and finally, the video audio over Bluetooth using the basic SBC audio codec.

We locked each display brightness to 200 nits to keep the tests fair. Mobile data, NFC, and anything else was also disabled on each handset for all these tests. Except for leaving Wi-Fi on in the first scenario so we can web surf.
We also took averages of the results to give us a better overall look at Bluetooth battery drain. All of the graphs in this article are based on an average based on testing across the five devices mentioned above.

There was a slight difference between the devices we tested. The HUAWEI P40 Pro and POCO F2 Pro saw the most significant difference with Bluetooth on and off — a 3% difference. Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy S20 and realme Superzoom recorded slightly less power drain with Bluetooth on. This is likely down to a margin of error, highlighting just how little impact Bluetooth actually has on battery life.

Bluetooth radios turn off during phone sleep, reducing battery drain.
This highlights that modern smartphones put Bluetooth radios to sleep when not in use. They’re only awake and periodically scanning for pairable devices while your smartphone is awake. So, you really don’t need to worry about turning Bluetooth off before you go to bed.

Does using Bluetooth headphones drain battery?
Sony WH 1000MX3 Bluetooth pairing
This is an excellent question and why we conducted these second tests with audio playback as the baseline use case. After all, it’s what most people use Bluetooth for these days.

The results show that playing back audio over Bluetooth consumes essentially the same amount of power as playing back audio over speakers or headphones with Bluetooth turned off. On average, our devices recorded just a 0.2% increase in power consumption when playing back audio over Bluetooth. So, well into the margin of error territory. The Galaxy S20 Plus and POCO F2 Pro recorded no noticeable difference in battery drain over a four-hour listening period.

This is because Bluetooth audio encoding algorithms run efficiently on digital signal processors (DSP) found inside modern smartphones — consuming very little power. At the same time, audio amplifier circuits switch off when playing back audio over Bluetooth. This balances out the power drawn from the Bluetooth wireless chip. The louder you listen, the greater the savings become.

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How to check your iPhone’s battery health

The most important component of anysmartphoneis the battery. A phone with a kaput battery is like a car with an empty gas tank. It may look good on the outside, but on the inside, all the cool features in the world are useless without its source of power. If you have an iPhone, you must constantly check what’s called Battery Health to ensure it doesn’t dip below a certain level. If it does, you’ll end up with charging issues and the eventual need to have the battery replaced. Here’s how to check your iPhone’s battery health and what it all means.Read more: Is your iPhone battery draining too fast?QUICK ANSWER
The iPhone’s Battery Health section displays important key information about your battery’s capacity, peak performance, and whether or not your battery needs to be serviced. You can locate it at Settings > Battery.What is Battery Health on an iPhone?Battery Health is a section in your iPhone settings that tells you how healthy the battery is, compared to when the phone was brand new. New iPhones obviously start off with a brand-new 100% healthy battery. Over time, as the iPhone is used and various features are enabled and disabled, the battery’s overall health and performance will start to decline. However, as long as the battery remains at 80% or higher, Apple still considers that to be an optimal peak level.How to check your iPhone’s battery healthGo to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging.Here, you will see the Maximum Capacity, which is the maximum charge the phone can hold. Mine is 100% as it’s a new phone. It shouldn’t go below 80%; otherwise, you will begin to experience charging issues.You should always enable Optimized Battery Charging. This ensures that the phone is not charged right up to 100%, which will impact the battery faster.If you go back a screen (Settings > Battery), scroll down to see the performance of the battery since you last charged it. It will tell you the last time the battery was fully charged and what has been eating away at that charge since then You can view how much battery charge each app has been using, with the worst offenders at the top.
So if you’re experiencing battery issues, maybe try uninstalling or offloading the really big battery suckers. That Sudoku game at 38% of the battery charge really needs to come off.Once the battery dips below 80%, you will gradually start to experience charging problems with the iPhone, and that battery percentage will begin dropping faster than usual. At this point, you should seriously consider getting thebattery changed or even getting a new phone if your current one can’t hold a charge for very long.

