Android
How to Get Better Galaxy Note 4 Battery Life
If you want to fix bad Samsung Galaxy Note 4 battery life or if you simply want to get more out of your phone, these Samsung Galaxy Note 4 battery life tips should help you extend the device’s lifespan as it makes the transition from Android 4.4 KitKat to Android 5.0 Lollipop.
In October, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 hit shelves in the United States with a number of big time features on board. Samsung’s current Galaxy Note delivers a gorgeous display, powerful processor, Android 4.4.4 KitKat, and a massive battery that delivers excellent battery life. For more on the device’s battery life, take a look at our full length Galaxy Note 4 review.
Right now, Samsung is rolling out the Galaxy Note 4’s first major Android update. Android 5.0 Lollipop is a massive step up from Android 4.4 KitKat and it delivers a wealth of new features, enhancements and fixes to Samsung’s flagship model. The software isn’t rolling out in the United States just yet though it’s expected to arrive sometime later this year.
When it does start rolling out, it will join the Galaxy S5 Lollipop update, an update that’s delivered similar features to Galaxy users in the U.S. As we’ve pointed out, that’s all not it brought to the table. Galaxy S5 users are dealing with battery life problems. Those issues could strike the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 in the future so we want to make sure that you’re prepared.
How to Get Better Galaxy Note 4 Battery Life
Complaints about Galaxy Note 4 battery life on Android 4.4 KitKat are scarce though there’s always room for improvement. These tips will help even if you’re not seeing battery drain on your Galaxy Note 4. They will become especially useful if you start seeing battery drain after Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop update. While battery life issues aren’t guaranteed, we almost always see complaints after major updates.
Find Apps Eating Up Your Battery
If you’re noticing abnormal battery life on your Galaxy Note 4 or if you simply want to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your device, we recommend taking a close look at your applications because they can suck up a ton of juice.
Third-party applications have a tendency to put a huge dent into the battery life all smartphones, not just the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. 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 precious battery life. Maybe you’re seeing this.
The first thing recommend is going into your settings and taking a look at the effect that some of your applications are having on your Galaxy Note 4 battery life. If you notice anything out of the ordinary, and you might, it’s time to start taking a closer look at your applications.
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:
- Power down the device. Then, press & hold the Power button and volume down key.
- Once it boots up, you can let go of the power button but keep the volume key held down.
- When you have successfully entered into Safe Mode, you will notice the text ‘Safe Mode’ at the bottom left corner of the screen.
We highly recommend keeping a close eye on your applications throughout the week. Work this into your daily routine but don’t obsess over it, especially if apps seem to be working fine.
Restart the Samsung Galaxy Note 4
If you’re currently experiencing bad Galaxy Note 4 battery life, we recommend turning the phone off for a good minute and then flipping it back on. In the past, this has returned battery life to normal.
If you aren’t seeing bad battery and you simply want to retain the great Galaxy Note 4 battery life, we suggest getting into the habit of periodically turning the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 off.
Control Screen Brightness
The Samsung Galaxy Note 4’s Quad HD display can suck up a lot of power, especially when it’s at its brightest. Manually controlling the screen brightness is an easy way to save some battery without mangling your device’s settlings. To do this, there is a slider located in the device’s quick menu that allows you to easily adjust the brightness of the display. Only use the brightest level when you need to.
You can also try setting it to Auto. The device, and its sensors, will automatically adjust the brightness based on the environment that you’re in. For instance, if you’re using the device in bed, it will dim the lights so that you’re not blinded by the screen.
Adjust Screen Timeout
You can also adjust how long the screen stays on during periods of inactivity. If you shorten the amount of time that it stays on, you could see a small boost in overall battery life.
To do this, head into the display section of the Galaxy Note 4’s settings and head into Screen Timeout. We suggest changing it to 15 seconds or even 30 seconds. Anything more than that is probably going to be overkill for most people.
Disable Unnecessary Services
In our experience, disabling features when they aren’t in use tends to have a positive impact on overall battery life. So it’s time to start making a habit out of that.
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 quick menu or in the device’s expanded settings.
One thing that we’ve noticed is that poor cellular coverage is often to blame for bad battery life. When your phone 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.
Connections that are constantly working in the background can be a negative influence on battery life. Start toggling features off when you don’t need them. The gains might not be massive but you should start to see a positive impact if you get into a habit of keeping an eye on your connections.
Start Using a Black Wallpaper
Switching to a black Samsung Galaxy Note 4 wallpaper can help deliver better Galaxy Note 4 battery life thanks to the way the display on the Galaxy Note 4 consumes 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 to Wallpaper to Home and Lock Screens to More Images and set your black Galaxy Note 4 wallpaper.
Start Using the Device’s Built-in Features
The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 comes with software features that are meant to help you conserve battery life. Start using them now and get it into a habit of using them. They should become second nature.
The device’s 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 special 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. Ultra Power Saving Mode can turn 5% of battery life into a ton of standby time so use that when you’re really, really low.
These features can be accessed from the quick settings menu that’s pulled down with a swipe from the top of the Galaxy Note 4’s screen.
Replace the Launcher
You also might want to try replacing Samsung’s stock launcher. The TouchWiz launcher has been known to hinder performance and it can be replaced with better looking ones that seemingly outperform it. There are tons of different launches to choose from though the Nova Launcher is one of Android’s most popular choices.
