Your smartphone battery drains quickly ? Here's why

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It is often one of the characteristics that we first look at on a smartphone's technical sheet: the battery capacity. And for good reason; it is indeed a good indicator of whether the mobile will last long enough on a single charge. But you still need to know how to properly manage the latter…

However, it must be said, this is not always easy. It is therefore not uncommon to see premium mobiles lose endurance after only a few semesters of use. For you, there are still some key tips to know in order to understand why your smartphone battery drains quickly. We have gathered them for you in this guide, which we will of course update regularly according to the latest advances from manufacturers.

Among the components that consume the most energy under the hood of our smartphones, we find wireless network sensors. If you want to save electricity, you should turn off Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or NFC. Obviously, you will understand that the use of associated accessories should also be limited to preserve the autonomy of your battery. We are talking here, in turn, about wireless headphones, connected watches or even smart speakers.

Among the other wireless networks that can pose a problem for the endurance of your smartphone, we can obviously also mention the case of GPS. It is also one of the chips that consumes the most, all parts combined. On Android, the good news is that it is easy to disable this sensor via the associated setting that is extended from the notification bar or via a prompt of apps that need your geolocation. But on iOS, despite the recent major update of the Control Center With iOS 18, you still have to go through the Settings app to turn off GPS. It's quite long, so much so that some have preferred to automate the action via the Shortcuts platform.

Beyond wireless networks, be aware that your smartphone's speaker itself can also use a lot of energy. This is especially true if it is often used at maximum volume. So limit your listening time or turn down the volume. What's more, it will only be beneficial for your own hearing.

Similarly, turn off the vibrator when you can, or reduce its power. The haptic motor, in other words the component that causes the vibrations, also consumes quite a bit of electricity. To remedy this, on iOS, you can create a dedicated Concentration mode, or one that adapts to the times of your day and the apps you use.

If your smartphone discharges too quickly, it may also be because some apps use more electricity than others. On both Android and iOS, there have been dedicated menus for a few years now to find out which ones. You will then probably find that games or streaming platforms are the most demanding.

Depending on the data you collect in this way, you can then decide to remove certain bloatware or restrict the use of certain apps. Note that dedicated features are sometimes available in your smartphone's settings. In particular, you can choose to lock access to third-party apps with a code, during certain time slots.

If you check the statistics provided by your smartphone about your energy consumption, you may also notice that the screen is the most demanding in this area. Hence the crucial interest in also limiting its power, in particular by setting the brightness to the minimum when more is not necessarily necessary. To make this technique work even more efficiently, you can also automate it. A dedicated setting is often available from the notification bar, or from the Control Center.

To prevent your screen from consuming too much energy, you can also reduce the time spent watching videos. Please note, in addition, that the iPhone 15 Pro Max notably features a ProMotion refresh rate of one hundred and twenty frames per second. This is activated when certain content requires a high display rate, such as video games. The higher the frequency, the higher the power consumption, as a general rule. But by consulting less demanding content, such as emails or press articles, then you could also save electricity, because the smartphone will run at a lower frequency.

Similarly, be aware that many mobiles running iOS can also run at one hundred and twenty Hertz. This is the case, for example, with the Xiaomi Poco X6 Pro or the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. So many devices where, here too, you could therefore limit yourself to certain content that does not require a high frame rate.

If smartphone batteries discharge quickly, it is also sometimes because they are simply too old. And for good reason: this component, in a smartphone, is the one that tends to lose performance the fastest. In recent years, some manufacturers have understood this and therefore offer us the possibility of monitoring the health of our battery, from a dedicated menu. On iPhone, it is indicated by a percentage.

The lower the number, the less the battery will last. And beyond 80%, it is considered that the hardware needs to be replaced. In any case, regardless of the manufacturer of your device, this is what you will need to do if your battery no longer lasts as long as before. Also, be aware that this could also help you improve the overall performance of your device. Indeed, with a less powerful battery, some mobiles sometimes automatically limit their speed so as not to lose autonomy too quickly.

To prevent this type of scenario from happening too regularly, however, you should know that you can prevent it with a few simple actions. By installing them, you help to preserve the autonomy of your battery, by limiting its demands.

Among the tips to remember, it is often considered that you should, for example, avoid completely discharging your smartphone battery (down to 0%). As soon as you can, don't hesitate to also keep your smartphone plugged in, for example on your desk when you are working on a computer. Finally, remember to regularly turn off your mobile phone to let its components rest.

Finally, be aware that if your smartphone discharges quickly, it may also be due to a simple technical problem. It is therefore not uncommon to see manufacturers deploy updates that significantly drain the battery life of our devices. Most often, however, it is unfortunate, so much so that you only have to wait a few days to receive a fix. Sometimes, as in the famous batterygate a few years earlier, it is also knowingly that brands choose to limit the performance of smartphones.

In this case, you can also consult the forums or bug reports, in order to try to find out more. Indeed, if the deployment is global, you are probably not the only one affected. Finally, remember to install the proposed updates as soon as possible: this is the best way to receive a possible patch in time.

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