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5 Myths About Your Smart Phone Battery (and Real Tips for Preserving It)

Smartphones have the mighty power of super computers in a tiny package that can fit in the palm of our hands. Avoid battery drain—and the anxiety that comes with it—by learning how to make your phone’s battery last longer and keep you connected when you need it most.


Here we’ll bust five common myths about charging your iPhone or Android, plus provide helpful tips on getting the most out of every charge.


Myth 1: You shouldn’t charge your phone overnight


It’s absolutely fine to charge your battery overnight. In fact, it’s the best way to make sure you have a full, juicy battery to get you through the day.
This myth came from the days when we had nickel-ion batteries in our phones that suffered from something called “memory charge,” where if you didn’t let them deplete entirely, the batteries would “forget about” the part that didn’t get used.
Today’s phones use lithium-ion batteries, which don’t suffer from memory loss and are smart enough to regulate their power management. When you plug a smartphone into a charger, it will stop charging once it reaches 100 percent, so you don’t need to worry about “overcharging.”
Charging tip: Plug your phone in at night before you go to bed. In the morning, you’ll be ready with a phone that will last you all day.

Myth 2: You should let your battery drain completely before charging


Not only do you not need to do this, but you also shouldn’t. Every lithium-ion battery comes with a fixed amount of charge cycles (the number of times you can charge up to 100 percent and run down to 0 percent). An iPhone has a lifespan of about 400 to 500 charge cycles. But that doesn’t mean you can only plug it in 500 times—it means you have 500 chances to let it go from a full charge to no charge at all. if you let your battery drain completely every day, it will last 500 days.
There is one reason to let your battery drain completely. If it “dies” when the battery icon is showing a positive charge, it means the battery needs to be recalibrated. Draining it all the way down then charging it up again should fix the issue .
Charging tip: Remember your ABC’s: Always Be Charging. If you have a charger nearby, whether you’re at home, in the car or at the office, plug in your phone.


Myth 3: My battery will last forever if I charge it properly


Batteries are our smartphone’s weak spot, and until someone invents a battery that can last for years and go for days without a charge, we have to accept that they’ll need to be replaced. Lithium-ion batteries lose their capacity to hold a charge as they age, so even if you still have plenty of lifecycles left, you may only be able to charge your phone to 60 percent of its capacity. You can download an app to check on battery wear, and if it’s excessive, consider replacing the battery to give the phone a longer life.
Charging tip: Lithium-ion batteries don’t like being really low or really high. Experts agree that keeping your phone’s battery between 30 and 80 percent most of the time is the sweet spot for promoting its longevity.


Myth 4: I shouldn’t use my phone while it’s charging


There is no danger in using your phone while it’s charging. This myth comes from fears about batteries overheating. Lithium-ion batteries can be dangerous if they have any type of manufacturing defect, but this is rare. warm (while charging or not), get it checked out immediately.
Another issue to consider is counterfeit chargers. Charging cables contain chips in them, and if you are not using a manufacturer-approved cable, you could damage your phone. Buy name-brand chargers for safety and to help charge your phone more effectively.
Charging tip: While you can use it during a charge, having the screen on or apps refreshing in the background uses power, so it will charge at half the speed. If you want your phone to charge more quickly, put it in airplane mode or turn it off. Also, charging from a wall plug is always faster than using a computer or car charger.


Myth 5: Killing apps saves power


This is simply untrue, and it’s also bad advice. Instead of closing your apps, use some of these tips if you’re low on juice and can’t get to a charger:Power saving tips:On an iPhone, manually switch to Low Power Mode. Swipe up on the Home Screen to access the Control Panel and toggle on the battery symbol. If it’s not in your Control Center, add it there through Settings. On Android phones, activate your device’s Battery Saver Feature. (This has different names on different devices—LG calls it Power Saver Mode, Samsung calls it Ultra Power Saving Mode—but they all do essentially the same thing.)For Android phones, be sure to keep your operating system up to date. Android 6.0 introduced Doze Mode, which shuts down services you’re not using to conserve battery life. 

