Android’s 6 Most Battery-Draining Settings

If your phone requires charging by mid-afternoon, the issue might not be what you assume. Typical battery-saving tips suggest lowering screen brightness, using dark mode, or disabling Wi-Fi when not in range of a router. While helpful, these measures don’t address the underlying problems. There’s more you can do.

The most battery-draining settings are often hidden and less obvious. Even when your screen is off, these features may be continuously communicating with servers and draining your battery quietly.

These settings are typically enabled by default on many Android phones. By spending just five minutes adjusting them, you can gain additional hours of standby time. Here’s what to focus on.

1. Disable unnecessary background activity

By default, Android allows all apps to run in the background. This means your photo editing app, games you haven’t played in months, and a shopping app used for a one-time coupon are all updating in the background unnecessarily.

Navigate to Settings > Apps, select an app, tap Battery/Power, and set it to Restricted. This limits its background activity significantly. Review your entire app list and apply the same setting for apps that don’t require real-time updates, like games and lifestyle apps, which you open on demand.

Most apps can be restricted without affecting their functionality when in use. Keep essential apps like messaging and email clients unrestricted for notifications.

Two months ago, I revised my app settings, restricting around 35 apps, which resulted in gaining over an hour of screen-on time the next day. This adjustment had a more significant impact than any other change I’d tried in the past year.

2. Review app location permissions

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Location permissions aren’t limited to when you use Maps. Many apps access your location continuously, even when not in use for weeks.

Go to Settings > Location > App location permissions, then tap: “Allowed all the time/Apps that can always access location.” Every app on this list accesses location data in the background. For most, it’s unnecessary.

Instagram doesn’t need your location when it’s closed. Neither do Deliveroo, shopping apps, or most travel apps unless you’re actively using them. Change their settings to “Only while using” to limit location access to when the app is active.

If your list is extensive, start with apps installed in the last three months. New apps often default to broad permissions, which users tend to accept without reviewing.

3. Consider your need for 5G connectivity

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The 5G modem consumes more battery than the 4G LTE modem, as it often connects to both 4G and 5G networks at once. This dual connection uses more power.

Research by Ookla indicates that 5G can increase battery usage by 6% to 11% compared to LTE. In areas with poor 5G coverage, the battery drain can be even more pronounced as the modem struggles to maintain a connection.

If you spend most of your time indoors, switching to LTE can save battery life. Go to Settings > Network & Internet > SIMS > Preferred network type, and select LTE. The speed difference for indoor activities like browsing or streaming is minimal, but the battery savings by the afternoon are noticeable.

Switch back to 5G when you need faster speeds while out. It only takes a few taps. I sometimes forget to switch and notice the phone heating up by midday. Switching to LTE always improves the situation.

4. Consider disabling the Always-On Display

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The Always-On Display shows the time and notifications when the phone is idle, keeping part of the screen active. However, it consumes power continuously when the phone is face-up on surfaces.

Power consumption varies by manufacturer, with some lighting up more pixels at higher brightness. Samsung displays are typically more power-intensive than Pixel ones. If your battery struggles to last through the day, it might be worth turning off this feature.

Navigate to Settings > Lock screen > Always on display, and disable it for a week. If you find you miss it, you can always reactivate it. Many users stop noticing its absence after a couple of days.

5. Evaluate your refresh rate settings

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Most modern Android flagship phones come with adaptive refresh rate settings, which adjust between 1Hz and 120Hz based on display content. When functioning properly, this is energy-efficient. However, some phones might default to a fixed 120Hz setting.

Check your settings by going to Settings > Display > Refresh Rate. If it’s fixed at 120Hz, switching to adaptive doesn’t compromise visual quality, as the screen will still reach 120Hz during animations and scrolling, without maintaining that rate on static content.

6. Activate Battery Saver sooner

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Stock Android typically suggests enabling Battery Saver at 15%. By then, you’re already conserving battery, carefully monitoring usage. At this stage, the impact is limited.

Adjust the setting by going to Settings > Battery > Battery Saver and set it to activate at 30% or 40%. It limits background activity, location accuracy, and sync frequency, which are primary battery drains. Triggering it sooner allows these restrictions to be effective before the battery level becomes critical.

If your phone has an Ultra/Extreme Battery Saver mode, use it on days when charging isn’t an option. It reduces functionality to essentials like calls and texts, ensuring your phone remains usable late into the evening.

These adjustments don’t require new hardware. They involve tweaking settings that come pre-enabled on your phone, favoring convenience over battery life. Focusing on background activity and location permissions first can lead to noticeable improvements within a day.

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