How to Maintain Your Phone Battery for Longer Lifespan? Practical Tips Explained
As you use a phone over time, battery performance gradually declines. Although most smartphones today use safer and more durable lithium batteries, improper usage can still cause them to age much faster.
To help your battery last longer, this article provides the most practical and effective maintenance methods.
- Avoid Overcharging and Deep Discharging (Most Important)
Lithium batteries are most vulnerable to two situations:
- Keeping battery level too low for long periods (below 10%)
- Keeping battery level too high for long periods (remaining at 100%)
It’s best to keep your battery between 30% and 80%, which is the most battery-friendly range.
Recommended practices:
- Don’t wait until the phone is about to shut down before charging
- Unplug after it’s fully charged; don’t leave it plugged in for long hours
- Try to avoid “overnight charging” while sleeping
- Reduce Use in High-Temperature Environments
High temperature is extremely harmful to lithium batteries and will directly accelerate aging.
Avoid the following situations:
- Using the phone under direct sunlight
- Playing heavy games while charging
- Leaving the phone inside a car or using it while it’s already hot from a power bank
Optimal temperature ranges:
- Usage: 0°C–35°C
- Charging: 15°C–30°C
Keeping the device cool is one of the best ways to extend battery life.
- Avoid Using the Phone While Charging (Especially Heavy Use)
Using the phone while charging causes:
- Heat from charging
- Heat from the processor
- Heat from the display
These three sources together can severely damage the battery over time.
Recommendation:
If you want to play games or watch videos, stop charging first.
- Use Original or Certified Chargers Whenever Possible
Low-quality or incompatible chargers may:
- Output unstable power
- Provide mismatched voltage or current
- Cause overheating or battery damage
If you don’t have the original charger, choose a reliable certified brand.
- Enable Built-In Battery Protection Features
Most smartphones include protection features such as:
- Optimized charging / delayed charging (available on iPhone, Samsung, etc.)
- Limiting full charge to 80%
- AI-based charging optimization
These features help prevent overcharging and reduce battery wear. It’s recommended to keep them enabled.
- Clear Background Apps Regularly to Reduce Battery Load
Battery aging is not only physical; too many background apps and processes can also keep the phone at high load.
Every few days, you should:
- Close unused background apps
- Disable unnecessary location services, Bluetooth, and background refresh
- Prevent unwanted apps from auto-starting
Keeping the phone running lightly helps reduce battery strain.
- Replace the Battery if It’s Over Two Years Old or Health Drops Below 80%
Under normal use:
- Lithium batteries last about 500–800 cycles
- Most users will notice decline after around 2 years
- A battery health level below 80% usually means significantly shorter screen-on time
If you’re using a second-hand phone, check the battery health before purchase. Replacing with a certified battery may greatly improve the experience.
With Proper Care, Your Battery Can Last a Year Longer
Battery aging is inevitable, but proper habits can make it last much longer.
Here are the three key points:
- Avoid low battery & avoid overcharging
- Avoid overheating
- Use proper certified chargers
Following these tips can extend your battery lifespan by 20%–40%.