Even though my Android phone isn’t the newest model available, I still use it for reasons other than nostalgia. It’s dependable, manages everything well, including messaging and streaming, and is now more powerful than before because of new software upgrades. It does the job, even if it may not have the gaudy camera improvements or very tiny bezels of today’s flagships.
I no longer believe that purchasing the newest gadget year was necessary to be up to date. For consumers like me, extended device support from Android manufacturers like Google and Samsung translates into more value. I’ve been able to revitalize my phone by making a few simple changes, such as deleting outdated files, upgrading applications, and adjusting settings. These easy tweaks might save you the money on an upgrade if your gadget is becoming old but still has some life left in it.
Try some of these suggestions before you go shopping for a new gadget. It may surprise you to learn how much better your phone can function with a few little adjustments.
It’s true: By making a few simple changes, you can probably extend the battery life and give your phone a new lease of life, regardless of whether you have a Samsung Galaxy, Motorola, or OnePlus phone.
Keep in mind that phone manufacturers sometimes install their own software on top of Android, and that there may be some changes across Android smartphones. Depending on the Android version you’re using and the manufacturer of your phone, certain options can be absent or located in a different location.
Configurations to extend the life of your battery
It might be frustrating to live with a phone that has a short battery life, but there are certain things you can do to get the most of every charge from the start:
1. Set the brightness level slider to less than 50% and disable adaptive or auto screen brightness.
Your screen will consume more battery power if it is brighter.
Pull down the shortcut menu from the top of the screen to access the option, then use the slider to make any necessary adjustments. If your phone doesn’t have an auto brightness toggle in the shortcut panel, you’ll have to visit the settings app and search for “brightness” to locate and disable the option.
2. Make use of battery optimization and adaptive batteries
Through learning how you use your phone, including which applications you use and when, these features aim to optimize both the apps and their battery use.
While Samsung phones hide these options, other Android phones offer a distinct Battery area in the options app. Every phone has a somewhat different process. I suggest going into your settings and looking up “battery” to locate the appropriate screen. In order to maintain the health of your phone, it can also feature an adaptive charging mode that tracks how fast the battery charges over night.
Reasons for using dark mode more often
Using Android’s specialized dark mode is another option to extend battery life and protect your eyes. There will be a distinct dark mode option on every Android phone running Android 10 or later.
Google claims that dark mode not only prolongs battery life but also lessens eye strain caused by smartphone screens since black backgrounds consume less power than white backgrounds on OLED screens, which are found in the majority of flagship phones.
You may need to go through the settings app for a dark mode, depending on the Android version and manufacturer of your phone. You may activate system-wide dark mode if your phone is running Android 10 or later. Don’t give up if it is running Android 9. Whether you have Android 10 or not, you may utilize the dark mode option in the settings of many applications.
Search for Dark Mode, Dark Theme, or even Night Mode (as Samsung like to refer to it) in the Settings app to activate dark mode. I advise utilizing dark mode always, but if you’re unsure, you can always program it to switch on automatically depending on a schedule, such as every day from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., or let it change automatically based on where you are at sunset and dawn.
Keep junk off of your home screen.
Are you planning to download a number of new Android applications from the Google Play Store? Every time you install anything, shortcuts arrive on your home screen, so be ready for a lot of icon clutter there.
There is a straightforward solution if you don’t want that: To access Settings, use a long-press on a blank section of your home screen. Look for and disable the option that says “Add icon to Home Screen” or “Add new apps to Home Screen.”
Presto — When you install new applications, the home screen will no longer have any icons. The shortcuts will not show up on your home screen unless you wish them to, but you can still create shortcuts by dragging the icon of an app out of the app drawer.
Put Do Not Disturb on so you can concentrate better.
You probably don’t want your phone to buzz or beep every time you get a call, message, or Facebook alert if you often leave it on your nightstand at night, particularly while you’re attempting to fall asleep. During certain hours, Android’s Do Not Disturb mode will essentially keep the phone quiet. This is known as Quiet Time or even the Downtime setting on certain phones.
To find Do Not Disturb or a similar moniker, go to Settings > Sounds (or Notifications). Use the built-in search function in your settings to look for it if you are unable to locate it.
You may use the capability to program a range of hours for when you want to disable the digital noise. Rest assured that when you wake up, any alerts you received while Do Not Disturb is on will still be there. Additionally, you can usually create an exception that lets calls from favored contacts and repeat callers get through. Activate that. It’s likely that someone will attempt again if they are phoning you in an emergency.
Be ready at all times in case your phone is stolen or lost.
Is there a worse situation than having your phone stolen or lost? Only the awareness that if you had activated Google’s Find My Device function, you could have located it.
Here are some things you should do to be ready for a healthy recovery: Locate “Find My Device” by opening the Settings app. Usually, it may be found in the Settings app’s Security section.
You may use Samsung’s Find My Mobile feature by going to Settings > Biometrics and security > Find My Mobile on a Samsung handset.
Once enabled, you may access your account by going to android.com/find from any computer or mobile device. To locate a misplaced phone,
It’s never enjoyable to lose a phone.
Read our comprehensive guide to locating a misplaced Android phone if you have any difficulties with any of this.
You should be able to view the position of your phone on a map if it is turned on and connected to the internet. You may then set it to ring, lock it, leave a message on the lock screen telling whomever has it how to return it to you, or, in the worst situation, remotely erase the whole device.
Additionally, always keep your phone updated.
Even though it may seem apparent, a simple software update might resolve bugs and other problems that are causing your Android smartphone to lag.
Make sure your device is linked to Wi-Fi before downloading and installing the most recent software update, otherwise it won’t function.
Launch the Settings app now, then enter Update. A software update or a system update will then appear; choose one. When the program is available, just download it, wait a few minutes, and install it. The most recent software update will be installed when your Android smartphone reboots.