Options to turn off for improved battery life?

[JohnJSal]

I've pretty much got my new phone set up, but I wanted to be sure there weren't any lurking settings I may not be aware of that are draining the battery.

Anything I should be turning off or changing to help me get a full day? I've been playing around with it a lot, of course, but it still seems like it's draining pretty quickly despite that.

Thanks!

 

[BandOfBrothers]

Personally I choose a dark wallpaper and have the time out set to 1 minute.

Turn off WiFi when not using it.

Tweaking apps to use location and updating when you want.

The best tip I was given many years ago was to turn off the battery % and enjoy the phone and it's many features.

 

[bIOforger]

I've pretty much got my new phone set up, but I wanted to be sure there weren't any lurking settings I may not be aware of that are draining the battery.

Anything I should be turning off or changing to help me get a full day? I've been playing around with it a lot, of course, but it still seems like it's draining pretty quickly despite that.

Thanks!

It seems to be draining a lot because you have the screen on for prolonged periods, which is what you are supposed to do, enjoy it and charge it when you need to. With 1 days uptime i usually get around 3-4hours screen on time. Some people have reported 2 days uptime with 7 hours screen on time, for me i think this is bull, because when that gorgeous screen is on, it drains the battery regardless, there's not a lot you can do about that.

 

[JohnJSal]

I just came back from lunch and my battery is at 36%. Pretty sure when I left it it was around 70 or in the high 60s. That definitely doesn't seem normal.

Gmail is showing 30+% battery usage. Not sure if that means it was doing stuff in the background. I just changed the Gmail sync settings to sync all, if that matters.

 

[bIOforger]

Yea well that isn't right if it's just idle.

Sync all? On mine the gmail app just has a number of days setting that you can sync, mines set to 30. Is your gmail app up to date?

 

[Joe Garza]

I figured out that S Health app was running in the background eating my battery life. I disabled it. Also, other apps can do the same thing while you are using them. I uninstalled a local news app that got my phone hot and ate up the battery too.

 

[JohnJSal]

I figured out that S Health app was running in the background eating my battery life. I disabled it. Also, other apps can do the same thing while you are using them. I uninstalled a local news app that got my phone hot and ate up the battery too.

I disabled everything like that already.

 

[JohnJSal]

Yea well that isn't right if it's just idle.

Sync all? On mine the gmail app just has a number of days setting that you can sync, mines set to 30. Is your gmail app up to date?

Well, I don't understand these sync options anyway. Sometimes "all" doesn't even work and it leaves it loading indefinitely. When I try "30 days," it actually seems to load *everything,* even beyond the last 30 days! So I don't get it!

 

[AZgl1500]

actually it is quite simple.

I use a solid Black wallpaper on the homescreens.
I have the time out set to 10 minutes, I like to read a lot, and I hate the screen locking on me while I am reading the Lost Gazette and figuring out where they lost it... "joke there"

I use a macro to turn OFF both DATA and WiFi when the screen is locked, and I use a macro to sense the "shake" of the phone.

if I want it off now, I just shake the phone..... ( my case is a folder that hides the Power Button )

on all of my apps that will do it, I use a DARK theme.... and I get lots of battery life...
My wife's S5 will go for 4 or 5 days between charges... that phone never sees the internet, period.

UNLESS she starts playing Candy Crush

 

[lvt]

If you get Android 6.0 or higher, toggling between "super power" and normal mode can save a lot of battery when you don't use the phone, don't forget to manually dim your screen too, automatic brightness can screw up sometimes.

 

[JohnJSal]

If you get Android 6.0 or higher, toggling between "super power" and normal mode can save a lot of battery when you don't use the phone, don't forget to manually dim your screen too, automatic brightness can screw up sometimes.

I thought auto brightness was supposed to be a way to save battery life?

 

[AZgl1500]

I thought auto brightness was supposed to be a way to save battery life?

never, ever, had a problem with Auto Dim... at least on the S5 and the Note 4 it works great.

I leave it at MAX auto.... so I can see it in outdoor conditions

 

[chanchan05]

actually it is quite simple.

I use a solid Black wallpaper on the homescreens.
I have the time out set to 10 minutes, I like to read a lot, and I hate the screen locking on me while I am reading the Lost Gazette and figuring out where they lost it... "joke there"

I use a macro to turn OFF both DATA and WiFi when the screen is locked, and I use a macro to sense the "shake" of the phone.

if I want it off now, I just shake the phone..... ( my case is a folder that hides the Power Button )

on all of my apps that will do it, I use a DARK theme.... and I get lots of battery life...
My wife's S5 will go for 4 or 5 days between charges... that phone never sees the internet, period.

UNLESS she starts playing Candy Crush

Are you rooted? The S7 won't allow my usual apps to toggle data automatically. Android 6.0 doesn't allow that anymore.

 

[AZgl1500]

on 5.x and 6.x
I manually turn DATA off and leave it off....
any macro can turn WiFi on/off....

the only time I use DATA is when away from home and I need the internet....
then I toggle it on and do what needs to be done, then I toggle it back off...

on my Note, not an issue, it is on 4.4.4 and it is also rooted.....
on my wife's S5, I leave the internet turned off all the time period..... she never uses any smart phone features.

my daughter's S5 is on 6.x and she just leaves everything on all the time........ oh well, it is hers to do with as she pleases....

 

[lvt]

I thought auto brightness was supposed to be a way to save battery life?

It depends, from my observation it does work OK for indoor lighting condition, but when I go outdoor it tends to set the brightness to max, way brighter than I really need it to be.

But you should decide yourself for your device because it may vary depending on the types of screen and software version.

 

[chanchan05]

on 5.x and 6.x
I manually turn DATA off and leave it off....
any macro can turn WiFi on/off....

the only time I use DATA is when away from home and I need the internet....
then I toggle it on and do what needs to be done, then I toggle it back off...

on my Note, not an issue, it is on 4.4.4 and it is also rooted.....
on my wife's S5, I leave the internet turned off all the time period..... she never uses any smart phone features.

my daughter's S5 is on 6.x and she just leaves everything on all the time........ oh well, it is hers to do with as she pleases....

It's data that's the problem. On 6.x, macro apps like tasker and macrodroid can't toggle data on/off without root anymore.

 

[JohnJSal]

The best tip I was given many years ago was to turn off the battery % and enjoy the phone and it's many features.

I'll admit, I had an eye-rolling reaction to this at first. But honestly, this seems like good advice. Don't obsess over every little decrease in the number. I'm doing it now and it's nice.

 

[AZgl1500]

It's data that's the problem. On 6.x, macro apps like tasker and macrodroid can't toggle data on/off without root anymore.

Which is exactly why I said I toggle DATA off and leave it off unless it is absolutely needed.

I have really enjoyed my 'new to me' Note 4 that is rooted and on 4.4.4 forever....
now, MacroDroid can control both DATA and WiFi.

Screen unlocks, the Internet is on.

Screen locks, the Internet is gone gone.

I get good battery life IF the phone is asleep.

do I miss some of the 'gee whiz' features in 6.0 ?
yes, but they are not worth me loosing control of the phone the way I want to do it.

 

[mikeyg00]

I use s health with no apparent drain.

As for the advice to plug in and ignore it, it gnaws at me to have to obsess over my charge level, always remember to pack my cord (I know, buy a backup...).

My last phone I worried about this constantly, with the S7 Edge its much less of a problem. Its 130 in afternoon and ive been using it a fair amount and im still at 71%.