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In today’s digital age, our smartphones have become indispensable. From social media to navigation, we rely on various apps to stay connected and organized. However, many of these apps are notorious for being battery-draining apps.
Understanding which apps are the biggest culprits can help you manage your device better, save battery life, and avoid unexpected power drains.
With this Mysterium VPN blog post, we want to guide you through identifying these battery drainers, and we’ll be offering a few options to extend your battery life, as well as showing you how to check battery usage on your device.
The Biggest Battery Drainers on Your Phone
Here are the top ten apps that use up the most power in your devices!
Facebook is a widely used social media platform that keeps users connected through posts, photos, videos, and messaging. It constantly runs in the background to fetch new content and notifications, which consumes a lot of battery power.
The app's heavy use of media, frequent updates, and background processes make it one of the top battery drainers. To mitigate this, users can turn off background refresh and notifications or switch to Facebook Lite.
Instagram is a photo and video-sharing social networking service owned by Facebook. The app's continuous background activity, constant syncing of new content, and auto-playing videos drain your phone’s battery quickly.
Its heavy use of visual content requires significant processing power and data usage, contributing to battery drain. Users can save battery by turning off video autoplay and limiting background data.
Snapchat
Snapchat is a multimedia messaging app known for its disappearing messages and multimedia content. The app frequently uses the camera and GPS and constantly pushes notifications, leading to significant battery consumption.
Its background processes and location tracking contribute heavily to battery drain. To save battery, users can disable location services and reduce notification frequency.
Google Maps
Google Maps is a navigation app that offers real-time GPS navigation, traffic conditions, and route planning. Its continuous GPS tracking and background updates for accurate navigation consume a lot of battery power. On an Android device, users can manage Google Maps' battery usage through the Settings app.
The app also runs background processes to keep maps and traffic data updated. To reduce battery usage, users should disable background location access and only use the app when necessary.
TikTok
TikTok is a social media app for creating and sharing short videos, often with music and special effects. The app's endless stream of high-definition videos requires constant loading and processing, which drains the battery quickly.
Its background data usage and push notifications further contribute to battery consumption. Limiting app usage time and disabling background data can help save battery life.
WhatsApp is a messaging app that allows users to send text messages, voice messages, images, and videos, as well as make voice and video calls. The app's constant background activity to sync messages and notifications significantly drains the battery.
Its frequent use of media and real-time communication features also contribute to high battery usage. Users can reduce battery drain by turning off unnecessary notifications and restricting background data usage.
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing platform where users can watch, like, share, comment, and upload videos. Streaming videos, especially in high resolution, uses a lot of processing power and battery.
The app's background processes and constant data fetching for recommendations and updates add to the battery drain. To save battery, users can lower video quality and reduce usage time.
Netflix
Netflix is a streaming service that offers a wide variety of TV shows, movies, anime, documentaries, and more. Watching streaming videos on Netflix consumes a lot of battery due to continuous video playback and data usage.
The app's background processes to update content and sync viewing history also contribute to battery drain. Users can download content for offline viewing and lower playback quality to conserve battery.
Spotify
Spotify is a digital music service that gives access to millions of songs and podcasts. Streaming music, especially when downloading songs for offline use, requires significant battery power.
The app's background activity to sync playlists and updates also contributes to battery drain. Users can save battery by downloading music for offline listening and turning off background updates.
Zoom
Zoom is a video conferencing app that has become essential for remote work and online learning. Video calls use a lot of battery power due to the constant use of the camera, microphone, and data transfer.
The app's background activity to keep meetings updated and notifications also drains the battery. To save battery, users can reduce screen brightness, use audio-only mode when possible, and close the app after use.
Effective Tips to Extend Your Phone's Battery Life
Here are some great tips and tricks to make sure your phone's battery lasts longer than a few hours!
Adjust Screen Brightness
One of the simplest ways to save battery life is to reduce your screen brightness. Your phone’s display is one of the largest power consumers, and keeping it at maximum brightness can quickly drain your battery. Bright displays require a significant amount of power, especially in bright environments where you might feel compelled to increase the brightness.
- Solution: Lower the brightness manually or enable auto-brightness, which adjusts the screen brightness based on ambient lighting conditions. To do this, go to Settings > Display & Brightness and toggle the Auto-Brightness option.
Turn Off ''Background App Refresh''
Many apps refresh content in the background, which can drain your battery even when you're not actively using them. This constant updating process ensures that apps are always ready with the latest data, but it comes at the cost of significant battery drain.
- Solution: Open Settings (the app with the gear icon), find the Background App Refresh option, and disable it for non-essential apps. On iOS, this can be found under Settings > General > Background App Refresh. On Android, go to Settings > Apps > [App Name] > Data usage and turn off Background data.
Disable Unnecessary Notifications
Frequent notifications can be a significant drain on your battery as they wake your phone, light up the screen, and use power to deliver alerts. Limiting notifications to essential apps only can help conserve battery life.
- Solution: Adjust notification settings in each app or globally through your phone’s settings. On iOS, go to Settings > Notifications and choose which apps can send notifications. On Android, go to Settings > Apps & notifications > Notifications and customize notification settings for each app.
Enable Low Power Mode
Most phones have a low power mode that limits background activity and reduces performance to save battery. This mode typically reduces or disables non-essential functions, such as email fetch, background app refresh, automatic downloads, and some visual effects.
- Solution: Enable low power mode through your settings. On iOS, go to Settings > Battery and toggle on Low Power Mode. On Android, go to Settings > Battery > Battery Saver and toggle it on.
