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Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones are some of the best Android phones available today, thanks to their responsive and feature-rich software. But most Samsung phones — especially the flagships like the Galaxy S25 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold 7, and Z Flip 7 — come with over-the-top features that you might not use daily.
If your new Galaxy phone isn’t lasting an entire day on a single charge, there are ways to make the most of what you have without hindering the user experience.
Also: Samsung offers enticing preorder deal for new Galaxy tablets ahead of September Unpacked
Here are seven ways to maximize the battery life on your Galaxy phone. Fret not — I won’t be Captain Obvious over here and recommend reducing the screen resolution or using your phone at a lower refresh rate. The recommendations on this list should bring quality-of-life improvements while maximizing your handset’s efficiency. Read on.
1. Use Dark Mode
Most Samsung phones feature AMOLED displays, which can control individual pixels. So, when you use a dark theme or dark wallpaper, the part of the screen that needs to stay black won’t turn on those pixels. This, in turn, reduces screen power usage and makes your battery last slightly longer.
How to: Open the Settings app > Display. You’ll get two cards for Light and Dark. Tap on the Dark option. Alternatively, you can change the system wallpaper and continue using the light theme, but this will not have the same effect on battery as turning on the Dark mode.
2. Toggle on Adaptive Brightness
This setting ideally comes activated out of the box, but some people turn it off because it’s not always accurate. However, over the years, Samsung’s ambient light sensor has improved in quality. Your Galaxy phone can reliably detect the lighting in your environment to automatically adjust the screen luminosity. This ensures your display is more efficient and isn’t brighter than needed.
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How to: Go to the Settings app > Display and toggle on Adaptive Brightness. It should work in most environments, but if need be, you can adjust the brightness with a swipe down from the Quick Settings panel.
3. Locate and force stop or uninstall power-draining apps
Samsung phones come with a lot of preinstalled apps like Facebook, Microsoft 365, OneDrive, and a bunch of Samsung and Google apps. Identify the ones you don’t need, and uninstall or force disable them so they don’t run in the background.
For example, not everyone needs the Samsung Smart TV app or OneDrive. When I set up a new Galaxy phone, I uninstall those two and others, including Facebook, Outlook, Microsoft 365, Tutor, and more.
How to: Tap and hold the app you want to uninstall. A pop-up menu will appear. Tap Uninstall. As a result, none of these non-required apps will use your battery.
4. Identify power-draining apps
Certain apps consume more power depending on your location, 5G connectivity, and background usage. Samsung lets you identify these power-hogging apps to help you minimize non-essential battery usage.
How to: On your Galaxy smartphone, you can identify power-draining apps by going to Settings > Battery and device care > Battery > Background usage limits and choosing which apps you want to turn off.
5. Download offline content before travel
If you take the same route every day or listen to the same playlists and podcasts, downloading that content offline is a good idea. Most streaming apps and Google Maps consume a lot of battery over 5G and LTE. When outdoors, it could also make your handset warm to the touch. You can tackle this with a bit of pre-planning: Download your favorite music or maps over Wi-Fi before you leave home.
Also: The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra was nearly unusable for me – until I downloaded this one app
How to: Go to the streaming apps you want to download content from and follow the in-app steps. For instance, YouTube has a download button on videos, and Spotify lets you download complete playlists.
6. Use scheduled Always-On Display
I love the Always-On Display (AOD) on my Galaxy S25 Ultra. It has an LTPO display that goes down to 1Hz for efficiency, which is handy for features like AOD. If you have a midrange Galaxy phone with a minimum refresh rate of 60Hz, using AOD might not be as efficient. However, you can be smart with it by scheduling AOD for when it’s needed.
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For instance, I have it scheduled for 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., so I don’t miss any important notifications and have the needed info at my disposal at a glance.
How to: Go to Settings > Lock Screen and AOD > Tap on Always On Display > When to show > As scheduled. While you’re at it, also turn off the Show lock screen wallpaper within AOD settings.
7. Use Performance profile
Samsung allows you to choose a performance profile according to your usage. If you don’t play games and use your phone primarily for regular tasks like browsing, calling, and the like, you should choose the Light Performance profile over Standard. It will prioritize battery life and cooling over processing speed.
How to: Open the Settings app and go to Device care > Performance profile and select Light. This is ideal for average phone users.
What to do when my Galaxy phone is low on battery?
The seven settings above will not hinder your user experience and will retain the best Galaxy phone features. However, if you’re out and your phone is low on battery, you should:
- Turn on Power Saving
- Toggle off data roaming
- Turn off location services
- Switch off AOD altogether
Also: Your Samsung phone has a secret Wi-Fi menu that’s incredibly useful – how to access it
I recommend turning on these settings when your phone’s battery level is under 15% but you’re still a few hours away from the charger. The above-mentioned Samsung settings will also help you maximize the battery on your Galaxy phone.
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