How to Check Samsung Battery Health & Extend It

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One of the most common things people do with their smartphones is check the battery life. This is the battery indicator that lets you know how much charge it has. However, battery health is far more important than battery life.

This article focuses on Samsung battery health, how to check it, why it’s more important than battery life, and some tips to maintain and extend the lifespan of a Samsung battery.

• What is battery health?
• How to check the battery health on a Samsung Galaxy
• Tips to preserve battery life on your Samsung phone

What is battery health?

As battery life means nothing more than the amount of charge remaining, battery health is an indicator of the state of your battery. A healthy battery holds a charge for longer, and increases the battery’s lifespan. It’s also a measure of the performance of the battery over a period of time.

When you purchase a new phone, the battery is in pristine condition. It lasts as long as it’s rated for, but the battery will degrade over time to the point where it dies faster every day. The more you look after your Samsung battery’s health, the better it will perform and the longer it will live.

How to check the battery health on a Samsung Galaxy

Every Samsung phone has a way to check battery health. In this section, we’ll focus on the procedure to check this on a Samsung Galaxy phone. You do this via the Samsung Members app. Most likely the app is already on your phone but if not, download it from the Google Play Store.

Start by swiping down from the top of the screen to access the Quick Settings tiles. Click on the Gear icon to open phone settings. Scroll down and click on Battery and Device Care. Find Additional Care and select Diagnostics. Now click on Phone Diagnostics.

The Samsung Members app will open. You will see a group of icons for various things you can check. Search for Battery Status. This brings up information on your phone’s battery, such as Status, Life, and Capacity.

If the Life status says Good or Normal, you have a healthy battery.

Tips to preserve battery life on your Samsung phone

1. Avoid over-charging

Every time you charge your phone, it takes a toll on battery life. However, if you avoid over-charging it, such as charging more often than you need to, or leaving the charger plugged in once it’s at 100% capacity, you’ll extend the battery life.

2. Avoid heat and direct sunlight

Another thing to avoid is heat. Don’t leave your phone baking in direct sunlight for extended periods, as heat is an enemy of battery life.

3. The sweet spot for Samsung batteries

A handy trick is maintaining a charging range between 20% and 80%. While this may sound odd, it’s the sweet spot for Samsung battery health. Resist the urge to charge your phone to 100%.

4. Don’t let your battery run down completely

Avoid letting your phone run out of power completely before charging, as this takes a major toll on battery health. Phone batteries only have a certain number of charge cycles before the battery becomes useless. Regular deep discharging, over-charging and under-charging impact these charge cycles, so it’s best to avoid them.

5. Always install software updates

Updating your phone’s software plays a role in extending battery life and maintaining battery health. Software updates include optimisations that enable you to get the most out of your phone. As soon as an update is available, install it as it may contain features or improvements that target battery health.

6. Download a battery health app

Download an app that monitors battery health, such as AccuBattery for Android users. This app tells you your battery’s maximum capacity, peak performance level, and general battery health. Use this information to alter your battery usage patterns and increase its lifespan.

7. Enable battery saver mode

There are some trade-offs when using battery saver mode, but it will lower the overall power consumption of your Samsung phone. Most phones suggest battery saver mode once the battery drops to 20%, but you can enable this feature at any time.

8. Always have a power bank

If you carry a power bank with you when out and about, you can charge your phone any time. This helps you avoid deep discharges, which are detrimental to battery health.

9. Calibrate the battery

Both the phone software and circuitry report the state of the battery. Over time, the more you use your phone, the actual state of the battery and the reported state may be out of alignment. Therefore, battery calibration is necessary to correct the discrepancy. To do this, allow the battery to discharge below 10% and then charge it up to 100%. Putting your phone on charge overnight is the easiest way. Once calibrated, you’ll have more accurate reporting.

10. Adjust phone settings

You’ll want to adjust some of your phone settings so they don’t drain on your battery unnecessarily. Even changing just a few of the following suggestions can make a big difference.

• Select auto screen brightness or dim your screen.
• Choose a shorter time for auto-lock duration or screen timeout.
• Switch off keyboard sounds and vibrations.
• Restrict apps that use too much power.
• Disable the always-on display.
• Enable dark mode if your phone has an OLED screen.
• Use lite versions of your favourite apps.
• Disable most of your notifications.
• Turn off GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when not in use.