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Extend Your Cell Phone’s Battery Life With These 3 Tips From Tech Experts

Maintain a long-lasting charge on your electronics.

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If you’re like most people, your smartphone is like an appendage. You need it for work and you need it for play, which is why it’s so important to keep it fully charged. Unfortunately, your device’s battery power deteriorates over time. (If you have anything other than a brand new phone, you’ve probably noticed that it doesn’t stay charged as long as it once did.) As a result, you have to power up your phone and tablet more frequently — and you’ve likely had your power run out at inconvenient moments at least a few times. But according to technology experts, this doesn’t mean you need to replace your device. (Phew!) Instead, they suggest doing three things to make the batteries on a range of digital devices last longer.

#1: Disable vibration notifications to save battery life.

“Simply turning off the vibration option under the notification setting on your smartphone goes a very long way to conserve power,” Paula Napolitano, smartphone expert for WisetekStore.com, says. “You can still keep the notification banners on, but vibrations require a tiny motor, which consumes a lot of battery life, especially if you get many messages or play games that have vibration alerts.”

Prefer playing games on your laptop? Consider plugging your computer directly into your router using an Ethernet cable, recommends Napolitano. This creates a steadier, more reliable connection and uses less power than running a computer on Wi-Fi. So, it preserves the longevity of your laptop’s battery.

#2: Go ‘dark mode’ to decrease power output.

You may already know that screen brightness is the number one battery hog on any electronic device, be it your phone, laptop or tablet. But dimming screens can also make them difficult to read — which is where “dark mode” comes in. This option is located in your device’s settings and changes screens with white backgrounds and black text to the reverse: black backgrounds with white text. This simple tweak reduces the power output just as much as if you had dimmed the screen — yet allows the text to remain crisp, clear, and legible.

#3: Maintain a ‘midcharge’ to avoid a drained battery.

Prolong the life of lithium batteries used in most electronic devices by maintaining a “midcharge,” which means preventing it from either becoming drained completely or charged fully. “Just keep an eye on your battery life, and once it gets down to no less than 20 percent, plug it in,”Sanam Nayab, tech expert for SharpCore IT company, says. “Then when it reaches 90 percent, unplug it again.” Note: Non-computerized rechargeable devices, like those used in electric toothbrushes, Bluetooth connectors and razors, often use older-model batteries that still benefit from being drained completely before recharging.

This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.

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