Connect with us

Android

How to Fix Bad Galaxy Note 3 Battery Life After Lollipop

Published

on

The new Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Android 5.0 Lollipop update brings a ton of new features to the company’s former flagship. According to some Galaxy Note 3 users, it also brings battery life problems along with it. With that in mind, we want to take an in-depth look at how to potentially fix bad Galaxy Note 3 battery life before and after Android 5.0 Lollipop.

When Samsung first announced the Galaxy Note 3 back in the fall of 2013, the company confirmed that it would have Android 4.3 Jelly Bean on board. At the time, Android 4.3 Jelly Bean was Google’s current version of Android. Shortly after the Galaxy Note 3 hit shelves, Google announced a brand new Android update in Android 4.4 KitKat and in January of last year, the Galaxy Note 3 got its first major Android upgrade.

LG G3 vs Galaxy Note 3 - 4

This year, the Galaxy Note 3 is getting something new. In late January, the Galaxy Note 3 became one of the first Galaxy smartphones to get Google’s Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system. The Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop update delivers some big time features to Galaxy Note 3 users including the new Material Design. And while some Galaxy Note 3 users have already gotten a taste of the changes, others are still waiting for the update to start rolling out.

The new Galaxy Note 3 Android 5.0 update brings some huge changes to the device but it also brings Android 5.0 Lollipop problems including battery life issues. Complaints about bad Galaxy Note 3 battery life have started to pick up as the software’s moved out to more variants and more regions around the world including the United States where it’s now available on T-Mobile.

Battery life issues always seem to plague Galaxy users after a new Android update though most of the time, it’s not the actual update that’s causing the problems. Apps and other services are usually the culprit. For the moment, these Galaxy Note 3 battery life problems appear to be somewhat isolated though we do expect them to grow as more updates roll out.

How to Fix Bad Galaxy Note 3 Battery Life

With that in mind, we want to try and fix bad Samsung Galaxy Note 3 battery life for you. This guide delivers help to get better battery life on Samsung’s former flagship. These fixes should work if you’re on Android 4.4 KitKat or if you’re on Android 5.0 Lollipop. We’ve geared this towards Android 5.0 Lollipop users but we know that plenty of people remain on the older version of Google’s software.

Find Apps Eating Up Your Battery

The first recommendation that we always make to people suffering from bad battery life is to check out third-party applications. If you want to fix your bad Galaxy Note 3 battery life, you’re going to want to keep an eye on applications for potential problems. Quite often, they are the culprit.

Third-party apps have a tendency to put a huge dent into the battery life on the Galaxy Note 3 or any other smartphone, regardless of the software that’s running on board. If you use an application a lot, it’s going to drain your battery. There are also times where bugs or issues might cause an app to go rogue and start abnormally draining the device’s charge. And that could be happening here after Android 5.0 Lollipop.

First, head into your settings and start taking a look at the effect that applications are having on the device’s battery life. If you notice anything out of the ordinary, it’s time to start taking a closer look.

Samsung Galaxy S5 vs Galaxy Note 3 -  006-X2

If you think an app is draining more battery life than it should be, try reinstalling it to see if that corrects the issue. If the problem persists, try uninstalling it to see if that has a positive effect. If you can’t figure out which app might be causing trouble, you’ll want to boot the Galaxy Note 3 into Safe Mode in an effort to single out potential troublemakers.

Booting the device into Safe Mode disables third-party apps and allows you to isolate apps that could be causing the problems. Here’s how to boot the Galaxy Note 3 into Safe Mode:

  1. Power down the device. Then, press & hold the Power button and volume down key.
  2. Once it boots up, you can let go of the power button but keep the volume key held down.
  3. When you have successfully entered into Safe Mode, you will notice the text ‘Safe Mode’ at the bottom left corner of the screen.

Restart the Galaxy Note 3

This is a really simply fix but it’s worked for us and others in the past. Try restarting the Galaxy Note 3, especially if you haven’t done so in awhile. This will clear the cache and it’s possible that it will get rid of perceived battery life issues as well. Most of you know how to restart the Galaxy Note 3 but we’ll remind you anyway. Hold down the power button, confirm that you want to turn it off, and then hold the power button down to turn it back on.

