The great thing about your smartphone is that is gives you the freedom to stay connected, entertained and informed on the go. Unfortunately, a dying battery can stop you dead in your tracks. Avoid the hassle of constantly hunting for a power outlet by following our 5 proven ways to extend your smartphone’s battery.
__Turn off the “Vibrate” Function__
Your smartphone’s battery uses a lot of juice to vibrate, especially if the function is switched on for phone calls, messages and push notifications. In most cases, your ringer and sound alerts are sufficient, so turn off the vibrate function when you don’t need it to extend battery life.
__Change the “Auto-Lock” Timing__
Smartphones are, well, pretty smart when it comes to automatically turning off the display and locking itself when you’re not using it. The problem is the time it takes to actually do this. Your display can remain lit up for longer than it has be, using up precious power in the process. To conserve power, simply change the settings on your phone so that it turns off after 30 seconds. Go to *Settings* and check for an option called *Screen Timeout* on Android devices and *Auto-lock* on [iPhones](https://www.mondo.co.za/page/Apple-iPhones) .
__Disable Push Notifications__
A lot of apps send you push notifications throughout the day. The biggest culprits are social media apps like Facebook and Twitter. This constant stream of notifications requires a lot of power, so start by turning off notifications for non-essential apps. If you can survive without being notified every time someone tags you in a photo or your favourite celeb tweets a picture of her cat, we suggest turning off notifications for social media as well.
__Keep Cool to Extend Battery Life__
It’s been proven that heat puts additional strain on smartphone batteries and saps them much quicker. Do your battery a favour and keep your phone out of sunlight and away from heat. If you’re at work, leave your phone on the desk instead of keeping it in your pocket or bag. Be careful not to leave it next to your laptop near the vents, which emit hot air.
__Adjust Your Screen Brightness__
The brighter your screen, the more power it uses. Unless you’re out in a sunlit area, you can probably get by with the brightness turned down just enough so you can comfortably view the screen. Also, avoid using the auto-adjust feature, as the phone sometimes makes the screen brighter than you actually require.
