Smartphone: How to increase battery life and extend battery life

HOW DOES IT WORK? (5/6) This summer and during the summer break, “20 Minutes” invites you to discover the functions of your smartphone that you do not necessarily take the time to use

A failing battery would be the number one cause of a smartphone being replaced by its user. — Capture

• A battery always well charged and in good health is often the sinews of war for smartphone users.
• Thanks at settings that are not always known, it is possible to increase its autonomy.
• Certain reflexes that we do not think of adopting either also make it possible to significantly extend its lifespan .

Arrived to 5% and it’s panic. You are on the beach or on a hike, have spent part of your vacation day at; scroll under the parasol, or at the request your GPS to orient you and here you are. confused: your smartphone's battery is ready to run out. give back the soul! Don’t have a powerbank or solar charger with you? No worries, 20 Minutesgives you his tips for prolonging his autonomy and slowing down bleeding. And also offers you some advice to extend its lifespan.

Increasing autonomy: simple everyday gestures

< p>When you are at your hotel, at the campsite, in your Airbnb, or at the restaurant, prefer Wifi to 3G/4G/5G networks that consume more energy: your smartphone spends its time at home. search for the nearest transmitter, which consumes power!

Other simple tricks that you never think of to gain some precious battery percentages: reducing the brightness of the battery. of the screen. You can do it in the settings or, better, opt (if your smartphone allows it) for an adjustment of its brightness. adaptive, depending on ambient light. While you're at it, reduce the time beyond which your screen will go to sleep, it is always taken if you are in the habit of not turning it off manually. Finally, delete the vibrate mode, which is certainly very practical, but which, at the end of the day, notification force can also siphon energy.

Adaptive brightness control screen of a smartphone saves energy. -Motorola

In the event of an imminent battery failure, switch to Power Save mode. Moreover, even if your smartphone offers it to you when its battery life drops below 20%, you can decide to activate this mode yourself, well before (when you are going to do the siesta, for example !). This has the effect of putting certain functions to sleep while keeping active those necessary in case of need (telephone calls, etc.). And casually, it can save you several hours of battery life.

For its part, the Airplane mode is available. favor… by plane, but also when you know you can do without your mobile device for a while (like: during your paddle session or your diving course). Severe; still, a lot of autonomy preserved.

Finally, don’t hesitate to take advantage of your holidays to clean up your applications. The latest generation smartphones allow in their settings to know which ones use the most energy.

Extending your lifespan: from reflexes to adopt for good

This summer, don’t use your smartphone or leave it in direct sunlight! Its battery doesn’t like it (nor does the intense cold). Above 35°, it can suffer irreversible damage. To prolong its life, keep mind that his comfort zone is between 16° and 22°. Don’t wait for your smartphone to be completely discharged either. to recharge it. This can have negative effects on its battery cells. Instead, the manufacturers advise partially recharging it, regularly.

But be careful, be careful there. again, since it is necessary to avoid mini-refills. Want to gaining two or three percent of autonomy at all costs can, at force of repeated manipulations, affect health. drums. As a result, favor regular recharges during the day. Manufacturers also recommend applying the so-called “40-80” rule, i.e. keeping your smartphone charged as much as possible. between 40% and 80%.

A few reflexes to remember adopt allow you to significantly increase the life of your smartphone's battery. – RAWPIXEL/CREATIVE COMMONS

It is also recognized that charging your smartphone via a USB port (like on the car charger) causes a fairly large amount of energy. heat. Over time, this can also affect the electrodes and electrolytes of the battery. It is therefore better to recharge your phone with its original charger (or its strict equivalent), designed to optimize the charging cycle.

The most recent chargers are also designed to dose their recharge at night and save the battery when the smartphone is plugged in. long hours. The older ones don’t have this advantage and continue to send current even when the battery is full. If possible, it is better to avoid leaving your smartphone on charge all night.

Finally, we advise you to carry out the updates. day on your smartphone. These often make it possible to improve the autonomy a little. Downside: if your terminal is old (several years), an update day can also have the opposite effect!