Battery saving tips for Windows 10 Mobile

Here are some things you can do to make the battery last longer on your Windows phone.

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Battery basics

Try these tips to start with:

Use battery saver. This is the easiest way to extend battery life. To find it, on Start , swipe over to the All apps list, and then select Settings > System > Battery.
Learn more about battery saver
Reduce your screen’s brightness. On Start , swipe over to the All apps list, and then select Settings > System > Display. Turn off Change brightness automatically when lighting changes, and then use the slider to set the brightness level you want.
Use a dark background. On Start , swipe over to the All apps list, select Settings > Personalization > Colors, and then select Dark.
Set a shorter duration before the screen times out. On Start , swipe over to the All apps list, and then select Settings > Personalization > Lock screen. In Screen times out after, select the box to change the screen’s time-out duration.

Turn off what you aren't using

Turning off idle apps and other features can go a long way to help extend battery life. For example:

Optimize your background apps. Get the most out of your phone's battery life by choosing which apps are okay to run in the background.

On Start , swipe over to the All apps list, and then select Settings > System > Battery > Battery usage by app. You'll see a list of apps and how much battery each one is using relatively—this can help you choose which apps to allow (the ones you care about most) versus which apps to disallow (the ones you care about least). Select an app from the list, and then select Always allowed in background, Managed by Windows, or Never allowed in background. (Note that some apps can’t be changed.)
Turn off location. On Start , swipe over to the All apps list, select Settings > Privacy > Location, and then turn off Location service.
Turn off Bluetooth. On Start , swipe over to the All apps list, select Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices, and then turn off Bluetooth.
Turn off NFC. On Start , swipe over to the All apps list, select Settings > Devices > NFC, and then turn off Tap to share.

Change display settings

To help extend battery life, adjust some of your phone’s display settings. For example:

Reduce your screen’s brightness. On Start , swipe over to the All apps list, and then select Settings > System > Display. Turn off Change brightness automatically when lighting changes, and then use the slider to set the brightness level you want.
Use a dark background. On Start , swipe over to the All apps list, select Settings > Personalization > Colors, and then select Dark.
Set a shorter duration before your screen times out. On Start , swipe over to the All apps list, and then select Settings > Personalization > Lock screen. In Screen times out after, select the box to change the screen’s time out duration.
Turn off your screen during calls. If you're using the speaker phone or a Bluetooth-enabled 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.
Set a shorter time-out duration for Glance screen or turn it off. On Start , swipe over to the All apps list, select Settings > Personalization > Glance screen, and then select the Show Glance screen for box to change the time-out duration or turn off Show Glance screen when your screen is turned off. (For supported devices only)

Change sync settings

Increase battery life by changing how frequently your phone syncs. For example:

Sync email less often. On Start , swipe over to the All apps list, and then select Settings > Accounts > Email & app accounts. Select the account that you want to change, and then select Manage > Change mailbox sync settings. Under Download new email, choose a longer interval.
Sync contacts and calendars less often. On Start , swipe over to the All apps list, and then select Settings > Accounts > Email & app accounts. Select the account that you want to change, and then select Manage > Change mailbox sync settings. Under Sync contacts and calendars, choose a longer interval.
Sync only the email, calendars, and contacts you want. You don’t have to sync email, calendars, or contacts unless you want to. On Start , swipe over to the All apps list, and then select Settings > Accounts > Email & app accounts. Select the account that you want to change, and then select Manage > Change mailbox sync settings. Under Sync options, select Email, Calendar, or Contacts to turn them off.
Limit what you pin to Start. It's great to have your favorite things pinned to Start so you can use 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 pictures in OneDrive. To turn off automatic uploads, go to Settings > Devices > Default camera > Manage OneDrive upload settings, and then turn off the camera upload setting.

Other things you can do

Keep your phone plugged in until it's fully charged. To check your phone’s battery level, go to Settings > System > Battery.
Restart your phone. This can sometimes fix problems that can shorten battery life.
Turn on airplane mode if you don’t need Internet, cellular service, or other wireless communications. On Start , swipe over to the All apps list, select Settings > Network & wireless > Airplane mode, and then turn on airplane mode.

Properties

Article ID: 12388 - Last Review: 2/05/2017 - Revision: 66

Applies to

Windows 10 Mobile

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