Disable Unnecessary Services

If apps aren’t the issue, and a simple restart of the Galaxy Note 3 doesn’t solve the problem, it’s time to dig a little deeper. In our experience, disabling features when they aren’t in use tends to have a positive impact on overall battery life.

If you think your battery is draining faster than normal, we recommend shutting off Wi-Fi connectivity when you don’t need it, Bluetooth connectivity when you don’t need it, NFC when you don’t need it, GPS when you don’t need it, and cellular data when you don’t need it. You can turn all of those off from inside the Galaxy Note 3’s settings and the device’s quick menu makes them even easier to turn off.

Galaxy Note 3

One thing that we’ve noticed is that poor cellular coverage is often to blame for bad Android battery life. When your Galaxy Note 3 needs to search hard for a signal, it runs the battery down faster, so keep that in mind when you’re in spotty areas. You should consider turning Airplane Mode on when there isn’t a strong 4G or LTE signal in the area.

Try Using a Black Wallpaper

Switching to a black wallpaper could help deliver better Galaxy Note 3 battery life thanks to the way Samsung’s Super AMOLED displays consume power. The device does not come with a default black wallpaper but you can search online for one.

After you’ve downloaded one, go to Settings -> Wallpaper -> Home and Lock Screens -> More Images -> set your black Galaxy Note 3 wallpaper. It’s a quick fix but it could help maintain a better charge.

Replace the Stock Launcher

You also might want to consider replacing the stock TouchWiz launcher on the Galaxy Note 3 with something new. The TouchWiz launcher has been known to hinder performance and it can be replaced. There are tons of different launches to choose from though the Nova Launcher is one of Android’s most popular choices. Give that a try if these other simple fixes don’t work out.

Downgrade to Android 4.4 KitKat

If you’ve already moved to Android 5.0 Lollipop, and some of you have, note that you can return to Android 4.4 KitKat in the event that Android 5.0 isn’t on par with your Android 4.4 experience.

We recently put together a guide on how to accomplish this so that’s going to be a great starting point for those of you that want to drop back down to Android 4.4. Follow those steps using the correct files and you should be able to get Android 4.4 KitKat up and running in no time at all.

Factory Reset the Galaxy Note 3

If you don’t want to downgrade to Android 4.4 KitKat and you can’t find any fixes for your battery problems, you can factory reset your Galaxy Note 3. This will wipe all of your files so you’ll need to make a backup before going this route.

To factory reset the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, go into Settings, User & Backup, and select Backup and Reset. From there, select Factory Data Reset. From there, select Reset Device and then Delete All.

Samsung Galaxy S5 vs Galaxy Note 3 -  Cameras

If for whatever reason that doesn’t work, you can also factory reset using the hardware keys on the phone. Here’s how to do that. It’s a far more difficult process. We recommend the above route if possible.

  • First, you’ll need to turn the Galaxy Note 3 off.
  • Once its off, press and hold the Volume up button, the Home button, and the Power buttons together until you see an Android appear on the screen.
  • Once you see this, use the Volume down key to highlight the Wipe Data/Factory Reset option. Use the Power button to select it.
  • Use the Volume down key to select Yes – delete all user data and then use the Power button again to select it.
  • When you see the Reboot System Now option, you’ll know you’re on track. Use the Power button to select that option.
  • This will erase everything on the Galaxy Note 3 bringing it back to the state it was in when you first bought it. It also might fix the problems you’re having.

We’ve heard from several Galaxy smartphone users who say that a factory reset fixed bad battery life on Lollipop though it should be considered a last ditch effort. It’s an extremely time consuming process but it’s one that could potentially solve your problems once and for all.

If that doesn’t help, it’s probably time to look into your warranty. You’ll want to contact Samsung or your carrier directly to see if they can be of any assistance. In some cases, they might be able to help.

