What Could Be the Best Way to Charge My Phone for Longer Battery Life?

qwikfone

December 14,2021

What Could Be the Best Way to Charge My Phone for Longer Battery Life?
by Ishaan Seth November 10, 2020
Most of us rely on our smartphones for work, school, shopping, or even keeping in touch with our loved ones wherever they may be. We even use it to watch movies or play video games even. There is nothing that mobile phones can’t do which makes it an important investment worth making. But as much as we love our devices, its battery can only do so much to keep up with our use. This is why we end up charging our phones after several hours have passed. The question now is, how to make your phone battery life last longer?
Can Your Phone’s Battery Last?
Smartphones shutting off unexpectedly is not uncommon in old gadgets. On the other hand we don't face any battery issues in brand new phone as well as in pristine refurbished phone. Additional info about refurbished phones are available. The reason for bad battery life in old devices is that the battery has already deteriorated. But if you are wondering how long your battery should last each day, this will depend on how often it is used.

Smartphones are typically equipped with lithium-ion batteries that will require charging once it is running low. Unfortunately, this type of battery has a certain lifespan and a certain number of charging cycles before it deteriorates. There are a few factors that you should take into consideration when it comes to determining the length in which a single charge of your phone can take you such as:
  • Standby. If you are not a heavy user, it is likely that your gadget remains in standby or idle mode. What this means is that you will be able to use your mobile phone up to 2 to 3 days with just a single charge, provided that your unit is new. This will change of course if your smartphone is 1 to 2 years old.
  • Talk Time. Brand new smartphones can provide you with up to 7 hours of call time before you need to plug it in. On the other hand, the available hours for calls will go down the older your gadget is.  
  • Age. Another factor that you should consider regarding the lifespan of your battery is its age. Normally, batteries will start with 100% health. Over the years, this number will go down which is normal. The way you use it and how you charge your mobile device can also play a part on its health. 
Tips on How to Extend Battery Life through Charging
Wouldn’t it be great if the batteries installed in our gadgets can last forever? Until then, it is up to us to figure out how to preserve phone battery lifespan in order to get the most out of our gadgets. Fortunately, there are a few charging tips that you can follow.
What Could Be the Best Way to Charge My Phone for Longer Battery Life?
Charge Partially
Most smartphone users wait until their device runs out of battery before they charge it. Unfortunately, this isn’t really recommended for lithium-ion batteries which are common in smartphones these days. This idea is a remnant of those days when batteries for smartphones were made from lead.

Charging your smartphone partially does have its benefits. Just to give you an idea on how a lithium-ion battery works, when it is nearing empty it automatically draws current while running on low voltage. This will increase while the device is being charged before leveling off at 70%. The current will automatically go down once the battery is completely charged.

Keeping your mobile gadget running on low voltage is actually beneficial to it as it extends its lifespan and charging cycle. Battery University stated that a decrease in the voltage can help extend the life cycle of the battery. If you are wondering at what percentage should I charge my phone? Keep it between 30% to 80% before you charge. It would be better if you top up your device’s battery every once in a while to keep its lifespan longer.
Skip Idle Charging
What do you mean by idle charging? If you often leave your smartphone plugged in overnight, it is on idle charging. Most of us have made this mistake repeatedly thinking that there is nothing wrong with this practice. Unfortunately, it does have negative effects such as:
  • Metallic lithium plating can affect the stability of the battery. This can cause your smartphone to turn off unexpectedly.
  • It puts the battery pack at a high-stress level because of the excess voltage that it is receiving.
  • At the risk of overheating.
Instead of leaving your device charging all night, it is best that you continue in the morning where you can keep an eye on it until it reaches full charge.
Avoid Parasitic Load
The term parasitic load is used to describe a phone that is charging and draining at the same time.This is common in those who keep on using their mobile device while it is still being charged. This is because the charging cycle gets affected with the constant draining and charging happening to it. This disruption can shorten its lifespan. The next time you plug your smartphone, either shut it down first, or keep it in idle until it has completed its charge to minimize the damage to the battery. 
Balance Fast Charging
Fast charging is a common feature in recent smartphones wherein it enables the device to get charged quickly compared to traditional chargers. This is handy especially when you need to leave in a few minutes, but not so good for your battery because of the high heat that it is exposed to. Keep in mind that to speed up the charging capabilities of the device, it will need a higher wattage which can affect your battery’s health.
Use the Right Charger
It is always a good idea to stick with your phone’s original charger to ensure that it is getting the right voltage. Although Android devices can use different chargers, it should have the same specs as the original one to avoid any untoward incidents. There have been reports where chargers caught on fire because of the wrong voltage which also poses a threat to you especially when you keep your gadget charging the entire night. Find a detailed guide to the best portable phone chargers in UK right here.
Give Your Battery Life a Boost with These Tricks
Aside from the steps mentioned above, there are other ways that may contribute to extending the life of your gadget’s battery. These tips and tricks are actually useful so you might want to try them out.
  • Check if apps are draining your battery quickly.
    There are instances when your phone’s battery gets consumed quickly because of an app that is not working properly. You can check the health of your battery through your phone’s settings and keep track of any applications that may be using up more power than necessary. Delete these programs as they may have a malware embedded in it or it may have bugs that are causing the battery to drain quickly.
  • Keep the display on.
    Did you know that leaving your screen turned on is better than having it automatically turn off after a few seconds? This is because waking up your gadget consumes more energy. You can set the display to always-on where it will only require a low voltage to display the time and any notifications that you may receive. This is much better than having to wake your phone every once in a while just to see if there are any notifications that need your attention.
  • Minimize brightness.
    Another way to maximize the lifespan of your battery is to keep the brightness of your smartphone down. If you are thinking that the adaptive brightness feature is going to help, it won’t since it can make a mistake in detecting the level of brightness in your surroundings. Having control over the brightness of your device can make it easier for you to help extend its life.
  • Turn off radios in your smartphone.
    The Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, and other features that use frequencies can take a toll on your smartphone’s battery when they are turned on. If you want your handheld device to last you for hours, turn them off when they are not needed. You will see an improvement to your battery once you know when to toggle these features off. Take note that some applications will ask permission to use your phone’s features,like GPS, so be careful which ones you allow in your device.
  • Check for updates.
    Make it a habit to see if there are any updates available for the programs that you have installed in your smartphone. Some may have bugs that are affecting your battery’s health that could have been fixed when you update it. Keep an eye on these regularly so these programs will continue running smoothly without affecting your battery’s overall health.
Conclusion
It is inevitable that your phone’s battery will die a natural death. However, it doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to extend its lifespan. Fortunately, learning how to make your phone battery last longer can help give your battery a longer life starting with knowing how to charge your smartphone the right way. Take advantage of the tips mentioned above as well on the best practices when using your gadget so you can make the most out of its power.