5 ways to keep your phone charged longer

(BPT) - Everyone hates that feeling — you need to do something important on your phone, like using GPS or making a call, and you see the battery inching down toward 0%. And you forgot your charger, or didn’t want to stuff the bulky thing in your bag as you dashed out of the house.

You’ve got the newest phone — how can you help keep your battery charged all day, so you’re not scrambling for the nearest outlet before you run out of juice?

No matter how new your phone is, certain conditions and practices will weaken your battery over time. Try some of these strategies to keep your phone ready to use — until you upgrade to the next best thing.

1. Stay away from extreme temps

Very hot or very cold environments can stress your battery. If you’re running to the car to charge up your phone, let your car’s AC or heat kick in first, before you rush to plug it in. Charging your phone while the ambient temp is hot, in particular, is not good for your battery.

Avoid using your phone while it's charging, as it may overheat your phone as well as slowing down the charging process.

2. Avoid 0% or 100%

Don’t wait until your phone is down to 0% before recharging. Likewise, stop charging your phone before it reaches 100%. You won't be overcharging your phone by leaving it charging, since modern phones and chargers are equipped with overcharge protection that deactivates the current once the battery reaches 100%, but the less you drain and charge your battery overall, the longer it will last. Phone batteries today operate at their best between about 20-90%.

3. Be aware of power-hungry apps and energy-saving settings

Look at your battery setting to see what’s using up the most juice. If you have apps on your phone that you never use, consider getting rid of them to reduce drain on your battery.

You can also dim screen brightness and reduce the screen timeout so your phone won't stay on too long when you’re not using it. Remember that you can set your phone on energy-saving or low power mode when you know you’ll be unable to charge for a while. To save even more energy, put your phone on airplane mode until you need it again — unless you need to be available for outside messages and calls.

Turning off the phone completely uses up more energy, so don’t turn off unless you know you won’t need it for a number of hours.

4. Bring chargers along

While it may seem cumbersome to carry standard chargers on-the-go, there are portable chargers on the market that are much more compact and streamlined, making it easier to ensure you never let your phone get down to zero again.

For example, PowerPort III Nano from Anker is a universal 18W USB-C wall charger that provides full-speed charging for your iPhone 11, in an ultra-compact 1-by-1 inch size that’s purse and pocket-friendly. Or if you need to access difficult-to-use outlets behind furniture, it’s handy to have an incredibly slim charger like Anker’s PowerPort Atom III Slim, which is only .63 inches thick. This charger makes previously unusable outlets accessible for quick and easy 30W charging for your iPhone 11, MacBook Air, tablet, Nintendo Switch and more.

If you have more than one device you use frequently, or need to share a charger with a friend, it can be even more convenient to have a charger that can power more than one phone or iPad simultaneously. The PowerPort III Duo features two USB-C ports that deliver 18W each. Or with the PowerCore 10000 PD Redux portable charger, you get triple charging modes: an 18W Power Delivery USB-C port, PowerIQ-enabled USB-A port and a trickle-charging mode for low-power devices. You can use the dual USB ports to charge two devices simultaneously, including iPhone 11, XS Samsung S10, Pixel 3, iPad Pro 2018 and more. Unlike other chargers, the portable PowerCore 10000 is ideal for charging on-the-go, as it keeps you powered up away from the wall.

5. Limit activities

If you know you'll be away from a charger for a while, limiting energy-draining activities like making phone calls, playing games and taking pictures or videos can help your battery last longer.

To check out the latest power banks, chargers and cables for all your tech, visit anker.com.

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