Battery: making it last

The simplest way to make the battery in your Windows Phone last longer between charges is to use Battery Saver.

With Battery Saver, you can turn off all nonessential features and conserve battery in just a few taps. Or, you can limit background usage to save power; you can see how much battery power your apps are consuming and change whether they can run in the background. In this topic we'll tell you how and also give you tips on other ways to conserve battery.

Turn off nonessential features

If you prefer the blanket approach to conserving battery, you can use Battery Saver to turn off the nonessential features that consume battery in the background. When you do this, your phone won't be able to:

• Automatically receive email or calendar updates. You can still sync your email manually whenever you want.
• Update some Live Tiles. If a Tile uses push notifications to get its updates, it won't receive those updates in Battery Saver mode.

You can still make and receive phone calls, get and send text messages, and browse the Internet.

To change Battery Saver settings

1. In the App list, tap Battery Saver 

   
   .
   Note

   If you don't have Windows Phone 8.1 installed, you can use Battery Saver by going to Settings 

   

    > Battery Saver.

2. In Settings, do one of the following:

   • Tap Off to turn off Battery Saver.
   • Tap When battery is under 20% if you want Battery Saver to conserve power when the battery level gets low.
   • Tap Always (limits functionality) if you want Battery Saver to conserve power all the time. Think twice before choosing this option—your phone will prevent most background functions.
   • Turn on Now until next charge 
     
      if you want Battery Saver to conserve power immediately and then return to normal battery usage the next time you charge your phone.

Limit background usage

Some apps can drain the battery even when you're not using them at the moment—this is known as background usage. Battery Saver lets you control your phone's battery usage on a per-app basis.

To allow apps to run in the background

1. In the App list, tap Battery Saver 

   
   . Swipe over to Usage to see a list of your apps and their relative battery consumption.

2. Tap an app, then turn on Allow app to run in the background 

   
   .

Battery-saving tips

Here are some more ways to conserve battery on your phone.

Display

• Reduce the time before the screen turns off. Set a shorter duration before your screen times out and your phone locks.
• Lower the brightness setting. In the App list, tap Settings 
  
   > Brightness, turn off Automatically adjust, and then select the Level that you want to use instead.
• Use a dark background theme. In the App list, tap Settings 
  
   > Theme > Background, and then tap Dark.
• Turn off the screen during calls. If you're using the speaker phone or a Bluetooth device, press the Power 
  
   button to turn off the screen.
• Turn off the viewfinder after you take a picture. Press the Back 
  
   button to exit the camera viewfinder, or press the Power 
  
   button to put your phone to sleep.

Syncing

• Sync email less often. In the App list, tap Settings 
  
  , and then tap Email + accounts. Tap the account that you want to change the sync settings for, tap Download new content, choose a longer interval, and then tap Done 
  
  .
• Choose which contacts are synced to your phone. You don't have to sync email and social media contacts unless you want to.
• Limit what you pin to Start. It's great to have your favorite things—people, apps, songs, and more—pinned to Start so you can access them quickly. Just be aware that the more Live Tiles you have on Start, the more battery you use.
• Upload only the pictures you want to keep. This saves power and saves you time later when you want to sort your pics in OneDrive.  
• Check social media less often. Each time you visit What's new in the People Hub and Photos Hub, your phone uses extra power to sync and update.

General

• Restart your phone if you notice short battery life. This can sometimes fix issues that can shorten battery life.
• Use headphones. If you're listening to music or using a Bluetooth device, try using headphones.
• Turn off Bluetooth connections you're not using. If you're not using a Bluetooth accessory, you can turn off Bluetooth.  

Warning

Don't remove or replace the battery when the phone is turned on. If you have a spare battery, turn off your phone, and then replace the battery in your phone with the spare. This helps ensure that your data is saved properly. To turn off your phone, press and hold the Power