Manage Location Services
Location services use GPS, which can drain your battery quickly as it requires continuous processing to determine your location. Only allowing location access when necessary can help extend your battery life.
- Solution: Go to settings, find Location Services, and adjust permissions for each app. On iOS, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services and set each app to "While Using the App" or "Never." On Android, go to Settings > Location > App permission and adjust the location access for each app.
Use Wi-Fi Instead of Mobile Data
Wi-Fi uses less power compared to mobile data because it generally provides a more stable and efficient connection. Connecting to Wi-Fi whenever possible can help conserve battery life, especially in areas with weak mobile data signals, where your phone works harder to maintain a connection.
- Solution: Ensure Wi-Fi is turned on and connect to trusted networks. On both iOS and Android, go to Settings > Wi-Fi and connect to available networks. Additionally, you can disable mobile data when you are connected to Wi-Fi by going to Settings > Cellular (iOS) or Settings > Network & internet > Mobile network (Android) and toggling off mobile data.
Uninstall or Limit Use of Battery Draining Apps
If certain apps are draining your battery, consider uninstalling them or limiting their use. Some apps, especially those that run in the background, use significant power even when you're not actively using them.
- Solution: Review installed apps and remove those that are not essential. On iOS, press and hold the app icon and select "Remove App." On Android, go to Settings > Apps & notifications > [App Name] > Uninstall. For apps you wish to keep, consider limiting their background activity, as previously mentioned.
Close Apps Running in the Background
Closing apps that remain open in the background is crucial for conserving battery life, as they can continue to use resources and drain your battery. Regularly closing these apps can help conserve power.
- Solution: On iOS, swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or double-click the Home button on older devices) to see all open apps, then swipe up on the app previews to close them. On Android, tap the square or recent apps button and swipe away apps to close them.
Reduce Screen Timeout
The screen timeout setting determines how long your phone's display stays on after you stop interacting with it. Reducing this time can save a significant amount of battery life.
- Solution: Go to Settings > Display > Screen timeout and set a shorter duration, such as 30 seconds.
Disable Unused Connectivity Features
Bluetooth, NFC, and Wi-Fi scanning can all drain your battery if left on when not in use. Disabling these features when you don't need them can help extend your battery life.
- Solution: Go to Settings and disable Bluetooth, NFC, and Wi-Fi scanning. On iOS, these can be found under Settings > Bluetooth and Settings > General > NFC (if available). On Android, go to Settings > Connected devices and toggle off Bluetooth and NFC.
By following these tips and regularly monitoring your phone's battery usage, you can significantly extend your battery life and ensure that your device is ready when you need it most.
Identify and Monitor Battery Usage by Apps
Knowing which apps are draining your battery the most can help you manage your phone's power consumption more effectively. Both Android and iOS devices have built-in settings to help you monitor battery usage by each app. Here’s how to access and interpret this information:
Accessing Battery Settings
Both Android and iOS devices provide detailed battery usage statistics to help you identify power-hungry apps.
- Android: Open Settings, tap Battery, then tap Battery usage. This section provides a comprehensive list of apps and their battery consumption over a certain period, usually 24 hours or the past week.
- iOS: Open Settings, tap Battery, and scroll down to see usage by app. iOS displays battery usage for the last 24 hours or the last ten days, giving you a clear picture of which apps are consuming the most battery.
Viewing Battery Usage by App
Reviewing battery usage statistics helps you identify which apps are responsible for draining your battery the most.
- Android: After tapping Battery usage, you'll see a detailed report that breaks down the battery consumption of each app. This includes foreground and background usage, providing insight into how apps use power even when not actively in use.
- iOS: In the Battery settings, you’ll see a breakdown of battery usage by each app. The list shows the percentage of battery used by each app, along with additional details like screen-on time and background activity.
Interpreting the Data
Understanding how much battery each app uses is crucial in deciding which apps to limit or uninstall.
- Example: If you notice that Facebook is using a significant portion of your battery, you might consider reducing its background activity or turning off notifications. High usage by social media or streaming apps suggests they are constantly updating or running in the background, consuming more battery power.
Taking Action Based on Findings
Once you’ve identified the apps that are draining your battery, you can take specific actions to reduce their impact.
- Limit Background Activity: For apps that consume a lot of battery in the background, you can restrict their background activity. On Android, go to Settings > Apps > [App Name] > Battery > Background restriction. On iOS, go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and disable it for specific apps.
- Adjust Notification Settings: Reduce the number of notifications from apps that are heavy on battery usage. This can be done in Settings > Notifications on both Android and iOS.
- Update or Uninstall Apps: Sometimes, battery drain issues can be resolved by updating apps to their latest versions. If certain apps are not essential, consider uninstalling them to save battery life.
- Use Battery Saver Mode: Enable Battery Saver or Low Power Mode to limit background activity and extend battery life when your phone is running low on power.
Monitor Battery Health
In addition to monitoring battery usage by apps, it's also important to keep an eye on the overall health of your battery. Both Android and iOS devices provide tools to check battery health.
- Android: Some Android devices have a Battery Health feature in the Settings menu. If not available, third-party apps like AccuBattery can provide detailed battery health information.
- iOS: Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health to check the maximum capacity of your battery and see if it needs servicing.
By regularly monitoring battery usage and taking appropriate actions based on the data, you can significantly extend your phone's battery life and ensure it operates efficiently.
Conclusion
Managing your phone's battery life is crucial in ensuring it lasts throughout the day. By identifying battery draining apps and implementing effective battery-saving strategies, you can significantly extend your device's battery life. Always monitor your battery usage and make necessary adjustments to keep your phone running smoothly.
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