Extending battery life for Android devices

This article provides tips for the Samsung Galaxy S smartphone series with Android 7.0, 8.0 or 9.0 and for the Samsung Galaxy Tab A with Android 7.0 or 8.0. Similar tips can be given for other types of smartphones and tablets, but the actions may differ slightly from the instructions in this article. Consult the (digital) manual of your device for the correct instruction. If you have an iPad/iPhone, also read the tip ‘Energy saving iPad/iPhone’.

The screen of smartphones and tablets is in most cases the biggest energy guzzler, but that doesn’t always have to be the case. For example, certain apps can drain the battery and Wi-Fi also consumes a lot of energy. On many tablets and smartphones you can find out where the battery is going. You do this in the following way:

• Open the overview of all apps by tapping apps or swipe from bottom to top on the screen (Android 8.0 or higher).
• Tap on Institutions.
• Tap on Device maintenance.
• Tap on Battery.

You will now see the battery usage. You can also see how long you have been using your battery since it was last charged and where the energy has been used up. Are there any unexpected apps in the list of power guzzlers or dormant apps? Then close or uninstall these apps.

An open app uses a little bit of energy even when you’re not using the app. If you want to save energy, it is therefore better to close the apps completely.

• Tap the Recents key (left key at the bottom of the device).
• Shows an overview of all open apps.
• Tap the cross in the top right of a thumbnail to close the app. As of Android 9.0, swipe the app’s small view from bottom to top.
• Tap here Close all or Close all to clean up the entire overview.
• Press the Home button to return to the Home screen.

The screen is often the biggest power guzzler. Lowering the screen brightness saves power. This sometimes makes the screen less legible. In a dark environment, a less bright screen is usually no problem. In sunny weather outside, a brighter screen is more pleasant. To adjust the screen brightness:

• Open the overview of all apps by tapping apps or swipe from bottom to top on the screen (Android 8.0 or higher).
• Tap on Institutions.
• Tap on Display.
• The slide behind ‘Helderh. auto Adjust” (Android 7.0), “Automatic Brightness” (Android 8.0) or “Adjustable Brightness” (Android 9.0) Blue. Tap the slider so it turns gray.
• Now you can adjust the screen brightness using the slider below the text. Drag the blue dot on the slider to the left to decrease the brightness.

The screen of a tablet or smartphone automatically darkens over time. After how many seconds or minutes this happens can be set. The faster the screen darkens, the less energy it costs.

• Open the overview of all apps by tapping apps or swipe from bottom to top on the screen (Android 8.0 or higher).
• Tap on Institutions.
• Tap on Display.
  
• Tap on Screen timeout.
• Tap the desired length of time, for example 15 seconds.
• The setting has been adjusted immediately.

Smartphones and tablets have a sleep mode. They hardly use any energy, but can be used again quickly. An Android device puts you into sleep mode by pressing the power key.

To last longer with the battery, switch on the power save mode. When the power save is on, background tasks on the phone run less often or not at all. Think of periodically retrieving mail or refreshing apps.

• Open the overview with all apps via the button apps (Android 7.0) or by swiping the screen from bottom to top (Android 8.0 and 9.0).
• Tap on Institutions.
• Tap on Device maintenance.
• Tap on Battery.
• On Android 7.0 and 8.0, under ‘Power Save’, tap MID. On Android 9.0, tap Energy mode and then on Average. energy saving..
• Tap on To apply.

Bluetooth is useful when you want to connect your device to another device, such as a laptop or headphones. But if you don’t use bluetooth, this function consumes power unnecessarily. This is how you turn off bluetooth.

• Open the overview with all apps via the button apps (Android 7.0) or by swiping the screen from bottom to top (Android 8.0 and 9.0).
• Tap on Institutions.
• Tap on Connections.
• Tap on Bluetooth.
• Drag the slider behind ‘Bluetooth’ to the left to turn the function off.

Wifi is useful when you are near a wireless Internet connection, for example at home or in a hotel. When you are not using Wi-Fi, this function consumes unnecessary power. The same applies to the GPS function, which allows you to determine your location for navigation, for example. This is how you turn off WiFi and GPS.

• Open the overview with all apps via the button apps (Android 7.0) or by swiping the screen from bottom to top (Android 8.0 and 9.0).
• Tap on Institutions.
• Tap on Connections.
• Drag the slider behind ‘Wi-Fi’ to the left to turn the function off.
• Drag the slider behind ‘Location’ to the left to switch off the function. For Android 9.0, first tap Biometrics and Security.

It is possible to synchronize data from different applications automatically. This means that, for example, the photos on your phone are automatically placed in Dropbox on the computer. This is convenient, but costs extra power. You can turn this option off.

• Open the overview with all apps via the button apps (Android 7.0) or by swiping the screen from bottom to top (Android 8.0 and 9.0).
• Tap on Institutions.
• Tap on Cloud and accounts or Accounts and backup.
• Tap on Accounts.
• Tap one of your accounts, for example Dropbox.
• It is indicated for one or more components whether they are synchronized. In some cases, first tap Sync Account. If the slider is blue, then synchronization is on. If the icon is grey, sync is off. Tap the slider to adjust it.

Sounds when using the keyboard and when locking and unlocking the screen also use small amounts of energy. That’s how you turn them off.

• Open the overview with all apps via the button apps (Android 7.0) or by swiping the screen from bottom to top (Android 8.0 and 9.0).
• Tap on Institutions.
• Tap on Sounds and Vibration (smartphone) or Sound (tablet). With Android 9.0, you then also tap System sounds and vibration.
• Drag the sliders behind, for example, “Keyboard Sound,” “Touch Sounds,” and “Locked Screen Sounds.” to the left to turn the function off.