These popular apps are draining your phone’s battery
A smartphone can run out of power at the most inconvenient moment not only because of an aging battery, but also due to "power-hungry" apps. Popular applications are often the main culprits, and it’s worth knowing the steps that can help curb their appetite for energy.
MysteriumVPN reports on which apps consume the most battery.
Heavy media content (photos, Reels, ads), frequent updates, and background processes make this app one of the biggest battery drainers. You can can turn off background updates and unnecessary notifications — or switch to Facebook Lite.
Constant synchronization and auto-play of Reels consume significant computing resources and traffic. It’s recommended to turn off auto-play for videos and limit background data usage.
Snapchat
The app heavily uses the camera and location services, and sends numerous push notifications. It’s recommended to disable location access and reduce notification frequency.
Google Maps
Continuous GPS tracking and traffic data updates significantly drain the battery. You can disable background access to geolocation and only launch the app when needed.
TikTok
The constant streaming and decoding of HD videos quickly drains the battery, compounded by background updates and notifications. It’s recommended to limit usage time and restrict background data.
Synchronising messages and media in the background consumes a lot of energy. You can turn off unnecessary notifications and limit background activity.
YouTube
Streaming, especially in high definition, consumes significant resources. Alternatively, you can lower the video quality and limit viewing time to save battery.
Netflix
Long playback and updating the catalogue/viewing history accelerate battery drain. It is worth downloading content offline and reducing the quality.
Spotify
Streaming and background playlist updates, especially while downloading tracks, also take a toll on battery life. One solution is to turn off background updates.
Zoom
Video calls simultaneously load the camera, microphone and network. You can reduce screen brightness, switch to audio-only mode when possible, and close the app after calls.
How to find battery drainers on your phone
On Android, open Settings — Battery — Battery Usage. You’ll see a list of apps showing their battery consumption over the last 24 hours or week, with separate data for on-screen and background activity.
On iOS, go to Settings — Battery and scroll down to Battery usage by app. There you will find statistics for 24 hours or 10 days with screen time and background activity.
If a particular app (for example, Facebook) consistently appears at the top of the list, it’s worth reducing its background activity and notifications. High consumption by social networks and streaming services usually means constant updates or background activity.
Once the battery-hungry apps are identified, you should restrict their background activity:
- on Android: Settings — Apps — select the app — Battery — Limit background activity;
- on iOS: Settings — General — Content Updates — and turn off for selected apps.
After that, the selected apps will not update in the background and will not consume excess battery power.
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