Boost your phone's battery life using this simple rule
Your smartphone has less and less performance. This is a sign that its battery is worn out. To maintain its performance and extend its life, follow this simple rule from the tech experts.
Your smartphone battery is fragile, and you need to take good care of it. You've certainly already experienced it: as the months go by, your device's performance gradually decreases. Unfortunately, this is only to be expected: the lithium-ion batteries in our smartphones wear out over time, not only because of use but also because of recharging. After a certain number of full charge/discharge cycles, they gradually lose their efficiency.
Phone recharging: respect the 80/20 rule
However, it's easy to delay this inevitable moment by applying a few easy-to-implement tips. The first is to apply the 80/20 rule, which simply means keeping the battery level between 20% and 80% of its capacity, no more, no less. In practice, this means not charging your smartphone up to 100%, and preventing the battery from discharging below 20%. There's a reason for this: below 20% and above 80% capacity, a higher voltage will be applied during charging, causing the battery to heat up and tire more quickly.
In other words, charging your smartphone at night after a long day is not necessarily ideal. Because once your battery has reached 100%, your smartphone will continue to maintain a high voltage until you unplug it. Another thing to avoid is leaving your smartphone plugged in all day, while you're using it. Ideally, you should charge your smartphone more frequently during the day, without going for a full charge.
Activate your smartphone's smart charging options
Well aware of this problem, smartphone manufacturers offer solutions to make your life easier. Since iOS 13, for example, Apple has offered the Optimized Battery Charging option on its iPhones. To find it, go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging. This technology puts charging beyond 80% on hold overnight so that your iPhone reaches 100% just before you wake up. With its new iPhone 15s, Apple now also allows you to stop charging at 80%.
Similar technologies exist on the Android side. Google offers what it calls "Adaptive Charging" on Pixel, which works in the same way as Apple's tool. Samsung, meanwhile, offers 85% charge blocking on some of its models. If you have a smartphone from another brand, don't hesitate to take a look in the battery settings to activate a similar option, if necessary.
Other simple tips will also help you extend the life of your battery. High temperatures have a negative impact on batteries, so avoid intensive tasks, such as playing 3D games, when your smartphone is plugged in, or unplug it when you notice it getting too hot.
Another way of relieving the strain on your battery is to simply use less power, so as to extend your battery life every day! So don't hesitate to use the Power Save mode even when your phone is fully charged, to reduce screen brightness, or even to switch to airplane mode, which consumes much less energy, when you don't need your cell phone right away. Your battery will thank you.