Generally, one of the shortcomings of smartphones is the battery lifeIt's difficult to get a phone to last more than a day on most mobile devices, and almost impossible to find one whose battery lasts more than two days. However, there is a little trick which I use when I have a WiFi connection that might be useful for you.
The mobile network uses battery
It's not a trick for experts, nor are we discovering the key to making your phone's battery last forever. It's simply a practical adjustment which I find useful. When you go to Settings > BatteryYou can see which apps or services are using the most battery on your phone. screen He's always the first, and I saw that he came often in my case. mobile network inactiveIt just so happens that I rarely use my mobile phone for calls. I mainly use the mobile network to connect to the internet when I'm out and about.
But it's very likely that you have Wi-Fi access both at home and at work. If that's the case, you can do what I did and turn off mobile network When you're on a stable Wi-Fi connection, this will save battery. On many phones, simply keeping the cellular modem registered on the network and switching between cells requires a certain amount of battery life. constant consumption even if you're not using data.
How is this possible?
There are different ways to turn off the mobile network, but perhaps the simplest is through the airplane modeThis mode will disable all communication networks on your mobile phone. Of course, this includes Wi-Fi. However, once you've activated Airplane Mode, you'll only need to Re-enable WiFiIt will be an Airplane Mode with Wi-Fi enabled. This way, Wi-Fi will be the only active connectivity option on your phone, eliminating data usage.
It might be a good option if you never receive them. calls or SMS And you don't mind not having a mobile connection. And with WiFi, you'll still receive WhatsApp messages and emails. Of course, you can always turn Airplane Mode back on when you need a mobile connection. If you pair it with a Energy save modethe effect is even more noticeable.
Key setting on Android: disable “always-on mobile data”
In addition to Airplane Mode with WiFi, Android also has a advanced adjustment which prevents the phone from keeping the active data modem when you're connected via Wi-Fi. It's in Developer Options and is usually called “Always-on mobile dataBy disabling it, your phone will stop maintaining a cellular connection in the background while you browse over Wi-Fi, which provides a extra autonomy and reduces data consumption.
- Activate the developer options tapping several times on “Build number” in Settings > About device.
- Go to System > Developer options and look for “Always-on mobile data".
- Turn it off when your WiFi is stableIf your WiFi fails often, you can reactivate it temporarily so you don't lose your connection when switching networks.
This setting isn't decisive on its own, but combined with quality WiFi it can make a difference. sustained savings throughout the day.
Optimize your WiFi to use less battery.
WiFi can also be adjusted to use less data. If you have the option, connect to the 2,4 GHz BandIt offers lower peak speed, but usually needs less energy To maintain the connection and achieve greater coverage, reducing reconnections. The 5 GHz band is faster, but may require more power if the signal is weak.
When possible, use networks with Wi ‑ Fi 6 (802.11ax). This standard improves efficiency and reduces collisions, resulting in better management. energy efficient on many modern devices. If your router allows it, assign the devices to the most suitable band and standard.
La signal stability It matters: the better your coverage, the less often your phone will have to reconnect. If the signal at home isn't good, you can rely on... repeaters or PLC to strengthen it and thus save energy by avoiding searches and reconnections.
And if you need to maximize battery life, avoid network-intensive tasks while you're unplugged, such as download updates They're heavy. Leave them for when you can charge your phone.
Myths, safety, and adjustments that actually help
Reduce the Brightness of the screen It's one of the most effective ways to extend battery life, especially on OLED TVs. Also, dark mode Help with OLED panels. Instead, constantly closing the background apps It is usually counterproductive: reopening them costs more than leaving them managed by the system.
Don't turn off the WiFi for no reason: force the mobile to search and reconnect Repeatedly using Wi-Fi can use more energy than maintaining a stable connection. This trick consists precisely of prioritizing Wi-Fi and suppressing the use of mobile data. Mobile Network when it is not needed.
If you connect to Public Wi‑FiRemember security: not all devices are encrypted. For sensitive tasks, use a secure one. VPN and avoid entering critical data. This reduces risks without sacrificing the energy efficiency of WiFi.
Charging your mobile phone overnight is no longer a problem with modern devices: the batteries of lithium-ion and adaptive loading handle 100% better. Even so, avoid the heat high and uses certified chargers.
When to activate and when to avoid the trick
It's a trick that has some drawbacks, such as not being able to receive calls These might be relevant, but if you're like me and don't usually receive calls, this trick might be useful. On very unstable Wi-Fi networks, it can be worthwhile to keep mobile data active or enable features like Wi-Fi Assistant to switch to the best available network. If you travel a lot, apps from WiFi disconnection by location You can turn off WiFi when you leave to avoid unnecessary searches, and turn it back on when you return to your usual areas.
Some users report better screen time when browsing using only Wi-Fi instead of mobile data. If you also prioritize 2,4 GHz when speed isn't critical and disable "always-on mobile data," the benefit is even greater. Settings like saving modeLimiting automatic updates and avoiding high-resolution streaming while relying on battery power also add up.
Adopting this approach of prioritizing WiFi and controlling the cellular modem offers a real improvement without complications, keeping your active notifications and messaging while you take advantage of a more efficient and stable connection.
