Every battery wears a little with each charge, but your habits make a big difference to how long it lasts each day and over the years. A few small changes to brightness, charging and background apps can add hours to every charge and stretch the battery's working life. Here are seven ways to get more from the phone you already own, from settings you can change today to the moment it is worth replacing the battery. None of them costs anything, and together they can make a real difference to how far a single charge goes.
Settings that save power every day
Start with the screen, because it is the biggest drain. Automatic brightness adjusts to the light around you and saves power without you thinking about it. Next, let the adaptive refresh rate drop when the screen is still, which the Pulsar 9 Pro does by running from 1 to 120Hz, and use a dark theme on an OLED screen to sip less power. Finally, check which apps use your location and refresh in the background, then limit the ones that do not need it. These three changes are free and take minutes to set up. A slightly dimmer screen that you never notice is an easy trade for a couple of extra hours.
Charge smarter
Charging habits matter as much as settings. Where you can, keep the battery between 20 and 80 percent rather than running it flat and topping up to full, and turn on the 80 percent charging limit overnight. Avoid heat, so never charge a phone under a pillow or on a sunny car dashboard. Use a good USB-C charger, such as the Circuit Essentials 65W charger, which is also powerful enough to charge a laptop, so one charger covers both. Cheap chargers can run hot and stress the battery, so it pays to use one you trust. Good charging gear is a small cost that protects an expensive phone.
Know when to replace the battery
Check the battery health in your phone's settings. Once it falls below 80 percent of its original capacity, it is time. Our Manchester workshop replaces phone batteries, which keeps a good phone going for years and costs far less than a new handset. A fresh battery can make a three year old phone feel new again. It is a quick job, and it keeps an otherwise perfect phone out of a drawer. Ask us for a quote and we will tell you honestly whether it is worth it.
The seven ways at a glance
- Use automatic brightness
- Let the refresh rate drop and use a dark theme
- Limit apps that track location and refresh in the background
- Keep the battery between 20 and 80 percent, with an 80 percent overnight limit
- Avoid heat and never charge under a pillow
- Use a good USB-C charger
- Replace the battery once it drops below 80 percent health
For long days out, a power bank such as the Circuit Essentials 20,000mAh, about four full phone charges, now £35 down from £45, keeps you going. It pairs well with the charging habits above, so your phone lasts the whole day and the battery lasts the years. See the 20,000mAh power bank for the full details. It is a small, useful thing to keep in a bag for festivals, flights and long journeys.
