An issue that has plagued the Android platform, since inception, is battery life. Over time, that has gotten exponentially better… but it still could use a boost. If you’re a power user, or a business user on the go, you need to get the most out of your battery. There are plenty of tricks, add-ons, and even more powerful batteries you can buy for your device. However, nothing beats good management to keep your battery in check. With Android, you have all the tools you need to keep a watchful eye on your battery (and even keep it from pre-maturely draining). One tool, in particular, is the Power Management app (sometimes called Battery).
If you look in your device settings, you should find something listed as either Battery (as in the LG G Pad 3) or Power (as in the HTC M8). From within either of those tools, you can monitor what’s soaking up your battery and even force stop some of the main offenders.
For example: On the LG G Pad 3, open up the Battery tool, tap on percentage discharging, and look through the list how much of your battery each service or app is using (Figure A).
Figure A
The Verizon-branded LG G Pad 3 Battery information in action.
Search through the listing of apps and services, find out if anything is using an exorbitant amount of battery, and (if possible) stop the service/app.
For the HTC M8, the process is similar:
- Open up the device settings
- Tap Power
- Tap Usage
- Locate the service/app that’s using too much battery (Figure B)
- Tap that service/app and select Force stop
Figure B
The Verizon-branded HTC M8’s take on battery usage.
This little trick is especially helpful when you don’t have a charger handy and you’re starting to run low. Stop the offending apps from the battery usage tool, and you should be able to eek a bit more life from that battery.
Don’t assume everything is hunky dory and that poor battery usage is normal. With just the slightest bit of investigation, you can find out what is soaking up your power and take action to save that precious battery when you need it the most.
