Phone Battery Draining Fast? These Are the Apps to Blame
Here’s something that happens to everyone: you start the day with a 100% charged phone, but before you know it, the battery is already in the red. You might wonder what’s draining your battery so fast, especially when you haven't used your phone that much. Most of the time, it's the apps you use daily. They are always working—checking for updates and sending notifications—and quietly using up your battery. In this guide, we'll find out which problem apps are making the battery on phone die quickly and share simple tips to help you get more life out of your battery every day.
The Main Apps That Eat Battery
Any app can be a battery hog if it's not made well. But certain types of apps almost always use a lot of power because of what they do.
Social Media & Messaging Apps
(Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, WhatsApp)
Apps like these are made to keep you scrolling, so they are always running in the background. They're constantly checking for new posts and messages, sending you alerts, and using your location. This nonstop work uses up a lot of power. Facebook is a well-known example of an app that can really drain your battery.
Video & Music Apps
(YouTube, Netflix, Spotify)
Playing video is tough on your battery. It keeps the screen lit and makes the phone's main chip work hard to create the moving picture. A better-looking HD video drains the battery even faster. When you listen to music, using phone data to stream online uses far more power than playing a song that's already saved on your phone.
Navigation Apps
(Google Maps, Waze)
Navigation apps like Google Maps can drain your battery very quickly. While you use them, the app does two things that use a lot of power. First, it constantly uses the phone's GPS to know where you are. Second, it keeps the screen on the entire time so you can see the map. Because it does both of these things at once, your battery level can drop very fast.
Gaming Apps
Playing games with good graphics makes your phone work as hard as it can. Games use a lot of your phone's brainpower (the CPU and GPU) to show all the action on screen. These are the parts of your phone that use the most electricity. That’s why playing for just a short time can use up a ton of battery.
Dating Apps
(Tinder, Bumble, Hinge)
Dating apps can use more battery than you'd think. That's because they do all the things that drain a battery the most, all at once. They are always using your location to find people nearby, checking for new messages, and sending you lots of notifications. All these features working together make them big battery users.
Why Do These Apps Use So Much Battery?
The apps listed above use your phone's battery faster than others. It's because they do things that need a lot of power. Here are the four main reasons why:
- They work in the background. Many apps are always checking for new things, like emails or posts. This hidden work uses power, even when your phone is in your pocket.
- They use your location. GPS uses a lot of power. Apps that track where you are have to talk to satellites all the time, which uses up a lot of battery.
- They use the screen and the phone's brain. When an app keeps your screen on and makes the phone's brain (processor) work hard, it drains the battery very fast. This is why games and videos use so much power.
- They send you notifications. Every alert wakes up your phone and lights up the screen. One or two don't matter, but hundreds of them all day will drain your battery.
How to Find Out What’s Draining Your Battery
To fix the problem, you first need to find out which apps are using the most battery. Luckily, both iPhones and Android phones have a built-in tool that makes this easy.
- For iPhone Users: Open Settings and tap on Battery. Scroll down and you'll see a list showing what percentage of your battery each app has used. The apps using the most power are at the top. You can tap on an app to see if it's using battery while on your screen or while running in the background.
- For Android Users: The steps might be a little different on your phone, but here's how it usually works: Open Settings, tap Battery, and then Battery usage. This will show you a list of your apps, with the ones using the most battery at the top. It’s an easy way to spot which apps are the problem..
Simple Fixes to Make Your Battery Last Longer
Once you know which apps are the problem, you can take a few easy steps to fix it. You don't need to delete your favorite apps. You just need to change some of their settings.
Stop Apps from Working in the Background
Some apps are always working in the background. You can turn this off for apps that don't need to be constantly updating, like games. This is a great way to save power.
Control Which Apps Use Your Location
Check which apps can see your location. For most apps, it’s best to set this to “While Using the App.” If an app doesn't need your location to work at all, change its setting to “Never.”
Turn Off Notifications You Don't Need
Every time you get a notification, your phone uses a little bit of power. These add up. Go into your settings and turn off alerts from apps that aren't important to you.
Change Your Screen Settings
Your screen is one of the biggest power users. You can save a lot of battery by turning down the brightness and using Dark Mode. Also, set your screen to turn off faster when you're not using it, like after 30 seconds.
Use Low Power or Battery Saver Mode
Both iPhones and Android phones have a special mode to save battery. When you turn it on, your phone automatically does things to save power. It's a great one-tap way to make your battery last longer when it's running low.
The Best Backup: Power for Your Phone, Anywhere
Even when you've fixed your settings, some days are just extra busy. Lots of video calls or using GPS for a long drive can still drain your phone. When you can't find a wall plug, a good power bank is the best way to make sure your phone doesn't die.
For Easy, Everyday Power: EcoFlow RAPID Mag Power Bank This power bank is super thin, light, and sticks to the back of your phone with a magnet (perfect for newer iPhones). You don't need any cables—just snap it on and you're charging. It's the best pick if you want a simple, no-fuss power boost to get you through the day.
For More Power and More Devices: EcoFlow RAPID Power Bank (25,000mAh) This one holds a lot more power. It can charge your phone many times, and can even charge bigger things like a laptop. Best of all, the charging cables are built right in, so you can never forget them. It's the perfect all-in-one charger for travel, school, or long days out.
Take Back Control of Your Battery
You have more control over your phone's battery than you think. When you know which apps use the most power, you can change a few simple settings. This will help your battery last a lot longer on a single charge. It only takes a few minutes to fix these settings and turn off features you don't need. Take charge of your settings today, and to be ready for anything, check out the EcoFlow RAPID series to stay powered and connected all day.
5 FAQs About Phone Battery Drain
Q1: What's the difference between battery 'usage' and battery 'health'?
It's easy to mix these up, but they mean two different things. Think of your battery like a water bottle. Battery usage tells you how much water you used today and which activities (apps) used the most. It's a short-term report. Battery health, on the other hand, is about the size of the water bottle itself. Over time, the bottle gets older and can't hold as much as it used to. So, managing your apps helps you save the water you have, but only a healthy battery (a big bottle) can hold enough from the start.
Q2: Should I close all my unused apps from the background to save battery?
Q3: Does poor cell service really drain my battery?
Yes, a bad signal is a major battery drainer. When your phone can't find a stable signal, it has to work much harder to search for a cell tower. Think of it like shouting in a noisy room to be heard—all that "shouting" for a signal uses a lot of energy. If you know you're going into an area with bad reception, like a basement or a remote location, turning on Airplane Mode is the best way to save power.
Q4: Do my daily charging habits affect my battery?
They do. Good charging habits keep your battery healthier for longer, which affects its daily performance. To keep your battery in the best shape, try these tips:
Don't let it get too low: Try to avoid letting the battery drop below 20%.
Charge overnight without worry: Modern phones are smart and stop charging when they reach 100%.
Use 'Optimized Charging': This feature learns your routine and waits to finish charging to 100% until just before you wake up.
Use fast charging less often: While convenient, it creates more heat, which can wear down the battery faster over time.
Q5: Why is 'Android System' or 'System Services' sometimes using a lot of my battery?
Don't worry when you see this, as it's usually normal. This category includes all the "housekeeping" tasks your phone needs to run, like managing the screen and network connections. Right after a system update, your phone does some extra organizing, which can temporarily use more power. If this item is always at the very top of your list, simply restarting your phone will often fix it.