7 Things That Make Your Smartphone Battery Die

Apps drain your battery even if you’re not using them if they’re left open. Conserve your battery life by closing apps after using. IPhone users can close apps by double tapping the home button and then swiping up on the open apps. Android users can learn how to close apps here.

A brighter screen consumes more battery. Adjusting the brightness can help stretch your battery life a bit more, which can be crucial when you find yourself without a charger and your phone’s battery is on its last legs.

Certain apps, like Facebook, on your phone can use (with your permission) your cell data, WiFi, or GPS to find your approximate location. If you have location services enabled on several apps, this could be the culprit when your battery dies in the afternoon. Look in your phone’s settings to see which apps use location services, and disable them when your battery is running low.

While Bluetooth is necessary for using some accessories, like a hands-free headset for the car, be sure to turn this feature off when you don’t need it. Bluetooth will continue to search for a connection when turned on, sapping the battery quickly.

This one’s a bit tricky: WiFi can be both a battery saver and drainer. Using WiFi when you can connect to WiFi — for example, when you’re at home or work — won’t deplete your battery as fast. Similarly to using Bluetooth, however, having WiFi on when your phone can’t connect to a network will use battery life searching for available networks.

When you’re in an area with spotty cell service, you might notice your battery tends to die faster. That’s because your phone is wasting battery life searching for a cell signal. Turning your phone off or on airplane mode in places where there’s barely any service will conserve the battery.

Unfortunately, the fun things your smartphone offers are also battery-unfriendly. Playing Candy Crush, surfing the Internet and FaceTimeing with the grandkids exhausts your battery rapidly. We’re not suggesting you delete your favorite games, but try to play them and catch up with the grandkids while connected to a power source.