Surprising Samsung battery trick gives phones ‘insane performance boost’ – but there’s an app users say drains power too
SAMSUNG owners have suggested a surprising trick that they say can immediately cure any battery ills, and give them an “insane performance boost”.
But it might require a bit of effort.
In a post on Reddit, Samsung owners coughed up the secrets behind how they keep their battery in good condition.
And multiple customers agreed on one simple trick: a hard reset.
“I hard reset my [Galaxy] S23 Ultra because the battery had been sucking since the One UI 6 update, even with a cache partition clear. It’s so much better now,” one Samsung owner wrote.
Another replied, saying: “It’s insane the performance boost of your battery life after a hard reset.
“Just export your texts and other stuff and redownload the apps you need. Don’t use smart switch.”
A hard reset, also known as a factory reset, erases everything on your device, restoring the device to its original settings.
It also purges any cache that has been silently stacking up.
It’s important to note that you must export your messages, photos, videos – or anything important stored on your phone – to another device before you factory reset.
Otherwise, all that content will be lost in the digital ether.
That being said, you might not notice a difference in your phone’s performance if you restore all your current apps and use them as you currently do.
Especially if they’re battery-chugging social media apps.
Uninstalled FB (Facebook) and similar social media apps, my battery lasts like three days now.
Reddit user
A third Samsung in the comment said their battery lasts for “days” after deleting social media apps from their device.
“Uninstalled FB (Facebook) and similar social media apps, my battery lasts like three days now,” they said, adding: “since I never look at my phone these days”.
But they aren’t the only tips.
Why do batteries get worse over time?
Here's what you need to know...
- Most gadgets run on lithium-ion batteries
- Over time, the amount of charge this type of battery can hold gets smaller
- That means you need to charge your device more often because they hold less charge
- Batteries have two electrode points – the cathode and the anode
- To charge a battery, the ions inside the battery are forced from the cathode to the anode
- When you use a battery, it moves in the reverse direction
- This process wears away at the structure of the anode, reducing its ability to function correctly
- But the process also builds up a kind of salt on the cathode when charging
- As this build-up grows, the battery will accept less charge over time
- It’s estimated that between 500 and 1,000 full charge-cycles will reduce a battery’s maximum capacity by roughly 20%
Four bonus battery tricks
’20 per cent rule’
Abiding by the so-called ’20 per cent rule’ can help keep your smartphone battery in tip-top condition.
The trick squashes the once common belief that you should let your phone run out of battery before charging it again.
Turns out it’s best not to let your battery drop under 20 per cent before hooking up a charger.
Not too hot, or too cold
It’s also advised to limit your phone usage in both boiling or frosty weather – otherwise your battery may be permanently damaged.
“Extended use or storage at temperatures above 35°C or below 0°C will exacerbate battery performance and may lead to unexpected shutdowns and shorter battery life,” Samsung warns.
Samsung also notes that your phone may start to behave oddly to protect itself in extreme temperatures.
Bypass charging
Samsung owners can use a nifty little trick called bypass charging which can give their battery a much-needed rest.
The feature essentially allows you to plug in your smartphone to a power cable and run the device off of power directly from it instead of the battery.
Change colour themes
Most Samsung phones these days have AMOLED displays that can shut the light off for specific pixels to show true black.
That means by using a dark theme, you can get battery life savings.
Samsung charging tip – how to charge best
Here's Samsung's official advice...
To get the most out of your smartphone’s battery, you’ll need to charge it properly.
Most Smartphones have a lithium-ion battery that lives longer when charged regularly.
Unlike the nickel batteries used in older phones, lithium-ion batteries do best when kept above a 50 percent charge.
Repeatedly allowing the battery to drain fully may shorten its life and decrease its overall capacity.
If this happens, you’ll need to charge the battery more frequently and it may last only a few hours before needing a charge, for example.
Leaving the phone connected to the charger (when the phone is completely charged) while you are using it may lower battery life if you do it repeatedly.