Android battery drain causes and how to fix it

🧰 Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆ (Quick try, tricky fix)

⏱ Time involved: 5–10 minutes

⚠️ Risk level: Low for settings tweaks, high for DIY battery swaps.

💡 Pro insight: Quick fixes help, but safe battery replacements are better left to the pros.

⚙️ Don’t drain your patience—visit your nearest uBreakiFix® by Asurion store for a fast battery diagnostic or replacement.

Smartphones continue to get faster, and every update comes with a host of new features that promise to make your life easier. But this technology can also sap your battery life, causing you frustration.

If your Android™ is draining faster than normal, don't panic. At Asurion, our experts help millions of customers resolve phone repair issues like this every day using simple solutions. Here's their guide on what causes Android battery drain and how to fix it.

Why is my Android phone dying so fast?

Your Samsung Galaxy® or Google® Pixel® battery power could be draining quickly for a number of reasons. Here are some of the most common ones for poor battery health:

• Rich ongoing notifications: Android 16’s new dynamic status bar chips can drain power if too many apps are active.
• Precision location: Apps using high-accuracy tracking in the background.
• Background tasks: Apps refreshing data even when not in use.
• High brightness/Refresh Rate: Modern screens are brighter and faster, requiring more juice.
• Weak signal: The phone works harder to find 5G or Satellite connectivity.
• Extreme temperatures: Phones don't like being too hot or too cold.

How to make your phone battery last longer

If you're wondering, “Why is my phone dying so fast?” this guide is for you. Here's how you can keep your Android charged and battery performance optimized to last longer throughout the day. Each solution was tested on a Google Pixel and Samsung phone running Android 16. Steps may vary slightly by manufacturer.

1. Limit your push notifications

From breaking news to food delivery updates, notifications are how you stay connected and in the know. But if too many alerts are active, they can drain your Android battery. To turn off push notifications from an app:

1. Go to Settings > Notifications > App notifications.
2. Review the list. Use the new "Notification Intelligence" toggle (if available) to automatically silence non-essential alerts.
3. Turn off switches for apps that don't need to buzz your pocket every five minutes.

2. Manage Location and "Nearby" permissions

Apps like Waze™ and Google Maps™ help you get around using your phone's location services feature. But if these apps are running behind the scenes and you aren't traveling, location services can drain your battery. To adjust this:

1. Go to Settings > Location.
2. Tap App location permissions.
3. Select "Allow only while using the app" for most apps.
4. New in Android 16: Check "Nearby device scanning" and toggle it off if you aren't currently trying to pair with accessories.

3. Use the updated Battery Saver & Background Limits

Apps like Facebook® and Instagram® can still run in the background, checking for updates, refreshing content, and pushing notifications, even after you've closed them—which can drain your phone battery. Here's how to use your phone's power-saving feature to lower background app refresh:

1. Go to Settings > Battery.
2. Tap Battery Saver and toggle on Use Battery Saver. You can now schedule this to turn on based on your typical usage patterns.
3. Tap Background usage limits (Samsung) or Battery usage by app (Pixel).
4. Select heavy-drain apps and change their setting to "Restricted" to stop them from running when not open.

4. Optimize Display & Refresh Rate

Next, try turning down your screen brightness, which saves energy and stops your battery from draining fast. Modern screens often support 120Hz refresh rates, which look smooth but eat battery. To adjust your screen brightness:

1. Go to Settings > Display.
2. Lower the Brightness level or ensure Adaptive brightness is on.
3. Pro Tip: Tap Smooth Display (or Motion Smoothness) and switch to "Standard" (60Hz) if you need to stretch your battery through a long day.
4. Ensure Dark theme is scheduled for "Sunset to Sunrise" or "Always on."

5. Adjust your screen timeout settings

Another setting worth adjusting is your screen timeout, which controls how much time passes before your screen goes to sleep. Since your phone uses energy to stay lit, shorter time intervals between sleep cycles are recommended to save battery life. To adjust your screen timeout settings:

1. Go to Settings > Display > Screen timeout.
2. Select 30 seconds or 1 minute.
3. Ensure "Screen Attention" is on—this allows the screen to dim quickly when you aren't looking at it, even if the timeout is set longer.

6. Check for software updates

Running outdated software can also drain your phone battery. Regularly updating your Android operating system not only boosts efficiency but also installs security updates. To see if you have the latest version:

1. Go to Settings > System > Software update (or Settings > Software update).
2. Tap Check for update.
3. If a "Google Play system update" is available, install that as well, as it often contains core power-management fixes.

7. Avoid extreme temperatures

Whether you're on the go or staying in, avoid leaving your phone in very hot or cold environments. Extreme temperatures can not only drain your phone battery but also cause it to overheat and explode, putting your safety at risk. Try to store your phone in an area between 68° and 86° Fahrenheit. Check out our guide for more ways to keep your phone from overheating.

8. Make sure your phone has service

While this may seem like a no-brainer, double-check to make sure your phone has service. If your Android is constantly searching for a signal, it can drain your battery quickly.

If you are in a low-service area, toggle on Airplane Mode and then re-enable Wi-Fi. This prevents the phone's modem from constantly "searching" for a cellular signal, which is one of the biggest silent battery killers.

9. Check whether your battery is at the end of its life cycle

If none of the above steps work, it could be because your Android phone's battery is on its way out. Stop by the nearest uBreakiFix by Asurion store for a free device diagnostic, and a fast battery replacement if needed.