If your cell phone doesn’t make it to the end of the day with a charge, the problem is probably not the battery itself. There are functions that are activated from the factory, that almost no one uses, and that are running in the background all the time. Deactivating them can add between one and three extra hours of autonomy without installing anything.
1. GPS in the background shriek battery without you noticing
The background location It is one of the most aggressive functions on the battery, and most users do not know that dozens of apps have it activated even if they never open them. Social networks, shopping apps, games and even some calculators ask for access to your location permanently.
What this means is that your GPS is on almost always, triangulating signal and reporting where you are even if the phone is in your pocket.
The solution is simple:
- On Android: go to Settings → Privacy → Location permissions and change each app to “Only while in the United States” or directly “Deny”.
- On iPhone: Settings → Privacy and security → Location → review each app and select “When using the app.”
This change alone can reduce battery consumption by up to 15%according to data collected by Android Authority analysts with mid-range devices.
2. Updating apps in the background is a waste of battery
Did you know that your apps continue working even if you are not using them? The function background refresh It allows apps like Instagram, Gmail or news headlines to constantly download new content, even when the phone is locked.
In most cases, that information updates just as quickly when you open the app manually. You don’t need it to be running in parallel all the time.
To disable it:
- On Android: Settings → Apps → select the app → Background data or “Allow background data usage” and disable it for non-critical apps.
- On iPhone: Settings → General → Background Refresh → set it to “Off” or limit it to Wi-Fi only.
What we see here is a feature designed for comfort that ends up being a silent drain. Disabling it in 10 apps can extend your battery between 30 and 60 minutes a day.
3. Always On and Adaptive Brightness Cost You More Than You Think
Modern screens, especially AMOLED ones, have a feature called Continuously On Direct which shows the time, notifications and phone status even when it is in sleep. Nice, yes. Necessary, not so much.
According to manufacturers such as Samsung and Google, this feature can consume an additional 5% to 8% of battery per day. It doesn’t seem like much, but it’s pure energy wasted while the phone sits on your desk without you looking at it.
Furthermore, the miscalibrated adaptive brightness —which turns up the brightness unnecessarily indoors—is another silent culprit. Consider manually lowering the brightness to 40-50% indoors and reserving the adaptive setting for outdoors.
To turn off Continuously On Direct:
- Samsung: Settings → Lock screen → Continuously On Direct → Disable.
- Google Pixel: Settings → Display → Lock screen → Disable always-on screen.
- iPhone (Dynamic Island): Settings → Display and brightness → Sleep screen → Disable.
What are the functions that consume the most battery on a cell phone?
Background location, background app refresh, and Continuously On Direct display are the three features that silently consume the most battery. They are activated by default and most users never check them.
Does deactivating these functions affect the performance of the cell phone?
Not perceptibly. Apps keep updating when you open them, location keeps working when you need it, and the screen keeps showing information when you look at it. They only stop doing this when you are not actively using them.
How much battery can I save by disabling these features?
Depending on the model and usage habits, you can gain between one and three additional hours of autonomy per day. The most impactful changes are background placement and Continuously On Direct.
If you’ve already tried these tweaks, tell us in the comments how much your battery improved. And if you want to go further, we have a complete guide on how to calibrate your cell phone battery without losing performance.
Keep reading:
• How to know exactly how many hours of battery life your phone has left
• The trick to make your phone charge faster is not to turn it off
• Your phone loses battery while you sleep and TikTok has a lot to do with it