26 Comments

26 Comments

    • gs

      07/21/2015 at 3:18 pm

      Solved? Your not even close! The things you recommend are band-aids at best. The problem lies with the Google OS itself which collects any information on you it can and then sends it to Google to be sold. Even turning the phone or tablet off does not stop the OS from collecting info. Undocumented apps are running in the background constantly, even with the device “OFF”. By the way, how do you know the device is “OFF”? Mine drops the battery from 90% to 60% overnight and it is turned “OFF”. Google wants this data and everything else is secondary, like privacy, battery drain, etc. That’s why it hasn’t been fixed. Do you really think that Google could not fix this if they wanted to? Are you that naive? You want to stop your battery drain? Only one fix: remove the battery!!!

      • James

        03/04/2016 at 7:26 am

        This HAS to be a troll, or joke post, right? RIGHT?

        It’s no surprise that Google is collecting data, most apps require you agree to those exact terms, but there has been no issue of them selling this to companies, or based on your post, to the government. But it’s impossible for it to do this with the phone off. It’s possible you mean SCREEN off, aka phone is asleep, but of course your phone is going to use battery while asleep; the phone is collecting to cell towers so you don’t miss a call, but if you’re not putting information in, the phone can’t collect anything more than location information (ie irrelevant data).

        Unless you’re going to run an obscure, or compile your own, phone OS on a self run satellite/cell tower, your data is going to be collected by your carrier and OS. Don’t fool yourself, android is collecting much less data than apple OS, Google is [barely] the lesser of 2 evils.

  1. jeffrey

    03/17/2015 at 7:27 am

    You should also wipe your cache and davlik cache too. Lollipop compiles the apps now when they are downloaded and not at app startup.
    one other thing is GPS. if you have to use the GPS for now go to the GPS settings and select use wireless or mobile data so the GPS does not keep searching. There is an issue with GPS not locking onto a location and draining the battery.

    • Darryl Gittins

      04/02/2015 at 5:46 pm

      Do you have more info about this issue with GPS not locking onto a location and draining the battery? I see my GPS constantly polling and I have to turn location services off to make it stop. Even on the Lock screen I see the message “searching for GPS” flash then the lockscreen goes blank. It seems to be causing fits for my phone.

  2. hari prasad

    03/21/2015 at 9:53 am

    After updating my Samsung galaxy note 3 to lollipop 5.0 my S-pen is not working. Screen capture is also not working. plzzzzzz give me solution.

    • Parker

      04/14/2015 at 6:01 pm

      My pen and screenshot is not working either. My girlfriends exact phone ad lollipop pen is working?? Makes no sense. I lost half my contacts as well!

  3. Heamnt date

    04/08/2015 at 11:13 am

    These are dumb dodo suggestions for lollipop problem solving. I use 4.4.2 on note 3 and get 2 days or more of battery life. Just why someone should be hell bent on using the stupid Lollipop and then go out of the way to do all sorts of changes and alterations to lengthen battery life and clear cache. What an intelligence, I say.

    • mrvaderx

      04/14/2015 at 10:23 pm

      You are so full of insight! I wonder what will humanity do without common sense like yours! Just kill yourself Idiot!

      • DarrylGittins (@DarrylGittins)

        04/15/2015 at 10:02 am

        And how is your comment any less idiotic? At least Heamnt’s comment wasn’t offensive and hateful, traits which are far more harmful to humanity than a lack of common sense. Congratulations on being part of the problem.

  4. adam smith

    04/16/2015 at 2:16 pm

    How is the fix to the battery issue crippling our smartphones? Black wallpaper? Shut off wifi? Disable bluetooth, location and everything else? Why have this phone if we can’t use any of that and have good battery life? Do all that and you may as well just skip data altogether and get an old flip phone.

  5. denise

    04/17/2015 at 5:35 pm

    I just recently got the update on my note 3 and installed it yesterday. I’m loving it phone is so much faster and I have no problems with my battery

    • fayms

      04/18/2016 at 5:44 pm

      Give it time – took about a month for my battery to go haywire. But the missing and childlike new icons that are ugly and hard on the eyes came immediately with the update. Think I will start looking at a replacement phone and definitely a different brand.

