Today we use our phone for basically everything. We use the phone to keep à jour of what’s going on around the world through various news apps. We keep in touch with our friends and colleagues through apps like Facebook, Linkedin and WhatsApp. We share our everyday lives through Instagram and Snapchat. In addition, our phones help us manage our daily finances via baking apps and pay functions. The calendar in our phones helps us keep track of when that important meeting was. And if the battery dies in the middle of the day, it can be a big problem for us.
We know that our use of the phone requires battery. But not many people know that different apps require different amounts of battery. By knowing which apps are battery thieves, we can make wise choices and save valuable battery. Below we have listed 5 popular apps that are real battery thieves.
Snapchat has ben a really popular app for quite some time. The way it gets users to communicate in an easy way with Bitmojis and filters attracts a large audience. Both young and old people chooses the app to communicate with loved ones. But Snapchat requires a lot of your phone and its battery. Both when it comes to battery usage and memory. Besides the fact that the app eats up battery life, it also requires a lot of data for the ones who are afraid of using up your surf. Positioning services, communication and camera – all this requires its fair share of energy.
You can reduce the effect a bit by blocking the app from using mobile data and only using it when Wi-Fi is available. By turning off push notifications, you avoid the app using unnecessary battery in the background. But sadly, you also do not know when a new snap has arrived, which is a bit of the whole idea of the app.
Netflix is absolutely wonderful, imagine being able to bring a whole movie library with you wherever you go! But when it comes to battery, Netflix is a real thief. Of course, much of the battery goes to buffer and playback the movies. What you may forget is that it also requires a lot of battery to keep the display running. And if you plow through 2 episodes of your favorite serie, you can expect the battery level to be low when you are done.
The display always draws a lot of battery when it is running, that is just the way it is. But if you want to save a little on the battery, you can reduce the light level on the screen. Then the screen get a little nicer to your battery level. If you are in a dark room, it is unnecessary to have the light at max anyway.
Here we have yet another villain in the battery drama. Often you have a synchronization frequency that is too high. Thus, the synchronization frequency is at what frequency you have chosen for the app to search for new mail. Also, many people tend to check the email a little often in the app. You can choose to only let the app sync when you actively select it, and then save some battery power. Another tip if you have several different email accounts is to sync all of these to a specific account – preferably Android’s or iPhones own, so the phone doesn’t have to sync in several different places.
This is an important app, especially if you are often out exploring new places. Or if you, like me, often get lost. However, this app requires a lot of your phone, the screen require battery and the positioning require battery. If you have an iPhone, you can choose to use iPhone’s own app that requires less resources. Or why not do it in the old honest way and ask a real person for directions.
Of course, the degree of use is a big factor when it comes to that this app draws a lot of battery – many people visit Facebook frequently throughout the day. But compared to what the app actually does, this is a real battery thief. The app uses positioning and runs in the background if you have not chosen to turn off those features. One tip is to make use of the web version which actually requires much less battery.
Then it’s Facebook’s associated messaging app, Messenger, which sits and eats battery in the background completely without being ashamed. Just like Facebook, the app runs in the background, syncs contacts and sends push notifications. Previously, you could send messages directly through the Facebook app, but unfortunately it no longer works, sadly enough.
There is a version of Messenger called Messenger Lite. This version of Messenger is supposed to work for cheaper versions of smartphones and because of its less advanced features it also draws less battery.
So what can you do to save the battery in your mobile phone? What you can do to reduce your battery consumption in general is to review your settings for each individual app. Many apps use positioning even though you personally don’t gain anything from it. The positioning can often be used for marketing purposes to be able to show locally targeted advertising to you. By turning off positioning, the app no longer checks where you are, which saves a lot of battery.
You can choose to turn off notifications on the apps you feel you don’t need to know right away when something new has happened. Then the app stops looking for new information in the background which allows your battery to get well deserved rest. More light requires more battery. Therefore, you can also choose to lower the light on the screen a little.
Otherwise, you can always invest in a portable powerbank. Then you can use the phone more generously without thinking much of any of the above.
Have you heard of fast charging, or quick charging as it is also called. It is a way that you can recharge your phone’s battery in a much shorter time than it usually takes. This works by producing chargers that pass through much more watts than ordinary chargers do.
More battery for the people!
