No matter how much smartphones seem to improve over the years, their batteries still never seem to last all that long. A lot of that isn’t due to the phone but how you use it, not to mention the demands of modern apps and gaming. One thing’s for sure: Playing games on your smartphone will drain your battery fairly quickly even if you have a brand new phone.
However, some games are more demanding than others. AR and VR games like Pokemon Go are usually among the worst when it comes to battery life, but graphics-heavy online games like Fortnite are not much better. Angry Birds or PokerStars often include features optimized for smartphones, which will be easier on your phone’s battery, but you may still need a little extra help.
If you want to be able to play more than a few minutes, you will either need an external battery or to apply a few tricks to make yours last longer. Here are a few ways you can ensure you never run out of battery power in the middle of a game and can play for longer.
Turn on Auto-Brightness
Most gamers already have the auto-brightness function turned on. You can control it in “settings.” A sensor on the front of your phone determines how bright the screen needs to be for you to clearly see it. This function won’t conserve a lot of battery power but it can help give you more time to finish a game level.
Have a Brief Screen Time-Out
Screen time-out refers to how long the phone is lit after you put it down. You want it to time-out as quickly as possible. Most people have their phones set to time-out after 15 seconds of non-use. Anything shorter can be frustrating. You can find the setting on the phone’s menu under “display.”
Use No Data or Airplane Mode
This won’t work all the time. Turning on the airplane or no data mode restricts you from using most of your phone’s functions, but it is a great way to keep your battery going all day. If you play offline games during your daily commute, airplane mode will prevent your phone from constantly searching for a signal, wasting your battery. You can still play your game, only you won’t be able to send or receive calls, texts, and emails.
Using the no data mode isn’t quite as drastic. You can still use your phone, just not the data. Either method will help you conserve battery power for the games you really need it for.
Delete Old Apps
Apps running in the background can use up battery power. Deleting the games you no longer play is a good idea, for a few reasons. Not only will you not have to worry about them running in the background, but you also won’t receive any more messages asking you to come back and play.
Avoid Battery-Draining Games
There are some games that drain the life from your phone’s battery much quicker than you can imagine. These games are fun, exciting, and entertaining to play, but you want to have a charger or external battery close by.
Any graphic-rich game like Minecraft or Fortnite will drain your battery before you know it. What you might not have thought about is matching three and tile games. The graphics are simplistic and won’t tax your battery. Instead, it is how addictive these games can be. Before you know it, you could have drained your battery playing Candy Crush for hours.
One of the most popular games that often comes preloaded on your phone is solitaire. Developers aren’t sure why it uses 54 percent more of your battery than other card game apps. If you’re going to play a few hands of solitaire, it is best if you have a charger or extra battery within reach.
External Battery
If you love the freedom you have with mobile gaming, you might want to carry an external battery with you. These batteries are small, slim, and lightweight. You can easily fit one in your purse or pocket. This way you never have to worry about your phone dying in the middle of a game.
Chargers are a great option for extending battery life. Some are designed to charge your phone’s battery without electricity.