  6. Lee White

    04/21/2015 at 1:49 am

    I have the Verizon Note 3 and after the update it tells me that my charger is not right and causes slow charging. This is the charger I got with it and it was working g fine Intel the update. Any ideas or help on this?

  7. nakulProUserAbuser

    04/30/2015 at 11:52 am

    This is perhaps the worst software i ever came across in my life…they have killed an excellent device.
    to point a few pain in the a*S issues:

    recommended apps, contacts keep on stopping ie crashing.

    >>The developer really tried hard to make a difference here but SUCKED *ss big time,

    the feel of the GUI is child like (trying to gain attention),
    yucky color schemes,
    whatsapp notifications have become a pain in *ss too, covering more than required screen space all the time(yes we can turn them off, but that would be useless)

    cant see whose calls i missed (on the lock screen) :(

    I wish i could bash the one leading this firmware project.>:

    • darrylgittins

      04/30/2015 at 12:11 pm

      I suggest if you’re having that much trouble that you reset the device to factory default. Sometimes, just like with a Windows OS upgrade, it’s not that smooth a transition for the software and in those cases, you’re better off to start with a new, clean operating system. Good luck!

  8. david

    05/19/2015 at 7:26 am

    I went from 80% to 0% in less than a minute. Like wtf. My usage manager picture shows the battery life like a cliff. Help!

  9. Brenda

    07/04/2015 at 9:09 pm

    I have tried every fix i can find. My galaxy note 3 is hosed thanks to 5.0. I have no sound. I cant make or receive calls. I cant play videos. Apps lock up. Thanks samsung for such a wonderful thought out update. NOT!! Next time I hope they spend more time testing their updates. Its the customers that end up taking the fall when these updates screw up phones we pay good money for.

  10. Srijith

    08/19/2015 at 12:09 am

    i have the problem with battery draining very fast. if i see battery usage in setting its very steep down . it shows at max 4 hours.. for 100% battery.. WTF!!. What ot do now.. any useful suggestions appreciated. Thank you!!!

  11. Ramy

    10/15/2015 at 8:57 am

    Very well written article. Thanks

  12. rolandclarkmusic

    10/18/2015 at 9:44 am

    I should not have to turn off my wifi or any of these things , these are not fixes but suggestions on how to save battery life.. and i thought Apple was bad for not being able to get to the battery but you guys are getting worse..

  13. Simon

    12/29/2015 at 4:43 pm

    I went to a rogers store today to complain about the poor battery life of my note 3. The A**s Jole that served me tried to argue that a phone battery to last from 11am to 9pm was more than acceptable.

    Samsung Galaxy Note 3 has to be the worst phone that I have had the miss pleasure of owning.

    The store assistant went by the name of AJ which I feel must stand for something! hum let me see. A Jerk, Am Jerking, Able Jerking, A Joke this is a list that could go on for a while.

    Did i mention that he was more than just a little argumentative.

  14. Siddharth Sharma

    04/01/2016 at 5:39 am

    I have issues with my original batteries after updating…battery drains out very quickly, if its 20% then its as good as drained in a min…i bought a new battery considering it was my battery but its the same…i am comsidering the factory reset..

  15. fayms

    04/18/2016 at 5:37 pm

    Since the update I no longer have all the icons – the worst is the missing phone icon – so to make a call that is not in my contacts I have to go into apps and select ‘p’ for phone to get the number pad. Also, my battery drains while I’m looking at the screen (this is in seconds!). I have uninstalled unnecessary apps, turned off wifi and GPS, makes no difference. What I have also noticed is when I take it off charger the bottom part of the screen flickers for about 10 mins before it settles down – bit creepy, feels like something is alive in the phone. I was going to buy a new battery but I think that would be pointless after reading these comments. My husband has the exact same phone, updated same time as me and has no issues – weird.

  16. Ahmed Adel

    05/04/2017 at 2:14 am

    Thanks for your effort

  17. priyasin1268

    09/03/2019 at 4:12 am

    The process of selecting the right one for your phone can become overwhelming. There are many factors that one should consider while replacing the original battery of the phone with the other one. Some of these factors are quality, voltage, capacity and charge cycles of the replacement battery

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.