1. If you are not Using it, Turn it Off - What we mean by that is simple, if you are using your phone's data connection to surf the web, make sure your wireless is turned off. In addition to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and Tethering (sharing your data connection) gobble up your battery life. Check your phone, tablet, and laptop to make sure that services that you are not using are turned off.
2. Use Airplane Mode - In regards to phones, use airplane mode when you are traveling. If you are driving up to the mountains and service is limited or nonexistent, the phone will continue to search for a cell phone tower. For the phone to keep searching requires power which in turn drains the battery. Airplane mode prevents the phone from receiving and sending signals but still allows you to use the phone's other functions, like solitaire!
4. Screen Brightness - Change the brightness of your screen. The brighter the screen the more power the battery uses.
5. Power Options - Power options hide in the "settings" of your device. These settings should be explored and set to your usage preference. For normal day-to-day usage a medium setting might be enough, but if you forgot your charger at home before you left for a long weekend, set your power options to "conserve as much power as possible".
6. Turn off Vibrate - If you get a lot of calls throughout the day, you might want to turn off the vibrate feature on your phone because it takes more energy for the phone to vibrate than to ring. If you really need to conserve power, turn off the ring as well.
7. Keep the Battery Cool - A cool battery is a happy battery because overheating can damage the battery cells and make it deplete faster. Keep your portable electronic devices out of the sun and other hot places.
8. Quick Charge Stations - More and more places, for example the airport, are installing "quick charging stations". If your device is running out of juice, it might be a good idea to pay for a quick recharge.
9. Extra Charger - To avoid paying for power, get an extra charger. A car charger is a very valuable to a lot of people because the phone charges while you drive from one place to another.
10. Avoid Playing Games - If you need the battery life to last longer, playing a game on the phone or laptop will have the opposite effect. Games take a lot of processing power to display all the fancy graphics.
If you have any questions about your device or battery consumption, ask a TechFarmer! We are always here to answer all of your questions.
