You probably expect Facebook and Snapchat to be a major drain on your phone battery, but default apps? No so much. Apps that come already loaded on your phone are nothing but kind to your device and its battery, right (otherwise why would Apple even install them?) Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. If you’ve deleted major battery offenders like Facebook and Google Maps and are still struggling to figure out why your battery dwindles below 20 percent faster than it should, it’s time to take a few additional steps. “It’s difficult to say which app might be causing battery drain without more information. The app could be draining your battery for a number of reasons, such as if it has a lot of background activity, uses location services or notifications frequently, or is simply a power-hungry app,” said Tech Expert Dan Riley at SpotifyUnlocked.com. Riley suggests taking these steps to troubleshoot the problem.
Check your phone’s battery usage
On most phones, you can go to Settings > Battery to see which apps are using the most battery — this will also help you determine with default apps are draining your battery, according to Riley. “If you see an app that you don’t use often or that you think might be using more battery than it should, you might want to consider uninstalling it,” Riley said.
Make sure your phone is running the latest software
Outdated software can cause problems with battery life. Check for updates in the Settings app and install any available updates, Riley advises.
Check for app updates
Many apps are constantly undergoing updates and it’s important to stay on top of them so that your battery isn’t negatively affected. “Sometimes, an app update can fix battery drain issues,” Riley said. “Check the App Store or Google Play Store for updates to the app in question.”
Turn off push email
“If you have your email account set to ‘push,’ it means that your phone is constantly checking for new messages, which can drain your battery,” Riley said. “Consider switching to ‘fetch’ or ‘manual’ to save battery.”
Turn off unnecessary features
Features like GPS, Bluetooth, or NFC are incredibly draining to your battery. Be sure to turn them off when you’re not using them to save battery.
Restart your phone
“Sometimes, a simple restart can help resolve battery drain issues,” Riley said. “Just turn your phone off and then turn it back on again.”
Factory reset
If all else has failed and you still have battery drain issues, it may be time for a factory reset. This will erase all of the data on your phone, Riley cautions, so make sure to back up your important files first.
“In conclusion, it is possible for a default app or any app on your phone to drain the battery,” Riley said. “There are several steps you can take to troubleshoot and fix this issue, such as checking your phone’s battery usage, making sure your phone is running the latest software, checking for app updates, turning off push email, turning off unnecessary features, restarting your phone, and factory resetting if necessary. By following these steps, you can hopefully resolve any battery drain issues and improve the overall performance of your phone.”
