If your Android If you're a few years old and starting to feel sluggish, that doesn't mean you need to run out and buy the latest flagship model. With longer software support from brands like Google And Samsungolder models can run smoothly if you give them a little attention.
Before you start shopping for a replacement, try a few simple adjustments. You might be surprised at how much faster your phone runs if you remove unused apps, optimize battery usage, and turn off background drain.
Do you use Samsung Galaxy, Motorola or OnePlus phone, chances are you can still improve your battery life and overall speed without having to buy something new. Just remember that Android settings vary slightly by brand, so menus may look slightly different depending on your phone.
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A display that is too bright drains your battery incredibly quickly.
Settings to increase battery life
Living with a phone that has low battery life can be infuriating, but there are a few steps you can take to maximize every charge from the start:
1. Turn off automatic screen brightness or adaptive brightness and set the brightness level slider below 50%.
The brighter your screen, the more power it uses.
To get to settings, pull out the context menu at the top of the screen and adjust the slider if it's there. Some phones may have an auto-brightness switch in the shortcut bar; otherwise, you'll need to open the settings app and search for “brightness” to find the setting and turn it off.
2. Use adaptive battery and battery optimization.
These features focus on learning how you use your phone, including which apps you use and when, and then optimizing apps and battery usage.
Some Android phones have a dedicated Battery section in the Settings app, while other phones (looking at you, Samsung) hide these settings. It's a little different for each phone. I recommend opening Settings and searching for “battery” to find the screen you're looking for. Your phone may also have an adaptive charging setting that can monitor how quickly your phone's battery charges overnight to keep it healthy.
Why you should use dark mode more often
Another way to extend your battery life and save your eyes at the same time is to use Android's dedicated dark mode. Any Android phone running Android 10 or later will have a dedicated dark mode option.
According to Google dark mode not only reduces the strain on our eyes caused by smartphone displays but also increases battery life since OLED displays (used in most flagship phones) than the white background.
Depending on what version of Android your phone is running and what company made your phone, you may have to dig into the Settings app to find dark mode. If your phone is running Android 10 or later, you'll be able to enable system-wide dark mode. If it's running Android 9, don't despair. Lots of applications there is a dark mode option in the settings which you can use regardless of whether you have Android 10.
To enable dark mode, open Settings app and find Dark mode, Dark theme or even Night mode (as Samsung likes to call it). I suggest using dark mode all the time, but if you're not sure, you can always set dark mode to turn on automatically on a schedule, say from 7 pm to 7 am every day, or allow it to automatically switch based on your location at sunset and sunrise.
Using dark mode on any phone is a simple and beautiful way to save battery.
Keep your home screen clutter-free
I'm planning to go to Google Play Store a bunch of new applications for Android? Be prepared to have a lot of icons on your home screen, where shortcuts appear every time you install something.
If you don't want that, there's an easy way out: long-press on an empty area of ​​the Home screen and tap Settings. Look for an option labeled something like Add an icon to your home screen or Add new apps to your home screen and turn it off.
Presto! No more home screen icons when installing new apps. You can still add shortcuts by dragging an app icon from the app drawer, but they won't appear on the Home screen unless you want them to.
Read more: Best Android Phones You Can Buy in 2024
Set Do Not Disturb mode to help you focus better
If your phone usually spends the night on your bedside table, you probably don't want it to beep every time there's a call, message, or Facebook alert, especially when you're trying to sleep. Android offers a Do Not Disturb mode that keeps the phone more or less silent during certain hours. On some phones this is called the “Downtime” or even “Quiet Time” setting.
Go to Settings > Sounds (or Notifications), then look Please do not disturb or a similar name. If you can't find it, find it using the built-in search feature in Settings.
Using this feature, you can set a range of hours during which you want digital noise to be turned off. Don't worry: any notifications you receive while Do Not Disturb is on will still be waiting for you when you wake up. Additionally, you can usually make an exception to allow repeat calls and calls from selected contacts to go through. Turn it on. If someone calls you in an emergency, chances are they will keep trying.
What someone who finds a lost or stolen Android phone will see after you lock it using Find My Device.
Always be prepared for the possibility that you will lose your phone or have it stolen.
Is there anything worse than a lost or stolen phone? Just the knowledge that you could track it if you turned on Google's Find My Device feature.
To prepare for a successful recovery, you need to do the following: Open Settings application and then find Find my device. Usually this is in Safety chapter Settings application.
If you have a Samsung device, you can use the Samsung Find My Mobile service, which is located in Settings > Biometrics and security > Find my mobile.
Once this is enabled you can go to android.com/find from any PC or mobile device and log into your account. Samsung users can visit findmymobile.samsung.com find your lost phone.
Losing your phone is never fun.
If you're having trouble setting up any of this, be sure to read our A Complete Guide to Finding Your Lost Android Phone.
Assuming your phone is turned on and online, you should be able to see its location on a map. From here you can force it to ring, block it, set a note on the lock screen to tell whoever it is how to get it back to you, or, worst case scenario, remotely erase the whole thing.
And always keep your phone up to date
As obvious as it may seem, a simple software update can fix bugs and other issues that are slowing down your Android device.
Before downloading and installing the latest software update, make sure your device is connected to Wi-Fi, otherwise it won't work.
Now open the Settings app and enter Update. Then you will either see Software update or System update — select any of them. Then simply download the software, wait a few minutes, and install it when it's ready. Your Android device will reboot and install the latest available software update.
Always update your phone to the latest software to avoid bugs and other problems.
There is much more to learn about the new phone. Here best ways to boost cell signalAnd here is a direct comparison of the flagship phone. Also, check out CNET's list best cases for your Samsung phone. More of an Apple fan? We have tips to improve your iPhone's performancetoo much.