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How to Keep Your Phone Battery Healthy

Does your Android or iPhone’s battery seem to hold less of a charge over time? Like all rechargeable batteries, Li-ion batteries (which are in most phones) become less effective as they age. Even though these batteries aren’t made to last forever , having a healthy battery and charging habits can extend the life of your battery. 

We’ll show you easy ways to maximize your smartphone battery’s lifespan by changing your charging habits.


1.Don’t wait until the battery is empty to recharge.
Charge your phone throughout the day. Your phone’s battery has a fixed amount of charging cycles (the number of times you charge the battery from 0% to 100%). For example, if your battery has a lifespan of 400 charging cycles, letting the battery drain every day means your battery will only last 400 days.[1] If you top off the battery before it drains completely, it reduces the number of overall charging cycles, which makes your battery last longer.Keeping a battery at full charge or always draining it to 0 can damage it and reduce its capacity. Try to keep your battery midway charged when you can and only charge to 100% when you need the extra time.


2.Avoid extreme temperatures.
Exposure to very high or low temperatures drains the battery quickly. Batteries are made to work best at room temperature, which is about 68 °F (20 °C).[2] Your battery, especially when fully charged, will drain much faster in extreme temperatures.This can cause damage to the battery over time.[3]Avoid using your phone at all if the temperature is below freezing 32 °F (0 °C).If you live in a very cold region and spend a lot of time outdoors, invest in an insulated phone case.Only charge your battery at temperatures between 41 °F (5 °C) and 95 °F (35 °C).If the phone or charger feels hot to the touch during a charging session, unplug the phone from the charger as soon as possible to avoid damaging the battery.


3.Don’t always charge your battery to 100%.When you’re always charging to 100%, the frequent high voltage can cause stress to the battery. Fully charging your battery won’t destroy it, you can add some time to the battery’s lifespan by only charging to 80% when possible.


4.Only use ultra-fast charging when necessary.

Fast charging is convenient, but don’t use it every time you charge your phone. Fast charging puts more stress on the battery than necessary, so battery performance can suffer over time.[4] Opt for a standard “slow” charge more often than not to preserve battery longevity.


5. Use your phone sparingly while it’s charging.


To avoid parasitic load, don’t play games or stream videos while charging your phone. Parasitic load is what happens while a battery is being drained during charging.[5] Parasitic load adds higher voltage stress to the battery, increases heat, and can cause parts of the battery to continually cycle and deteriorate faster than the rest of the cell. While you can take calls or browse the web during a charging session, avoid heavy tasks.


6.Use power-saving modes to increase time between charges.


When your battery is slow, turn on your phone’s low-power or battery-saving mode. Both Androids and iPhones have special battery-conservation modes that turn off background apps, decrease processing power, dim the screen, and disable other services that can drain your battery quickly.To turn on your iPhone’s Low Power Mode, open the Control Center and tap the battery icon.If you have a Samsung Galaxy, open Settings and go to Battery and device care > Battery > Power saving. Tap the switch to turn on Power Saving Mode.[6]For other Androids, go to Settings > Battery > Battery Saver and tap Turn on now.[7]


7.Stick to the power adapter that came with your phone.


Third-party phone chargers may have different voltage ratings than what’s recommended by your phone manufacturer. Using a charger that supplies your phone with an inconsistent or too-high voltage level can severely impact your battery, and possibly even the rest of your phone.


8.Partially charge the battery before long-term storage.

If you won’t be using your phone for a while, charge it to 50% first. Don’t charge it to 100%, as that can cause the Mobile Batteries   to lose some of its capacity over time.[8] Charging the battery halfway first will help prevent the battery from draining so much that it can’t be recovered after a long period of no usage.