Lost with only 1% battery life? No thanks! Knowing how to extend phone battery life can be a lifesaver.

Tell me if this sounds familiar: you just realized you lost your key to your apartment. Luckily, you have an emergency contact who can bring you a spare, and that number is on speed dial. The only problem? Your phone is down to 4% battery—and dropping fast. 

Or maybe you’re on the way to your best friend’s long-awaited event, relying on GPS to get you there. But you didn’t expect just how fast that little blue navigation arrow would devour your power. You’re not even halfway there, and your phone’s already flashing the low-battery warning.

These heart-thumping moments happen to all of us—probably more often than we’d like to admit. But they don’t have to. A few simple adjustments to your phone habits can extend phone battery life and reduce those types of digital emergencies, allowing you to stay connected when it matters most. 

Whether you’ve just unboxed a much-anticipated new device or you’re working with a phone that’s seen its fair share of 4% scrambles, it’s never too early—or too late—to start taking better care of your battery. 

Discover the easy tips and smart switches to keep your phone running longer and stronger. 

How to Extend Phone Battery Life

Opening a brand-new phone is a special time—the sleek design, ultra-responsive screen, and a battery that seems to last endlessly. So sweet! 

Sadly, even the best battery won’t stay that way if you fall into common power-draining habits. That’s why day one is the perfect time to set up your device with battery-extending practices in mind. A few small tweaks to your settings can help preserve your battery’s long-term health for months… or even years… to come. 

But what if you’re more than satisfied with your long-time phone? After all, you’ve been through it together. It’s your copilot in life. But you’ve started to notice it doesn’t perform as well as it once did. Maybe you set it on the charger every night and have for years. Or let it hit 0% more times than you can count. And now it doesn’t seem to hold a charge as long. 

Don’t worry! It’s not too late. Most battery problems don’t happen overnight. And most aren’t irreversible. In fact, making small changes right now can lead to noticeable improvements in performance and longevity, even if your device is from several updates ago. 

Now that you know it’s possible to give your battery a better shot at going the distance, the question is how? Whether you want to avoid those panic-charged moments as the percentages decrease before your eyes, avoid having to plug in during the day, or just want to improve your phone’s long-term health, these tips can help:

• Dim the Screen

Your screen is one of the biggest battery hogs on your phone. That dazzling brightness might look great in sunlight (or at least let you see your screen), but indoors and especially at night, it only results in wasted energy. Turn off auto-brightness and manually lower your screen’s brightness to a comfortable level. Your eyes, as well as your battery, will thank you! 

• Turn on Battery-Saver Mode Early

To extend phone battery life, don’t wait until the little warning light shows up on your device. Low Power Mode (on Phones) and Battery Saver (on Androids) are there for a reason: to reduce background activity, visual effects, and syncing to help your smartphone conserve power. Turning it on sooner rather than later can dramatically extend the remaining battery life, especially on days when a midday charge isn’t an option, such as on a country road or forest hike.

• Disable Background App Refreshes 

Many apps continue working behind the scenes, even when you’re not using them. That’s fine for email or messaging apps, which don’t pull a lot of power. But what about games or shopping apps? Do they really need to refresh over and over? Probably not. If you have some apps that are set to refresh, go into your settings, and limit the background activity. 

• Limit Location Services

GPS can be a lifesaver for maps. It’s also pretty dang helpful for food delivery on busy nights. But most of us probably don’t feel all that comfortable about apps that could track our every move.  Plus, GPS is well-known for being an energy vampire. To allow GPS access on your terms, head into your location settings and set apps so they only use GPS when you’re using that app. Not always. Remember, you can also turn GPS off entirely when you’re not using it. 

• Cut the Haptic Feedback and Vibration

Have you noticed your phone vibrating with various apps? Sure, it’s kind of fun, but those take extra energy. If you can live without vibration for notifications or keyboard feedback, you’ll shave off a few unnecessary power drains.

• Use Dark Mode (especially on OLED Screens)

If your phone has an OLED or AMOLED screen, switching to dark mode can help extend battery life. Black pixels on OLED screens actually turn off entirely, which means less power usage and a sleeker look to boot. 

• Keep Your Phone Cool

Heat is a battery killer! Avoid leaving your phone in direct sunlight or hot environments (like a car dashboard). Overheating not only drains your battery faster, but it can also permanently shorten its overall lifespan. 

• Trim Down Notifications

Every notification wakes up your phone, lights up the screen, and takes a little power. Go through your settings and turn off the ones you don’t really need—especially from apps you barely use. It won’t just benefit your battery; it could help save your sanity. 

• Activate Airplane Mode

Airplane mode isn’t just for when you’re flying the friendly skies. If you’re in a low-signal area (such as a lovely mountain meadow), your phone will work overtime trying to connect. This, in turn, quickly drains the battery. Turning on Airplane Mode when you’re not expecting calls or texts—and especially if you know you’ll be out of range—can give your battery a much-needed break.

• Charge Smarter

Modern batteries prefer partial charges over being at 1 or 100%. Try to keep your charge between 20 and 70% when you can. Avoid leaving your phone plugged in overnight every night—especially if you notice it gets hot. And use high-quality chargers to protect against power surges or heat damage. 

These battery-saving strategies may seem small, but together, they can help your phone last longer each day—and potentially extend phone battery life for years to come. 

What to Do When Your Battery Is Drained

Let’s face it, even if you have the best habits, things happen. And you could find yourself staring down at the dreaded red battery icon. Perhaps there was a power outage due to a storm, and you couldn’t plug in. Or maybe you were only planning on going out for a few hours, and your errand (or date!) lasted most of the day. No matter what the reason, here’s a quick emergency checklist to stretch those final few percent:

1. Turn on Low Power/Battery Saver Mode Immediately. This is your first and best move. It quickly cuts off background activities, dims the screen, reduces refresh rates, and pauses unnecessary services. On most phones, all it takes is one swipe from the Control Center or Quick Settings menu. Then breathe a little easier.
2. Switch to Airplane Mode (only if you don’t need to be connected). If you don’t have service anyway, why does your phone need to search for a signal? You can still use your phone for offline maps, saved notes, or to show someone your digital ticket. And this mode can help buy you time. 
3. Close Unused Apps: Swipe away anything that’s not essential. The more phone apps your phone is managing, the harder it works and the faster it drains.
4. Dim the Screen All the Way: The darker your screen, the longer your battery will last. Lower the brightness to the bare minimum, so you can still see what you’re doing but extend phone battery life. 
5. Turn Off Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS: Unless you’re actively using them, you don’t need them. Each one uses its share of power—even when it’s idling. 
6. Send Texts Rather than Call: Texting uses less power than a voice call, much less, a video call. If you need to reach someone quickly, a short text might do the job without draining your last drop of battery life. 
7. Find the Nearest Plug in: If you can find a power bank, car charger, or even a kind stranger with a spare cord, now’s the time to plug in (after you’ve asked politely, of course). If you don’t already carry a small portable charger in your bag or glove box, now’s the time to add it to your shopping list. 

When it comes down to the last few percent of battery life, every little tweak can buy you precious minutes—or perhaps a few more desperately needed miles of GPS guidance. Knowing what to do in those heart-pounding moments can mean the difference between making it to your destination (phew!) or losing connection when you really can’t. 

Power Up for Peace of Mind

Your phone does a lot—it’s your navigator, communicator, camera, planner, and sometimes, literally your lifeline. The last thing you want is for it to tap out when you need it most. Fortunately, just a few simple setting tweaks can help you dramatically extend your phone’s battery life. So, the next time you’re lost, locked out, or just running late, you can count on your phone to hang in there with you. Charged and ready to go.