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How to Fix Bad Galaxy Note 4 Battery Life After Lollipop

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The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop update delivers new fixes, new features, and new enhancements for Samsung’s current Galaxy Note flagship. According to Galaxy Note 4 owners, 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 4 battery life before and after Android 5.0 Lollipop.

In September, Samsung took the curtain down from around its Galaxy Note 4, a replacement for the Galaxy Note 3. As expected, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 arrived with all sorts of bells and whistles including a new design, an improved display, a solid camera, and Android 4.4.4 Kitkat. At the time, Android 4.4.4 KitKat was the most current version of Google’s mobile operating system.

Given the Galaxy Note 4’s status as a flagship, it was no surprise that it found itself among the first Samsung Galaxy smartphones to Google’s new mobile OS, Android 5.0 Lollipop. The Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop update started rolling out last month and it delivers some big time features to Galaxy Note 4 users. Some have already gotten a taste of the changes, others are still waiting for the update to start rolling out.

Nexus6vsNote4-4

While the Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop update brings some huge changes to the device, it also brings Android 5.0 Lollipop problems including battery life issues. Complaints about bad Galaxy Note 4 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 Sprint.

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 4 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 4 Battery Life

With that in mind, we want to try and fix bad Samsung Galaxy Note 4 battery life for you. This guide delivers help to get better battery life on Samsung’s current 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 for them to check out third-party applications. Some people listen, some don’t. If you want to fix your bad Galaxy Note 4 battery life, you’re going to want to keep an eye on applications for potential problems.

Third-party apps have a tendency to put a huge dent into the battery life on the Galaxy Note 4 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 but there are also times where bugs or issues might cause an app to go rogue and start abnormally draining the device’s charge.

Note-4-briefing

Head into your settings and start taking a look at the effect that Galaxy Note 4 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.

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 4 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 4 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 4

If you haven’t restarted your Galaxy Note 4 in awhile, now is a great time to perform a simple restart. This will clear the device’s cache and perhaps, solve some of the battery life problems that you’ve been seeing. Most of you know how to restart the Galaxy Note 4 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 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.

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 4’s settings and the device’s quick menu makes this even easier.

Nexus6vsNote4-1

One thing that we’ve noticed is that poor cellular coverage is often to blame for bad Android battery life. When your Galaxy Note 4 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 may need to turn on Airplane Mode 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 4 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. There are tons of them out there. After you’ve downloaded one, go to Settings -> Wallpaper -> Home and Lock Screens -> More Images -> set your black Galaxy Note 4 wallpaper. It’s a quick fix but it could certainly help.

Start Using the Device’s Built-in Features

Right now is a great time to start using the Galaxy Note 4’s built-in battery saving features. Power Saving Mode is a good place to start, and Ultra Power Saving mode is an even better option when you need the Galaxy Note 4 battery to last longer than normal.

These features allow you to block background data and turn on grayscale mode which can help to limit the amount of juice being sucked up. You can also slow down the processor, reduce screen performance, turn off the lights on the buttons, and turn off GPS to save battery life.

We also recommend getting familiar with the the Galaxy Note 4’s brightness slider. The Galaxy Note 4’s powerful display can suck up a ton of battery life so you’ll want to monitor the brightness of the screen if you’re starting to notice bad Galaxy Note 4 battery life. If auto-brightness isn’t working out, try doing it manually.

Replace the Stock Launcher

You also might want to consider replacing the stock TouchWiz launcher on the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 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 what you wanted. 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.

Factory Reset the Galaxy Note 4

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 4. This will wipe all of your files so you’ll need to make a backup before going this route.

note-4-review 1

To factory reset the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, 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.

If for whatever reason that doesn’t work, users 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 4 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 4 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 this 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.

29 Comments

29 Comments

  1. Spencer

    04/28/2015 at 7:33 pm

    Thanks for the tips.

    But a second thought,we buy a wonderful smartphone at such a high price,but yet need to restrict the usage and function? Let’s put the bloat ware aside, I agree that some of the function like WiFi can be turn off conveniently when we are out using service network, but function like GPS are very important when we are using phone protection or location services tracking devices., and switching to a air plane mode? What about buying a basic Nokia phone(for call and messaging only). And plus a tab? Which is cheaper?

    While samsung galaxy note 4 is almost super smartphone,the battery consumption is less than desired. Samsung should consider expanding their market by less bloatware (which can’t be disable or uninstall) which eat up space or drain battery.

