How to save battery power on your mobile device

Battery saving implies a specific usage pattern. But this should not mean minimal uptime and a complete shutdown of everything that is possible. Nevertheless, the savings should be within reasonable limits, not reach fanaticism. However, some simple steps will save an additional 5-10%, which in certain situations may not be superfluous at all.

Laptops with Windows and OS X

Most battery saving tips will work for you whether your laptop is running OS X or Windows.

If the battery life of the laptop is catastrophically short - We have selected the most durable laptops

Screen brightness. First of all, you should lower the screen brightness if it is too high. Thanks to this, a noticeable increase in operating time can be achieved. But it should be remembered that you should not get too carried away either, since a screen that is too dark leads to increased eye fatigue.

Graphic effects. In the operating system settings, various graphic effects should be disabled. All kinds of animations and translucency may look beautiful, but they put an additional load on the processor, and therefore on the battery.

If you are using OS X, then go to "System Preferences" - "Accessibility" - "Monitor" and turn off "Reduce Transparency" there.

On a Windows computer, this is done through the "Performance Options" window, on the "Visual Effects" tab. You can access this window, for example, by searching for the phrase "Tuning the presentation and system performance." Disable anything you deem unnecessary. If you are using Windows 8, then it will not be superfluous to disable unused "live" tiles.

"Heavy" applications. On both Mac and PC, you should disable resource-intensive applications that can put a significant load on the processor, even when they are in the background. But there is a nuance - you should disable it only when you have finished working with the programme and you no longer need it. Otherwise , restarting will negate all the savings.

It should be remembered that browsers are also resource-intensive applications. The load on the processor will be the higher, the more bookmarks are open. Close the ones you don't need. And certainly it will not be superfluous to install an add-on to block "flash" and advertising. In other cases, a poorly made advertising flash banner can have an extremely negative impact on the performance of the entire system, which means a quick battery drain.

Turn off excess. Don't forget to disable anything you don't currently use. These can be Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless networks, flash drives, external hard drives and other peripherals. If the laptop has a keyboard backlight, then turn it on only when working with the device in the dark. Do not use the optical drive while running on battery power. And more experienced users can also disable unnecessary/unused services.

Energy saving modes. Both Windows and OS X have a so-called. power saving modes. In OS X, they are available through "System Preferences" - "Energy Saver". Windows users need to go to "Control Panel" - "System and Security" - "Power Options". In the settings that open, you can specify, for example, how quickly the screen should turn off when the laptop is running on battery power.

There are a number of applications for reduce system power consumption

Automatic update. Developers periodically release updates for the operating systems they have created. Installing them is recommended to improve security and fix certain errors. It is only desirable that the update process does not occur at the moment when you use the laptop on battery power. To do this, disable automatic updates.

If you're using OS X, go to System Preferences, then App Store, and turn off Automatically check for updates.

Windows users need to find through the search "Turn off automatic updates". In the options window that opens, uncheck the "Do not check for updates (not recommended)" option. Another way is to go to the "Control Panel", where you need to select "System and Security" - "Windows Update" - "Settings".

Special software. There are a number of applications designed to reduce system power consumption. And often it is preinstalled by the laptop manufacturer itself or it can be downloaded from the site along with the drivers. Such programs may prove useful and are recommended for use.

And Mac users can be advised to install an application like App Tamer, which is able to pause applications that are in the background.

Tablets and smartphones

Perfect solution for smartphone or tablet external battery

On the Internet, you can find many ways that allow at least a little, but still increase the operating time of a mobile device. The only trouble is that most of them lead to a noticeable decrease in functionality, in fact, turn it into a "brick". So we will give only the most basic and really useful ones. As with laptops, the basic set of tips for tablets and smartphones is the same whether they run iOS or Android.

Unfortunately, the only really useful tip is to get an external battery. This accessory will not only increase the time of using the device, but also reduce the load on the main battery.

A good effect is to reduce the brightness of the screen. Again, just like in the case of a laptop, this should be done within reasonable limits. And it's better to turn off auto-brightness. On iOS, this is done through "Settings" - "Screen and Brightness", and on Android through "Settings" - "Screen". It will not be superfluous to set the minimum possible time for the automatic shutdown of the screen.

Further, it is recommended not to install applications and widgets that you do not need on your device. And check how much the installed programs load the battery. On iOS, you can view such statistics through "Settings" - "General" - "Statistics" - "Battery Usage". In Android, this is done through "Settings" - "About the phone" - "Battery usage". If the programme spends the charge too actively, but you rarely use it, then it is better to refuse it altogether.

It is highly recommended to stop using dynamic wallpapers

It is highly recommended to stop using dynamic wallpapers. Perhaps they look beautiful, but the load on the battery is unreasonably high. In general, it is best to put something dark in the background, especially if your device has an AMOLED screen.

Turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless modules when you are not using them. You can also turn off the use of 3G when you do not need mobile Internet or you are in an area with unstable coverage. On iOS, go to "Settings" - "Cellular" - "Voice and data". In Android, networks are selected through "Settings" - "Wireless networks" - "Mobile network".

Turn off GPS when you don't need navigation. On iOS, this is done through "Settings" - "Privacy" - "Location Services", and on Android - "Settings" - "Location". But remember that with geolocation disabled, some applications that require knowing the user's location may not work.

Applications are best updated manually, turn off the auto-update option. To do this, on iOS, go to "Settings" - "iTunes, App Store" and turn off "Updates" there. It is also recommended to go to "Settings" - "General" - "Content Update". In Android, a similar action looks like this: “Settings” - “About device” - “Update system software”, where we select “Ask before downloading”.

It can be advised to turn on airplane mode in those moments when you do not need a smartphone. The main thing is not to forget to turn it back on later. On Android, you can set Airplane Mode to turn on automatically. To do this, you need to install an application like Silence. For iOS, everything is more complicated - in order to use such applications, you must first jailbreak the device. By the way, tweaks often installed after a jailbreak have a negative impact on the charge level.

It should also be noted that many manufacturers of Android smartphones equip their devices with pre-installed applications to save battery power. Although it is difficult to say how useful they are. There is little benefit from all kinds of similar programs from third-party developers, they are more suitable for simplifying the actions described above.

But what you don’t need to do is constantly close already running applications. Both systems are smart enough to manage memory loading on their own. The subsequent start will mean an extra load, and therefore a faster charge consumption.

Battery Care

Proper battery care is the key to long battery life. On the Internet you can find a lot of detailed instructions that describe a huge number of manipulations that need to be performed for this. In fact, everything is not so scary, it is quite enough just to follow a number of simple rules. The battery will thank you.

First of all, you must use only branded chargers. It is highly not recommended to use models purchased on layouts in underground passages and the subway, no matter how attractive their cost may seem. Such devices are dangerous not only for the device, but also for its owner.

It is not recommended to use the laptop exclusively from the mains. Sometimes it needs to be turned off, allowing the battery to discharge at least up to 40-60%. Also, once a month it should be completely discharged, until the device itself asks to connect the charger.

Another recommendation is that the battery should be fully charged. It is better to avoid partial recharges. At the very least, try not to produce them too often.

Also, batteries do not like high temperatures. So if you are using a tablet or smartphone with a case, it makes sense to remove them while charging. And it should be remembered that the discharge occurs faster at low temperatures. In other words, try to provide the device with comfortable working conditions.