9 Tips to Make Your Android Battery Last Longer While Traveling

Traveling is exciting, but you don’t want to miss out on catching a stunning sunset or navigating to a hidden gem because your Android phone ran out of juice. The good news is that there’s a lot you can do to maximize your Android’s battery life and keep it powered throughout your trip.

1

Use Power Saving Mode

When you’re traveling and don’t have easy access to charging points, activating the power saving mode on your Android phone should be a priority. You can activate it by touching the Energy saving tile in the Quick Settings panel or by going to Settings > Battery.

According to the The Android version and specific skin your phone is running on (such as Samsung’s One UI or Google’s Pixel), the exact effects of the power saving mode may vary slightly. However, most Android devices reduce brightness levels, limit background sync, minimize visual effects and lower the screen refresh rate to 60 Hz. All these adjustments can significantly extend the life of the battery, which is useful when you are on the go.

2

Enable Adaptive Battery

Another great way to conserve battery while traveling is by enable Adaptive Battery on your Android device. This smart feature uses machine learning to analyze your usage patterns, prioritizing power for the apps you use the most while limiting resources for the ones you rarely open. As a result, your phone works more efficiently, saving precious battery life without compromising performance.

To enable Adaptive Battery, go to Settings > Batteryand activate the Adaptive battery option. For Samsung Galaxy users, the steps are a little different: head to Settings> Battery> Power savingtouch the less than three points and select Adaptive energy saving.

3

Switch to Dark Theme and Lower Lock Screen Timeout

Switching to the dark theme is a simple but effective way to conserve battery life, especially if your Android device has an OLED or AMOLED display. These types of screens use less power to display darker colors, so activating dark mode can lead to significant battery savings.

While some Android phones automatically turn on dark mode when you turn on power saving mode, this may not apply to all devices. If you’re using a Samsung Galaxy phone or other device that doesn’t switch to dark mode automatically, you can enable it manually through the Quick Settings panel.

Another small adjustment that can significantly conserve battery life is to lower the lock screen timeout. This setting determines how long your phone’s display stays on when idle. Reducing it to 15 or 30 seconds, instead of the default 1 minute, ensures that the screen turns off earlier, saving power when you’re not actively using your phone. You can do this by going to Settings > Display > Screen timeout.

4

Limit background activity of battery-draining apps

Having too many applications installed on your Android phone can drain your battery. That’s because many applications run in the background, often without you noticing.

To identify which apps consume more energy, you can navigate to the battery usage menu in your phone’s settings.

Once you’ve identified the apps that are draining your battery, you can take them out steps to prevent those apps from running in the background. Those using a Samsung Galaxy phone can also put unused applications to sleep to prevent it from draining the battery while you are on the go.

5

Download Music, Maps and Files for Offline Use

Listening to your favorite music or using Google Maps for navigation is something you can often do while traveling. However, streaming music or continuous use of location services can quickly drain your battery. A simple but effective way to avoid this is to download your music and maps for offline use before embarking on your journey.

Music apps like Spotify and YouTube Music allows you to download playlists, albums, or specific songs directly to your device. Likewise, you can use Google Maps to download maps offline of the areas in which you travel.

Also, be sure to download any important files such as travel itineraries, PDFs, or documents that you may need during your trip. By saving to your phone in advance, you can easily access them through the file manager app.

6

Turn off “Hey Google” detection.

While the “Hey Google” function is a convenient way to interact with your Android device hands-free, it can also be a hidden battery drain. Since your phone’s microphone is always listening for the “Hey Google” command, this constant activity consumes energy, even when your phone is idle.

Therefore, it is better to disable this function by going to Settings > Google Assistant > Hey Google & Voice Match and turn off the Hey Google toggle.

7

Turn off Always on Display

The Always On Display (AOD) feature is quite useful, allowing you to quickly check the time, notifications or other essential information without unlocking your phone. However, the downside is that it keeps the screen on at all times, draining the battery.

On Samsung Galaxy phones, you can turn off the Always On Display feature by going to Settings > Lock Screen and AOD. For devices running stock Android, go to Settings > Display > Lock Screen > Always show time and information and disable the option.

8

Turn off location services for less useful apps

Keeping location services turned on is essential while traveling for activities such as navigation, checking the weather, or using other location-based services. However, you don’t need to keep location services on for all apps, as it can increase battery usage unnecessarily.

For example, you can keep location services turned on​​​​for navigation apps like Google Maps, but turn them off for social media apps, games, or other apps that don’t rely on tracking of location in real time. To do this, go to Settings > Location > App Permissions. From there, go through each app and disable location access for unnecessary ones.

9

Avoid exposure to Extreme Temperatures

Finally, it is important to be aware of how extreme temperatures can affect the performance of your phone’s battery. Both very hot and very cold conditions can cause your Android device’s battery to degrade and drain faster than usual.

To protect your phone while travelingavoid leaving in extreme temperatures. Instead, keep it in a cool, shaded area and store it in a pocket or bag when not in use.

Your Android phone can be an excellent travel companion, but its battery life can be a limiting factor. So, be sure to use these tips on your next adventure to keep your phone powered for all the important moments.