When you buy one of the best android phones you need to know how to keep it running, especially considering how expensive phones are getting. Part of this is making sure you keep your battery healthy.
Your phone’s battery is easily one of the most important parts of the device, and it’s also the part that’s destined to break. The fact is that batteries don’t last forever and will eventually die. However, there are steps you can take to keep your Android phone’s battery running for as long as possible.
I’ve worked as an engineer in a Samsung repair center and have seen some of the strangest battery situations imaginable (including one that started a small fire). In that time, I’ve learned that maintaining your battery is quite simple and that these steps will help you keep your phone running for as long as possible.
Check the health of your battery
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The first thing you need to do is understand how to do that check the health of your battery to diagnose any problems. There are a number of different methods to do this, but the easiest is to simply go to the settings menu, then go to the Battery tab and then look for the Battery Usage subheading. This allows you to monitor how your battery is being used and how quickly it is consuming power.
Alternatively, you can use one of the phone codes, in this case by dialing *#*#4636#*#*, which will open a diagnostic menu. This method works for many Android devices, but Samsung phones prefer that you use the Samsung Members app, which is installed on your device by default. Alternatively, various apps can read the battery for you, such as AccuBattery by Digibites (pictured below), CPU-Z by CPUID, and Battery from MacroPinch.
It’s worth noting that batteries always degrade over time, and even new phones rarely hold a 100% charge. Ideally we want the device to be over 80%. If you’re a little lower, it’s time to consider getting a new battery. However, even though batteries naturally decay, there are several things we can do to maintain them.
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Use adaptive charging
When we charge our phones, there is a tendency to always charge to 100% and then let the battery drain completely. However, I would recommend stopping that. The reason is simple: devices have a fixed number of charge cycles that indicate how often you can go from 0% to 100%. The more often you top up your phone above 20%, the longer these cycles will last.
It is also important to know that charging your phone to 100% and leaving it there will cause wear and tear due to the frequent high voltage. That is why most devices are included adaptive chargingwhich delays charging the phone to 100% until you need it. Googling Work is also underway to release battery charging limit that keeps your phone at 80% for Android 15which will greatly help keep the battery healthy for longer.
One final note on charging. Keep an eye on the type of charger you use and the wattage. For example the Galaxy S24 You can use a 25 watt charger for normal charging, or a 45 watt charger for fast charging. The best advice is to use the official charger for the phone and stick to the set wattage to avoid battery damage.
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Beware of parasitic loads and extreme temperatures
We’re all pretty connected to our smartphones, so waiting for them to fully charge can be a pain. While there may be some temptation to use the phone as a charger, I recommend doing so sparingly. The reason for this is something called a parasitic load, where your battery drains while it is being charged. This can put extra strain on the battery and affect overall health.
Another thing to note is that you should keep your phone away from extreme temperatures. Batteries are designed to function best at room temperature and will drain much faster in extreme temperatures. For the majority of people this won’t be a problem, but if you’re in much colder climates it’s worth investing in an enclosure that provides insulation.
Meanwhile, in warmer climates, it’s worth taking care of it make sure your phone doesn’t overheat. If you notice that the area around the charging port becomes hot while charging, you should remove it from the charging port as soon as possible.
Finally, the best way to protect your battery is to minimize the time between charges. There are several ways to do this. For example, you can try the battery saving function on your device and keep the screen brightness low, which also helps to minimize the chance of screen burn. It’s also worth it disable any location servicesas well as background apps to keep your battery levels high.
Your battery is safe, what now?
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Hopefully this guide has given you some important tips to keep your battery healthy for longer. However, when it is time to permanently replace the battery, you should use a registered repair company and official batteries. Cheaper batteries tend not to seat properly in the device heat up much fasterwhich could damage the device.
If you think you’ve gotten a bad battery, you can do the battery check mentioned earlier or check the battery life. One of the best ways to do this is to see if we have a review for the phone, as we show the results of our battery tests, and then see if you get the same result. You can also find our working method in how we test phoneswhich explains how all our tests work.
Maintaining a phone isn’t difficult, but it’s worth gathering all the information to make sure you’re doing everything right. For more information on how to maintain a phone, check out our tips and tricks for protecting a new phoneto ensure your new device lasts as long as possible.
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