Battery saving tips

Mission:

To configure your phone for optimal battery life

Prerequisites:

  • A phone with /e/OS
  • Patience to fiddle around with /e/OS settings and monitor battery life for best optimization depending on your use case.

Let’s roll.

1. Switch off hardware features you don’t need

Most users who complain about poor battery life have their Bluetooth, Mobile data, NFC, WiFi, GPS, Hotspot & Tethering etc turned on without any use for it throughout the day even while traveling. It is advised to disable them when not required.

2. Uninstall unused apps

In order to save battery, one of the most recommended method is to uninstall every unused user installed application from your phone immediately. Some applications like fancy games might have abnormal background usages hence battery power hungry.

3. Minimizing screen-on time helps

Checking your phone for calls, texts and notifications or to feel how fast the App drawer is every now and then negates every battery saving tip out there. It is advised to only use your phone or unlock it when required. Smartphone is not the solution to every problem. Try starting a conversation with people around you.

4. Monitor your VPN apps

Privacy is universal fundamental right. If you use a VPN app to protect your data on open Wifi as you should. You need to make sure that VPN app doesn’t deploy Always-on VPN function which is available in recent versions of Android OS. When enabled it loads and stays connected on boot itself. Constant use of VPN will affect your battery life depending on the VPN protocol and software used. Disconnect VPN especially when using secure Mobile data when not required to save battery.

Pro tip: Don’t use free commercial VPNs unless from a trusted source.

5. Nothing helped? Monitor what specific resource is exploiting your battery

You can easily figure out what specific application is using battery the most with built-in Battery usage monitor.

  1. Open /e/OS Settings to access Battery settings.


  2. In Battery settings, tap on top-right icon to enter ‘Battery usage’ as seen in the image below.

  3. In Battery usage page, tap on top-right icon to ‘Show full device usage’.


    Full device Battery usuage of my smartphone:

    It gives you a direct hint about the most battery consuming application or resource.

Pro tip: Battery usage monitor in my smartphone suggests that Mail app is highest consumer of battery power. So, it is obvious that I need to adjust mail fetching frequency to lower its battery usage if I am not satisfied with current battery life. In case you are experiencing abrupt high battery power consumption than usual, this is a good method to use for primary diagnostics.

Thanks for reading!

Regain your privacy! Adopt /e/ the unGoogled mobile OS and online servicesphone

7 Likes

Hi @manish. I think the way you present your posts is excellent. They are very concise, use plenty of screenshots and suggest alternative courses of action when the initial one hasn’t produced the desired result. Keep up the good work.

1 Like

Thanks it is nothing but an outcome of your blessings and beautiful words. Much appreciated.

Thank you Manish!

Can I ask an additional question?
I have trouble setting up the ‘turn off hotspot automatically’.
Somehow, my phone does not show the advanced options. See screenshots.

Can you tell what I am doing wrong?
(I got a warning from my phone provider that my hotspot is always open. Of course i can do this manually but it is easy to forget.)

I have a refurbished Galaxy S9, ordered a few months ago directly from /e/ (also as a way to support this great project). I have installed all available updates.

I think that the official builds are not on Android 9 (Pie) but Android 8 (Oreo) where this option is not yet available

2 Likes

Hmmm, may be a simple “running Pie” in the prerequisites would help :slight_smile: ?

1 Like

Sure but we are moving to Pie very soon. Hence skipped.

1 Like

For sure, everyone, for each and every of the 90 supported devices, within a few days …
Thanks for your steadiness, Manish ! Sometimes, it’s very useful :slight_smile:

1 Like