  2. William dennis

    04/29/2015 at 6:49 am

    Once I updated to lollipop on my note 4 I did notice a higher draw on the battery. After reading this forum and a couple other pages, I immediately went through and deleted any app that hasn’t been updated recently. I had about three or four apps that had not been updated since 2013. I deleted those apps and one or two that werent updated since 2014. Once I did that I restarted the phone and I noticed an immediate increase in battery life. So any apps/games that isn’t updated to handle lollipop most likely is going to put a draw on your battery.

    • Retrocide

      08/25/2015 at 7:11 am

      Seeing as how the Note 4 didn’t release until September of 2014, I don’t see how you could have had apps that hadn’t been updated since 2013…

      • jo

        12/17/2015 at 3:53 pm

        Lol he’s obviously a newb just like the idiot that wrote this forum post written for idiots that actually read this crap.

      • Ejay

        08/24/2016 at 8:17 am

        I suspect he is talking about the app’s last update date – as shown on the play store under additional information, which could have been long before he installed it on his new phone

  3. Marcos

    05/03/2015 at 10:11 am

    I was having battery issues on my t-mobile’s Galaxy Note 4 even before upgrading to lollipop. It was lasting just 7-8 hours even with low usage and while in stand by. I thought this would be resolved after the lollipop upgrade but it didn’t. Before that I pretty much uninstalled all the apps I had, without success. I think the root cause for my battery problem was actually the hidden WiFi configuration (through *#0011#) which I turned off. I know this option did help for some users but I wouldn’t recommend using it. It turned out the only true solution for my issue was a factory reset which I did after the lollipop upgrade. I chose not to restore my backed up apps and configs so I couldn’t tell if it would have been worked if I did it, but the fact is that it fully restored my battery’s performance (up to 2 days with moderate usage). So, for anyone having extreme poor performance in battery life I would strongly recommend to go right through factory reset instead of wasting time searching for the bad app or trying to turn off some of the note 4 features which had nothing to do with the issue. Cheers!

  4. Andrew

    06/10/2015 at 3:15 pm

    You’d think that Samsung would’ve fixed the biggest issue people have with their S and Note phones by now. I saw an article looking for this one that says the S6 has an even worst battery life than the S5. Seriously, Samsung, at the rate which technology is increasing, you have done virtually nothing to improve your battery life. My phone doesn’t even last night to night WITHOUT DYING, ON MINIMAL USE. I shouldn’t need to go through and disable basic features to have my phone last the day. This will be the last Samsung I get…

    • fegoodale

      06/20/2015 at 9:09 pm

      Did you even try a factory reset?

    • jo

      12/17/2015 at 3:57 pm

      I completely agree with you, I can’t even get to work which is an hour drive without it dying if I’m playing any games or actually using my device for anything other than a standbye phone. I hate Samsung for doing this crap

  5. TimTheToolMan

    08/23/2015 at 12:00 am

    My Note 4 normally lasts a couple of days on the battery. Occasionally it has a hissy fit where it decides to very consistently drain the battery quickly over a single day or less and that problem lasts a couple of days and then in the past has seemingly corrected itself.

    Very recently it did that and it ran out of battery. I charged it without turning it on first and that seems to have fixed it. Its used 8% battery over the last 5.5hours and thats back to being fine.

    Maybe this will help someone else…

  6. Ruthjtoney

    08/30/2015 at 11:06 pm

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    • jo

      12/17/2015 at 3:59 pm

      Sounds like an awesome plan, can I give you my bank account to wire the funds? Just wait until the dictator of Zimbabwe finishes with my inheritance money.

  7. Jayden

    10/31/2015 at 1:22 pm

    Samsung should just take a break from releasing the S and Note series for just one year so they can focus on a battery that last a week. We put a man on the moon in the 60s yet we can’t develop a smartphone battery that last a week anymore?

  8. george garner

    11/03/2015 at 7:34 pm

    yes but you did not tell us how to downgrade the galaxy note 4

    • jo

      12/17/2015 at 4:01 pm

      That’s because you can’t once you’ve taken the COG5 update which we all have. It locks the boot loader which prevents factory resets from within odin.

  9. Droobie

    02/12/2016 at 6:54 pm

    Who writes this twaddle? I get so tired of non-authoritative guessing with absolutely no testing, no research and no clue as to what might actually be contributing to the issue. This is nothing more than a collection of battery tips from around the Internet and is undeserving of my time writing a reply or even reading it in the first place This is pure ad-bait and poorly written to boot.

