We spend a lot of time using various apps on our phones, often unmindful of their battery impact. If you’ve ever wondered why your Android battery drains so quickly, our updated guide sheds light on this issue. By identifying the key culprits, you can take control and prevent these apps from depleting your phone battery quickly.
1. Quickly Find the Apps That are Draining Android Battery
To answer what is draining your Android battery, you have to check all the apps that are causing this problem. Luckily, all Android devices have battery settings for such insights.
It varies depending on the manufacturer and model. If you’re using a Pixel, OnePlus, Oppo, or Motorola device, go to Settings -> Battery -> Battery usage to see which apps are consuming the most battery. For Samsung Galaxy users, navigate to Settings -> Battery and device care -> Battery -> Battery usage (Activity).
You’ll see various apps in descending order based on the percentage of battery they’ve consumed since the last full charge. Take note of the apps listed and check for any unusual spikes in battery usage, especially for apps that you rarely or never use.
Related: wondering how to extend your iPhone’s battery life? Here are the latest, proven tips that will work on any iPhone mode.
You can also download free apps that help you compile a list of apps and their battery drainage statistics. They help you with monitoring battery usage over a period of time, with enhanced visualizations of battery-draining apps and their usage patterns. Using this extra information, you gain a more thorough understanding of what’s going on within your device.
I often use AccuBattery as it offers a metric called “discharging speed per hour,” which clearly indicates which apps are battery hogs at any given moment. AccuBattery also has many other uses; for instance, it sends an alarm when your Android battery is fully charged. You can also use BatteryGuru which gives more intricate insights.
Related: you can optimize your Android phone battery, and extend its lifespan by limiting the charging to around 80 percent.
2. Fix Google Play’s Services Battery Drain
Google Play Services is often the main culprit for battery drain on Android devices. This is due to its persistent background activity and updates, accumulated cache, and features like auto-sync and location syncing. Clearly, gaining control over these non-essential services can provide much-needed relief for your phone’s battery.
In my own experiences with battery hogging apps, I found that the auto-updates in Google Play are a big culprit, as several gigabytes worth of data can be consumed, causing significant spikes in battery usage. The solution is to ensure these updates only occur when I’m using a Wi-Fi network, not on mobile data.
We have a detailed guide that delves deeply into Google Play Services’ battery usage issues. It covers many other solutions, including turning off auto-sync, deleting the cache, and uninstalling service updates.
3. Reducing Any App’s Battery Usage
The most obvious way to stop an app from taking up too much battery is to uninstall it; however, there are less nuclear options to reduce an app’s footprint on your phone!
If an app is being particularly troublesome, you can check its options to see if you can limit its background activity. This mainly involves using Force Stop/Stop and removing any app permissions, such as access to the camera and files.
When you scroll further down, you will find the Battery option. If you go down further, it will indicate the battery usage settings. By default, it’s set to Optimized, but you can change the setting to Restricted. Doing this simple tweak will greatly limit battery usage while the app is running in the background.
Repeat the above two steps for as many unused apps as possible. The more unused apps you place in the “restricted” category, the more you’ll reduce their battery usage. On my Samsung Galaxy device, I discovered that out of over 120 active apps, I wasn’t using nearly 80 of them. It took me almost an hour to tweak these settings, but now these apps are no longer part of the background activity.
Also read: are you traveling? Find out our handy tips on how to save phone battery while being on the move.
4. Don’t Forget the System Apps
System apps on Android often escape our attention. They are important as they are integrated into the device’s kernel. While some system apps, such as “Settings,” are crucial to running your device, others are not necessary for everyday activities. Although you cannot uninstall them, you can limit their impact on your battery.
On my Samsung device, I found many Samsung-centric system apps that I wasn’t really using. Some apps, like “Storage Booster,” were consuming as much as 1-3 percent of the battery per charge, which adds up quickly. Placing these apps in the Restricted category was an effective way to reduce their background activity.
Apart from system apps, one should also keep a tab on the games. The latest 3D games on a device are high battery drainers, and some can cause overheating issues. However, we have a few effective ways to cool down an overheated Android device.
5. Keep a Tab on High Battery Consuming Apps
Certain types of Android apps are notorious for draining battery due to their resource-intensive requirements. While you may not want to uninstall them, keeping track of their battery usage is essential to avoid sudden battery depletion.
- Apps that require location access: Google Maps, rideshare, and delivery apps are constant battery drains as they require location updates every few seconds. We have a definitive answer on whether keeping location always on is bad for battery health, and it’s a resounding “yes.” While these apps are necessary during use, it’s a good idea to limit their background activity and permissions when they’re not in use. You can always restore their settings when you need them urgently.
- Apps that require access to the camera and microphone: if you frequently use WhatsApp, Line, Snapchat, or other social media apps, there is an inordinate amount of activity that can be battery-intensive.
- Apps that require access to built-in sensors: modern phones come with built-in sensors such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, hall sensors, fingerprints, gravity, pressure, and proximity sensors. Many fitness and workout apps require constant biometric information. If you don’t use them often, it’s useful to remove their permissions.
So far we have answered “what is draining my Android battery,” with the biggest culprit apps. However, apps aren’t the only reason you experience battery drain issues. Battery drain can also be caused by performing a full charge and discharge cycle (from 100% to 0%), having screen settings that delay timeout by several minutes, and always keeping your Wi-Fi on. In this comprehensive guide, we have covered all these additional factors that contribute to Android battery drain.
Image credit: Pixabay. All screenshots by Sayak Boral.
