Simple Habits for a Healthy Battery

Modern phones, laptops, and tablets have revolutionized the way we work on a daily basis. However, with all the changes in technology, we still find ourselves tethered to a wall or searching for a plug-in at the most inopportune times. But why are our devices ripping through battery life so quickly?

A few years back I noticed a sizable decrease in the battery life on my then-new laptop. I heard rumors that to keep your battery healthy, it was best to work to basically 0% life and then charge to full. But was this really necessary with modern batteries? After doing some research, what I found out was while that might have been true of older NiMH batteries (nickel-metal hydride), it was not true in newer li-ion (lithium-ion) batteries which are used in our phones, tablets, and laptops. On the contrary, li-ion batteries should not be drained to 0% but should be plugged in if possible once your phone reaches 20% power.

Another myth I heard was to not keep my laptop or phone plugged-in once it reached a 100% charge. The thought was that this would wear the battery out more quickly due to overcharging. Again, I found out that I was wrong. According to Battery University, modern devices are designed to stop charging at 100% to avoid any additional battery deterioration.

These got me thinking about all of the other things I might be doing wrong or did not know about. I dug a little deeper and found a few ideas to keep me running longer and away from the plug.

1. Dim Your Screen

Although it might not seem like a big deal, the brighter you run your screen the more juice you will use. Take a minute to dim your screen and enjoy your extra run time.

2. Switch Off WiFi

This might not always be possible, but if you aren’t using the web, make sure your Wifi is switched off. Most all devices when not connected to a Wifi network will constantly be searching for available networks, which is a huge battery drain.

3. Lose the Extras

Whether it’s an external hard drive, wireless mouse or memory stick these are all running off your computer’s battery. If you can, use the trackpad on your laptop instead of a wireless mouse. Then offload any files you need and eject USB devices to save battery life. Are you getting constant alerts and updates? These are all using up extra battery life. Turn off alerts in your preferences and close programs you are no longer using. Lastly, do you have a million tabs open in your browser at all times? I’m looking at you, Greg! If so, it’s draining your battery. Here’s some tips and tricks to manage those tabs.

Keep the Ideal Temperature

One of the biggest battery life killers is running at temperatures that are too hot or too cold. Think of it this way, if the temperature is cold enough for you to need a jacket and gloves, it’s not good for your battery. Long story short, keep your devices out of the cold. On the contrary, if you’re starting to sweat, your device is too. If your phone seems to be running hot, keep it out of your pocket and remove the case. For those of us that use our laptops as a desktop alternative, make sure it has good airflow from all angles by using a raised stand. If it still seems to be warm, using an extremal fan should help cool it down.  

Become Friends with Your Built-In Power Saving Options

Many laptops, tablets, and phones come with power-saving options. On PC’s these can be found by searching for “Power Options”. For macOS users, these are found in “System Preferences” under “Energy Saver”. By enabling these built-in options you can let your device work for you to save battery life.  On iPhones you can use Low Power Mode to save energy – this is found in “Settings” under “Battery”.

These tips helped keep me running longer between charges. Hopefully they can do the same for you!