Android tablets are really cool. They give you access to the most amazing things on the web while on the go. Of course, nothings perfect, and the limitations of these mobile devices is that the battery simply lets you down sooner or later. If you use your tablet quite heavily, then you’ll find yourself recharging the device every now and again. And that’s not an enjoyable experience. There are a few things that you can do to optimize the battery life of Android tablets and this post, I’ll be sharing some of them with you.
How to Optimize the Battery Life of Android Tablets
1. Watch that Network Connection
One of the biggest battery life suckers is the network connection. If you use Wi-Fi on your Android tablet, you tend to be relaxed about the internet usage, and probably have Wi-Fi turned on even when you are not using the Android device. Well, you can’t blame your poor battery then, can you? You can change the settings on your Android tablet to switch off Wi-Fi in Sleep Mode to conserve the battery.
Go To Settings. Tap Wireless and network. Then tap Wi-Fi settings. On the tablet menu, select Advanced. Then tap Wi-Fi sleep policy. (The steps will vary depending on the Android tablet)
You will see options to turn off Wi-Fi when the screen turns off, never turn off Wi-Fi when plugged in, and never turn off Wi-Fi. For optimum battery performance, you should select the option to turn off Wi-Fi when the screen turns off.
2. Optimize Items Draining the Battery
You can do a quick check of the apps that are draining your battery by opening the Battery Use page. It may be available on the Settings->Applications page or Settings->About device page. In my case, it was the Display that was eating up my battery life. Continue to tap the item and modify the settings. For instance, you can optimize the brightness of the screen, animation effects, and screen timeout limit.
3. Disable GPS
A big battery drainer, this option can be turned off when you are not navigating. But also take into account the fact that there may be certain other apps such as Twitter that may need GPS to be turned on, so use this option according to your needs.
4. Disable Apps that Sync All the Time
There may be apps that you don’t need to sync constantly to such as Dropbox, Gmail or other social accounts. Head over to your Settings page, tap Accounts and sync and turn off accounts you don’t need to sync with constantly.
A quick way to manage Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, Auto Sync, and Screen brightness is to install the Power widget on your Home screen. Just tap in an empty space on your screen, select Widgets and then choose Power Widget. Now a simple tap will turn an option on or off.
5. Use Battery Life Saving Apps
Make use of apps such as Battery Extender(Life Saver), and Juice Defender to help you manage your battery life.
6. Disable Apps and Widgets You Don’t Use
You generally tend to download Android apps and games with great gusto, use them like there’s no tomorrow for the first weeks or so, and then as the magic begins to wear off, you move on to other things. Suddenly you are left with a whole bunch of apps and widgets that just work in the background, draining your battery while you stay blissfully unaware. Take a few minutes to check and uninstall apps you no longer need.
Many of these options are not particularly what we would like to. Ideally, we shouldn’t have to reduce brightness when we don’t want to, or turn off Wi-Fi, or kill live wallpapers. Our pricey Android tablet should take care of it, but it doesn’t and until a super battery is manufactured, we have to find ways to optimize the battery life of Android tablets and manage these shortcomings.
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