Tips for improving your Android device's battery life
— -- So, you're the proud owner of an Android device. You and your little robot do everything together, but you've noticed that your Android's battery is running out before the day's adventures have finished. Read on, and we'll show you some quick fixes to help you squeeze even more out of your battery life.
Dim the lights
On most Android phones and tablets, you can see which apps and features are using up your battery power by going to Settings > About Phone > Battery Use. The biggest battery hog is likely to be the display, so we'll start off by making a few tweaks there.
Tweak brightness settings: Turn down the maximum brightness of your device's screen by going to Settings > Display > Brightness and moving the slider over toward the left. If you like the effect, try checking "automatic brightness," which makes your device adapt to the lighting conditions around you.
Shorten screen timeouts: This setting allows you to adjust how quickly the screen goes dark after you stop tapping on it or interacting with it. The shorter the timeout period, the less battery power wasted illuminating a screen you might not be looking at. You can find the menu to adjust this in Settings > Display > Screen Timeout.
Turn off live wallpapers: Yes, they're pretty, but live wallpapers can chew through your battery power faster than a puppy through your favorite slippers. Consider switching to a static wallpaper if you're trying to squeeze every last available minute out of your device's battery. To change your device's wallpaper, long press on your home screen and select "Wallpapers" from the pop-up menu.
Take things to the next level
The power control widget gives you access to your Wi-Fi, bluetooth, GPS, sync, and brightness settings and can be your key to more advanced battery-saving moves.
Turn off bluetooth and GPS: As a general rule, you'll probably want to turn off your bluetooth and GPS when you're not using them, as they can run the battery down fast if they're left to do their own thing unattended.
Manage your Wi-Fi: Your Wi-Fi settings depend on where you are; if you're somewhere with a stable Wi-Fi connection, then leaving it on can help make your battery last. What drains your device's battery is when your device keeps losing its Wi-Fi signal and switching to your mobile data connection while searching for the lost signal. If you know you're somewhere with patchy Wi-Fi (or no Wi-Fi access at all), turn off the Wi-Fi. Likewise, if you're somewhere with a solid Wi-Fi connection, then using Wi-Fi can help save battery power by saving your phone from searching for a data connection.
Go 2G: If you're out in the countryside and have hardly any 3G coverage, it might be worth switching to 2G radios. You'll still be able to make and receive calls and SMS messages but won't have any internet access on your device. For the truly power-conscious, switch to airplane mode if you're not expecting any calls or texts. You won't be able to make and receive anything, but airplane mode might save you an extra few minutes if you're stranded with a low battery and know you'll need to use your device in an hour or two.
Watch your widgets