  10. JP

    03/13/2016 at 1:19 pm

    We pay so much for a device that should be everything we desire and battery is excessively important to all of us just to be let down! My advice is switch to iphone if you don’t have any issues with their platform. I did!

  11. Jeremy

    04/14/2016 at 8:34 pm

    the fact that I have a Samsung Note 4 and I’m to the point where I have to read this, means I will never buy another Samsung product either… When Motorola & LG caused me issues, I jumped ship as well and I recommend those reading this to do the same… I’m going to Team Apple and see how that experience goes, but never back to Samsung there’s more options out there..

  12. Cool

    04/22/2016 at 2:37 am

    Bla bla bla….its better to switchoff your phone for saving battery..

  13. nigga44

    04/29/2016 at 7:41 am

    encouraging factory reset instead of self education is reprehensibly irresponsible

  14. Tone

    05/31/2016 at 4:12 am

    I have done all of those things. Tried factoryreset twice. So thats not the issue for me. Going to buy a new battery, but no one I talk to thinks that is the problem. If a New battery dosnt work I will Return the phone on its guarante. If all of you did that Samsung would solve the batteryissue. Sure of that.

  15. K

    07/24/2016 at 9:03 pm

    There are way too many articles with this same advice… Why get a smart phone if the first thing you have to do is disable everything that makes it a smartphone? Getting tired of android…

  16. Michael Boyce

    07/29/2016 at 5:17 pm

    hope this helps. had the same problem of battery drain and not being able to put phone in power saving mode. i stumbled upon things that the update cuts on and you have no idea, anyway, it seems that the update has the search for other devices running 24/7 and you have to go in and switch it off. since then power mode has been enabled and stays on and battery life is back

  17. Frederic Thiam

    08/17/2016 at 7:39 am

    And why Samsung would fix this very lucrative problem? How many of us will buy an additional battery in order to power up the unit again or a spare battery charger or to pay $99 of replacement fee from your accident/failure insurance or your carrier offering to buy back your defective phone in exchange of buying the latest phone with a new 2 years contract. I have naively done all of the above for my defective Nexus battery management software.

    My previous Nexus died/froze one day not long after a major system update and also having battery recharging issues, I could no longer power it up. It was time for my “free” upgrade. So I naively bought a note 4. Less than 2 weeks later my Nexus start to work again like a charm.

    If like me other owners experienced the same issues with the same or similar expensive outcomes, these events can no longer to be considered coincidental but rather part of very aggressive, bad business practices from predatory carrier/manufacturer policy.
    The lack of fixing patches, concern and silence from the manufactured is self explanatory.

  18. WT Smith

    01/31/2017 at 8:07 am

    I’ve tried everything, including a factory reset. My battery issue seems to continue to get worse. I’ve tried new batteries as well. The phone just turns off at any given time, at 27%, 35%, 45% and just now it was at 67%. I had charged it all night, it was at 100%, i was on it almost 2 hours and it went blank. I tried to turn it on, it would book up and go blank again. When I plugged it in to charge, it said it was at 67%. What the heck?

  19. Peter Nweke

    02/26/2017 at 4:45 pm

    I have had battery drainage for as long as I got my notes over 1 year ago…coupled with the phone suddenly going dead even with battery at 50%.
    The Solution! !!!
    You won’t believe it, I removed the fancy cover I bought to protect the phone with the original cover that came with it. Problem Solved!!!😅 the original back cover is lighter and I think it was the problem all along. I charged just once today and it’s 12 midnight and I still have 60%
    The fancy cover is thicket and generates heat and I guess warrants the phone to go off.
    Try it…it’s so simple…but it worked. I have tried all online suggestions; look for draining apps, replaced battery, turned off GPS and WiFi, installed stupid battery saving apps…blah. ..blah. ..blah.

  20. Peter Nweke

    02/26/2017 at 4:52 pm

    Pls let me know if this worked for you too😊 (who knows…Samsung might reward us for solving this “highly” technical problem )

  21. Dave

    02/27/2017 at 9:32 am

    Well, for those of us who never replaced the back cover your advise is like asking people to find a cow and milk it!

    I know, that seems pointless too.

  22. Ralph

    03/18/2017 at 9:33 am

    Thanks
    Insights always good
    I appreciate the basics
    After all i didnt buy this for fun and games

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