We’ve all been there—your phone was at 80% just a few hours ago, and now it’s crying for a charger. You swear you didn’t even do much. No games, no Netflix marathons, not even a TikTok scroll spree. So what gives?
If you've ever questioned your battery's loyalty, you’re not alone. There’s a ton of advice out there, much of it outdated or just plain wrong. Should you close background apps? Is overnight charging bad? Do dark themes really save battery?
Today, we’re going to separate fact from fiction and dig into the real reasons your phone battery isn’t lasting as long as you'd like. And who knows—you might discover you’ve been draining it faster than necessary without even realizing it.
Editor
Lloyd Kelly Miralles chevron_right
Table of Contents
You Should Let Your Battery Drain to 0% Before Charging
Verdict: Outdated Advice
This advice dates back to the nickel-cadmium battery days. Modern smartphones use lithium-ion batteries, which don't suffer from the "memory effect." In fact, draining them to 0% regularly can stress the battery more than help it.
Reality Check:
It’s healthier to keep your battery between 20% and 80% most of the time. Full discharges are fine occasionally, but doing it daily? Not so great.
Pro Tip: Some phones now have battery health optimization tools that cap charging at 80% overnight—use them!
Closing Apps Saves Battery
Verdict: Mostly False
This one feels logical: fewer open apps = less drain, right? But modern operating systems like Android and iOS are smarter than you think. They manage background apps efficiently, often freezing them unless they’re actively doing something.
What Actually Happens:
Force-closing apps can make your phone work harder when you reopen them, which uses more power. It’s better to let the OS manage apps in the background unless one is misbehaving.
Exceptions: Navigation apps, fitness trackers, or anything using GPS/audio may keep running unless manually closed.
Dark Mode Dramatically Extends Battery Life
Verdict: It Depends
Dark mode can save battery, but only if your phone has an OLED or AMOLED display. These screens turn off individual pixels when displaying true black, meaning they use less power.
However, if you’re rocking an LCD screen? Dark mode won’t make a big difference—at least not enough to gain hours of screen time.
Real-World Impact: On OLED screens, dark mode might extend battery life by 5–10%, especially if you use dark-themed apps a lot.
Battery Saver Mode Kills Performance
Verdict: Partially True, But Purposefully So
Battery Saver Mode does limit performance—but intentionally, to help you squeeze more life out of a dying battery. It typically slows down processor speed, reduces background syncing, and dims the screen.
Should You Use It?
Absolutely—especially when your battery dips below 20%. Think of it as a safety net, not a downgrade.
High Brightness Is Harmless
Verdict: One of the Biggest Battery Killers
Your screen is usually the biggest power hog on your device, and max brightness is a guaranteed way to drain your battery fast. Outdoor visibility sometimes demands it, but leaving brightness cranked up indoors or all day is a surefire battery drainer.
Better Option:
Enable adaptive brightness or keep it at 50–70% when indoors. You’d be surprised how much longer your battery lasts.
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Location Always Drain Battery
Verdict: Outdated... Mostly
These features used to be battery hogs in early smartphones. Now? They’re far more efficient.
- Wi-Fi: Actually uses less power than mobile data.
- Bluetooth: Barely sips battery in idle mode.
- Location Services: Can be power-hungry, especially with apps constantly pinging GPS.
Solution:
Disable location access for apps that don’t need it (why does your calculator need GPS, anyway?) and set permissions to “While using the app.”
Overheating Is Normal While Charging
Verdict: Be Careful
A slight warmth while charging is normal. Excessive heat, though? That’s a problem. Heat is the #1 enemy of battery health. It degrades battery cells over time, causing shorter overall lifespan.
Tips to Stay Cool:
- Avoid gaming or streaming while charging.
- Don’t charge under your pillow or in direct sunlight.
- Use certified cables and adapters.
Bigger Batteries Always Mean Longer Life
Verdict: Not Always True
Battery capacity (measured in mAh) is just one part of the equation. A bigger battery helps, but it also depends on:
- Display type and resolution
- Processor efficiency
- Software optimization
- Background activity
Some phones with smaller batteries actually outlast competitors due to better optimization.
So yes, size matters—but smarts matter more.
Gaming Is the Only Battery-Draining Activity
Verdict: False
Sure, gaming eats battery. But so do:
- Video calls (Zoom, Meet, WhatsApp)
- Streaming in HD or 4K
- Shooting 4K videos or using AR filters
- Social media apps refreshing in the background
Worst Combo? Playing a game while screen recording and on speaker. Battery goes brrr.
Tips That Actually Work (Based on Real Testing)
- Use battery health tools built into your phone’s settings.
- Turn on adaptive refresh rate if available—it saves power without sacrificing performance.
- Set app sleep/deep sleep for unused apps (on Android).
- Enable Low Power Mode during long commutes or events.
- Disable auto-upload for photos/videos on mobile data.
- Use Wi-Fi over mobile data whenever possible.
Do Newer Phones Have Better Batteries?
Not always in terms of capacity, but definitely in efficiency.
Newer chipsets (with AI optimization), smarter refresh rates, and advanced battery-saving software make modern phones better at stretching every percent. Some even learn your daily usage and adjust background activity to save juice.
You might still need to charge daily, but how quickly you get there has changed.
If battery life is a priority for you, be sure to check out our list of the best smartphones with long-lasting batteries that we’ve carefully curated for Singaporean users.
Conclusion
While battery myths persist, modern phones are far smarter at managing power than often assumed; therefore, to optimize battery life, users should focus on smart usage habits, real-time power monitoring, and occasional deep cleaning of rogue apps rather than superstitions like fully draining the battery or obsessively closing applications.